Riviera Maya (Quintana Roo) · about 24 km from Puerto Morelos
La Orquídea
- Max depth45 m (148 ft)
- CertificationOpen water / no overhead
- Water temperature≈ 24–25 °C (75–77 °F)estimated, no reports yet
- SpecialOpen water with a cavern guide (CREER 3)
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- GoDiveMEXNitrox, trimix and oxygen
- Dive Rite Mexico (ZOTZ)Air, nitrox (EAN32, EAN50), oxygen and trimix (trimix on quote)
- Pro Dive International (Catalonia Riviera Maya)Air and nitrox (alu 80/12 L); no trimix, O₂ or CCR support
What it looks like
Cenote Orquidea // A less visited cenote in Mexico Diving Cenote Orquidea - Mexico #scubadiving #cenote #cenotes #cenotesmexico #mexico #tulum #maya Cenote La Orquidea Cenote Orquidea
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Videos and posts
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Cenote Orquidea // A less visited cenote in Mexico Diving Cenote Orquidea - Mexico #scubadiving #cenote #cenotes #cenotesmexico #mexico #tulum #maya Cenote La Orquidea Cenote Orquidea
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
La Orquídea (Spanish: ‘orchid’) is a sinkhole with an overhang and fine speleothems, more a deep cavern than a line cave. QRSS (Jan 2025): down to -44.8 m, 45 m surveyed.
Profile and sections
La Orquídea (Spanish: ‘orchid’) is a sinkhole with an overhang and fine speleothems, more a deep cavern than a line cave. QRSS (Jan 2025): down to -44.8 m, 45 m surveyed.
Practical: CREER level L3. It is often combined with Chac Mool/Chikin Ha/Tajma Ha in a day trip.
- Depth and profile
- Cenote down to about -45 m; H₂S layer at about -20/-21 m with salt water below; tannic surface layer in the rainy season
- Configuration
- All configurations
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable
- Sinkhole with an overhang, no real cave passage; nothing for a scooter to cover
Who can dive where
- At least Open water / no overhead
- Cavern zone / easier part: at least Open water / no overhead
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 45 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
Ruta de los Cenotes about km 22 (Puerto Morelos–Leona Vicario 152), opened up in 2017 with about 1.5 km of access road; tel. +52 998 441 9559. Fee about 300 MXN. Map pin = Google Maps.
Around La Orquídea
Fills3 fill stations · nearest 30 km
GoDiveMEX
Calle 6 Norte esq. Calle Diagonal 55 Sur, Mz 12 Lt 2, Ejido, Playa del Carmen
Nitrox, trimix and oxygen
Daily 7:30–19:00 (InDEPTH business directory)
Recreational and technical dive centre in Playa del Carmen with gas blending, scooter rental, gear storage and classrooms; you can join local research and exploration projects there.
Dive Rite Mexico (ZOTZ)
Carretera Federal 307, Mz. 293 Lt. 1, Col. Ejidal, 77710 Playa del Carmen
Air, nitrox (EAN32, EAN50), oxygen and trimix (trimix on quote)
Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00, Sat 8:00–14:00, Sun closed
Official Dive Rite store in Mexico. Cave courses from cavern to full cave, also sidemount, stage, scooter, trimix and CCR cave. Guided cave dives on open circuit (at least Intro to Cave) and CCR (CCR Cave), at most 3 divers per guide; the centre can't guarantee specific caves in advance.
Pro Dive International (Catalonia Riviera Maya)
Avenida Xcacel Lt1 Mz18, Puerto Aventuras
Air and nitrox (alu 80/12 L); no trimix, O₂ or CCR support
Daily 8–17, including public holidays
Resort centre on the beach of hotel Catalonia Riviera Maya, with sister bases at Allegro and Royal Hideaway Playacar. Mainly reef and cenote dives (Dos Ojos, Chac Mool); also sells a two-dive cave excursion for certified cave divers — ask beforehand which caves and which requirements. Not a tech centre.
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Other sites6 within 45 km
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