Scuba diving the Cenotes of Tulum

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
9
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
3
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
8
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
7
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
4
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
10
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
85 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
20th/454
Top 5%
continent
North America
country
Mexico
Length of time
1 day or less
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$150 (typically $100 - $200)
Time of year visited
June
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Cave diving Cenotes Scuba diving
All Tags
Adrenaline rush Jungle
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

I know there are so many dives in the world that are “must do’s”, but the Cenote dives near Tulum really do own the “must do” space.   As you drive through the scorchingly hot, thick Mexican jungle, one of the last things on your mind is scuba diving. But in only a few minutes of getting your gear on and pushing through the undergrowth, you find yourself transported to another world of intricate underwater cave systems with a full-blown mystery vive to them – no wonder the Mayan thought they were entrances to the underworld.

The whole experience is unique and each of the dives listed below sit within the world-class category.  But the highlight is undoubtedly the Angelita Cenote – a circular sink hole in the middle of the jungle.  Because of the different densities of salt and fresh water and a 3m / 10ft hydrogen sulphate layer, you are given the impression of flying above dark clouds of some otherworldly swamp land – like a combo of the Mayan Underworld and that scene in the swamp from The Empire Strikes Back.  Unique and a must do if you’re a diver in this part of the world.

In a nutshell:

  • One of the most unique dives in the world
  • Underground cave systems instead of open ocean
  • Minimal marine life — all about visuals and atmosphere
  • Angelita is the standout dive
  • A must-do if you’re a diver in this region

Table of Contents

Highlights

Scuba diving Angelita Cenote next to Tulum, Mexico

#1 Floating above what feels like the underworld in the Angelita Cenote - one of the most otherworldly scuba diving experiences out there

Scuba diving the The Pit Cenote next to Tulum, Mexico

#2 Diving into the depths of The Pit Cenote, with its dramatic drop into the caves below

Emerging from Dos Ojos cenote next to Tulum, Mexico

#3 That crazy feeling as you go from the desert heat, to the refreshing cool water of the Cenotes

Scuba diving to the The Bat Cave within Dos Ojos cenote next to Tulum, Mexico

#4 Making your way through the detailed cave system of The Bat Cave within Dos Ojos

Diving details

Dive shop – we went with Koox Diving, who were great.  US$220 for the three dives in one day (2019 prices), including all dive equipment, lunch and transport from Tulum to the 3 dives sites and back.  We dived the following 3 cenotes:

🥇 Angelita – the highlight.  40m / 130ft deep so obviously only a short time at the bottom.  It really feels like 4 layers – a 3m / 10ft layer of murky water at the top that reduces the light entering the rest of the cenote; the freshwater for 30m / 100ft which is clear; the 2m / 6 ft hydrogen sulphate layer formed from the decaying organic matter that looks like a cloud; and the salt water underneath which is pitch black.  The whole thing makes you feel like you are passing different layers on your way to the underworld.

🥈 The Bat Cave at the Dos Ojos cave system – shallow dive at 8m / 25ft.  You work your way through the cave system, emerging at an (air-filled) cave with only a very narrow exit for the bats to escape. Very cool to be floating there knowing the cave can only be accessed by diving.

🥉 The Pit – 27m / 90ft deep dive.  The name serves it right – a giant pit 110m deep with bands of light breaking through and illuminating certain parts of the cave.

 

Travel Tips for Tulum

 

Tulum is best known for its Mayan ruins by the coast.  See Exploring the Mayan Ruins of Tulum for an entry specifically about the ruins.  The ruins are definitely worth checking out if you’re already in Tulum or have a spare morning / afternoon from the likes of Cancun.  But they are small fry compared to some others nearby like:

Make sure to try the outdoor restaurant spot of Taqueria Honorio restaurant – super local place that just does the most amazing tacos.

We stayed at Hotel Panacea Tulum, which was nice and with a lovely pool area in the courtyard.

 

Travel tips for the Yucutan

 

Safety – we felt safe at all times.  The violence that is happening in so many other unfortunate areas of the country has thankfully not spread to this part of Mexico.  The same as in your home country cities, use common sense and you should be fine.

Note on the sargassum (seaweed) – unfortunately the beaches in this part of Mexico have been hit hard over the past years by strong blooms of sargassum (with varying theories as to why).  Have a quick research before you go as to how strong the bloom is and the approach the place you’re staying has to dealing with it because it really does change the vibe of the place.  The large hotels have armies of staff removing it from their beaches, but the surrounding areas don’t and so the mounds of sargassum will dominate your beach experience both in terms of visually and the smell.

Ubers were abundant and the easiest way of getting around.

Don’t expect everything to be dirt cheap.  This part of Mexico has some world famous attractions and is a natural destination for many tourists from the US, so prices reflect this.

What to prioritise.  I would think about the Yucutan like this:

How does Tulum diving stack up with the best scuba dives in the world

The cenotes of Tulum are a true bucket list experience for scuba divers.  It isn’t about the visibility or variety of wildlife, it is more simply an otherworldly experience that is incomparable anywhere else in the world, which puts it firmly in the must-experience category.

 

Tier: World’s Best

RAJA AMPAT 🇮🇩 – THE COMPLETE PACKAGE
Pristine reefs, huge fish life, manta rays, sharks, world-class macro and an incredible variety of dive sites, all set among some of the most beautiful tropical islands on earth. Raja Ampat is about as close as diving gets to the complete package. Raja Ampat by liveaboard / Raja Ampat at Misool Eco-resort/ Raja Ampat by guesthouse

THE GALAPAGOS 🇪🇨 – BIGGEST WOW DIVING ON EARTH
So many hammerhead sharks you genuinely get bored of them, plus whale sharks, sea lions and marine iguanas, all in one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife environments. The trip out to Wolf and Darwin makes this the single biggest wow diving experience on the planet. Scuba diving at Wolf and Darwin Islands in the Galapagos

Tier: Elite

TUBBATAHA REEF 🇵🇭 – REMOTE DIVING WILDERNESS
UNESCO-listed reef system in the middle of the Sulu Sea, only accessible by liveaboard.  Huge healthy reefs, big marine life and almost no other divers – everything feels wild, remote and untouched.  The pride of the Philippines. Tubbataha Reef liveaboard

KOMODO ISLANDS 🇮🇩 – BIG FISH & WILD DRIFT DIVING
Strong currents, huge schools of fish, manta rays, sharks and some of the most exciting drift diving in the world.  Plus the Komodo Islands themselves are one of the most beautiful locations to dive.  Not always easy diving, but when Komodo is good, it’s elite. Sailing the Komodo Islands in November

THE RED SEA 🇪🇬 – BEST EASY WORLD-CLASS DIVING
Incredible coral reefs, warm clear water, huge walls, wrecks and reliable conditions, all with relatively easy access. The Red Sea is probably the easiest place in the world to do truly world-class diving. Scuba diving in the Red Sea from Hurghada

SIPADAN 🇲🇾 – TURTLES, BARRACUDA & SHEER WALLS
A tiny island with spectacular wall diving, huge schools of barracuda, lots of turtles and very healthy reefs. Small, focused and very special — Sipadan is one of Southeast Asia’s standout dive sites.

Tier: Specialist Dives

MALAPASCUA 🇵🇭 – THRESHER SHARKS
One of the only reliable places in the world to dive with thresher sharks, seen regularly at Monad Shoal. Not a huge variety of diving, but for thresher sharks this is the place. Diving with Thresher Sharks at Malapascua Island

TULUM 🇲🇽 – CENOTES
Freshwater cave diving through crystal clear water, stalactites and beams of light – completely different from ocean diving and one of the most unique dive experiences in the world.

BEQA ISLAND 🇫🇯 – TIGER SHARKS
The most intense shark experience in the world and one of the only places you regularly dive outside of a cage with tiger and bull sharks.  Not for the faint-hearted. Diving with bull and tiger sharks by Beqa Island

CAPE TOWN 🇿🇦 – KELP FORESTS
Cold water diving through giant underwater kelp forests with seals, dramatic light and a very different feel to tropical diving — more like an underwater jungle. Kelp diving near Cape Town

CORON 🇵🇭 – WWII WRECK DIVING
A collection of Japanese WWII wrecks sitting in clear water, making this the best wreck diving destination in the world. Wreck diving in Coron

Experiences nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

Similar world-class scuba dives

Island hopping the Galapagos Islands
⭐⭐⭐

Scuba diving in Cozumel
⭐⭐⭐

Scuba diving in the Red Sea from Hurghada
⭐⭐

Diving and staying in guest houses in Central Raja Ampat
⭐⭐⭐

Sailing the Komodo Islands in November
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Diving and relaxing around Ko Phi Phi
⭐⭐⭐

Diving with bull and tiger sharks by Beqa Island
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Diving Balicasag Island near Pangalao
⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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