Cenote Diving in Puerto Morelos
The Yucatan in Mexico is like a giant sponge, with hundreds of kilometers connected through a network of underground rivers and cave systems. There are over 4,000 known cenotes in the Riviera Maya region and so far, seven of the world’s ten longest mapped underground waterways exist beneath the Yucatan Peninsula. There are many cenotes opened for divers willing to explore this amazing underground world. Most renown places are Tulum, Merida and La ruta de los Cenotes in Puerto Morelos. This last place is less famous and make it special as it´s less busy. This is why cenote diving in Puerto Morelos deserve divers attention!
Cenote diving Mexico
There are four types of cenotes and all of them have a unique beauty and make Cenote Diving in Puerto Morelos a lifetime experience.
- Jug or pit cenotesare open to the sky, like a big swimming hole. These are very fun for swimming and snorkeling.
- Cylinder cenoteshave strictly vertical walls, with dramatic shafts of sunlight beaming in and sometimes with vines and tree roots extending down.
- Basin cenoteshave shallow water basins and usually the most stunning crystalline, aqua-colored water.
- Cave cenotesare enclosed, often with impressive stalactites and underwater stalagmites and pillars.
We remind you that to dive in cenotes, it is mandatory to be a certified diver with minimum the Open Water certification.!
What so special about diving in cenotes ?
In the cenotes you will be diving in caverns, this means that you will be in an overhead environment. For safety reasons your guide is a fully trained cave diver with special equipment and will never guide more than 4 people. If she or he dives with a single tank this means that safety standards are not met, and you should not dive with this guide.
Cavern diving means that you will never be further than 40m away from the surface, you will always see natural light and you will not enter a cave. Entering a cave means to swim inside a hole where you would have to turn around to get out again. Scuba diving in caverns is more like overhangs and swim-throughs. During the dive the group is following a line to make sure that no one gets lost or moves too far away from the entrance.
Let´s start your Cenote Diving in Puerto Morelos adventure!
Cenote Diving in Puerto Morelos
Ruta de los cenotes
Puerto Morelos is conveniently located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, so you’ll have access to the amazing dive sites in both destinations as well as those of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. La Ruta de Los Cenotes Puerto Morelos, or the Route of Cenotes, is one of the best areas in the Riviera Maya for cenote diving in Puerto Morelos to experience the magic of cenotes.
More than 100 cenotes dot the jungle on either side of the Puerto Morelos Ruta de Cenotes for several kilometers, only a few where you can dive. Here, we highlight some of the best cenote diving in Puerto Morelos
Cenote Zapote
Cenote ZAPOTE is located on the “Ruta de los Cenotes” the old road from Puerto Morelos to Valladolid and must be the world’s weirdest dive site. Cenote Zapote is named after the Zapote trees fallen in the cenote.
Suitable ONLY for EXPERIENCED ADVANCED because of the depth and excellent buoyancy control essential to avoid uncontrolled descents or ascents.
CENOTE ZAPOTE is a deep dive that will show you landscapes and structures out of the ordinary.
From the surface this enticing sinkhole loaded with crystal clear water and lush plants, reveals nothing of the mind-blowing formations called Hell’s Bells found within.
The underwater cavern of Cenote Zapote is much bigger than you might believe from the surface. The entrance shaft pinches in at 21 m before ballooning out into a spectacular room that undercuts the rock. An incredible decoration of stalactites up to two meters long, open conically, are hollow and have round, elliptical or horseshoe-shaped cross-sections. Unique underwater structures that the scientists are still studying. Once you reach a depth of 30m/100ft you will be above the talus cone in a bell-shaped chamber with a narrow skylight in the top through which you just descended. Halocline and a thin misty layer of Hydrogen Sulfide floating on top of it, as well as some of the most amazing and incredible formations will guarantee a memorable dive.
Commonly described as bells, elephant feet, shower heads or trumpets, they will truly take your breath away with their strange beauty and impressive size.
Cenote Maravilla
CENOTE MARAVILLA is an almost classically shaped example of the sinkholes you will find on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Known for its rock formations of bell-shaped stalactites, for one of the most impressive light shows offered by the cenote and for the thickness of the hydrogen sulfide cloud layer, Maravilla is a deep cenote suitable ONLY for EXPERIENCED ADVANCED DIVERS. Certification advanced Open Water informations.
It has an approximate depth of 60 meters and a diameter of more than 90 meters. In the upper part, despite being roofed, there is a large opening hole where the sun’s rays enter and provide extra lighting to divers. Once inside, you can see a diversity of bell-shaped stalactites as well as a mysterious hydrogen cloud that gives the cenote that mystical atmosphere. During the dive, visitors also enjoy the beautiful flora and fauna that exist in these kinds of sites.
Since the cenote is restricted to professional divers, the only way to access this spectacular world is through a specialized agency. Those in charge of the expedition will take you by the hand with a certified guide in addition to respecting all the security measures to guarantee your well-being.
Cenote Diving
Now that you know more about diving in cenotes in Puerto Morelos, you can also explore others cenotes in Tulum, for exemple the reknown cenote Dos Ojos, El Pit cenote or even Casa cenote, perfect for beginner divers.
Don´t hesitate to send us a message for more informations to dive in Puerto Morelos!
Happy dives!
