Zapote (Hells Bells)

Cave diving in the Riviera Maya · about 26 km from Playa del Carmen

Max depth: 54 m
Trimix from: 40 m
Type: Backmount
Certification (estimate): Open water / no overhead
Scooter: No scooter

Not a cave but a deep sinkhole with unique bell-shaped 'Hells Bells' formations (biothems). Fresh water, very clear above the H₂S layer. CREER level L4 (expert).

More about Zapote (Hells Bells)

Signed-in divers also see:

Access, parking and the route from the road
Exact map pin and navigation
Depth profile and sumps
Configuration advice
Warnings with sources (1)
Scooter advice
Driving times from your stay and a plan with the AI instructor

Videos and posts

No videos or posts for this site yet. Search onYouTube ↗Instagram ↗Facebook ↗

Fills nearby

Zero Gravity
~54 min drive (estimate)
Carretera 307 km 269,5, Puerto Aventuras
'Mixed gas fills' — ask which mixes exactly (trimix, O₂, sorb)
Daily 7:30–19:00
Website ↗Navigate ↗
Cave CCR
~54 min drive (estimate)
Bahía Akumal 31, Puerto Aventuras
Trimix and CCR support
Mon–Fri 8–18, Sat–Sun 8–17
Website ↗Navigate ↗
Under the Jungle
~60 min drive (estimate)
Carretera 307 km 264, Xpu-Há (bij Cenote Tajma Ha)
Trimix and Sofnolime 797 for CCR; confirm exact fill options beforehand
Unknown — email (reply within 24 h)
Website ↗Navigate ↗

Current conditions

Visibility, flow and water levels change quickly. Right before your dive, check what other divers report:

Cave Diving and Exploration ↗
Facebook group
Large international group with many posts from the cenotes of Quintana Roo.
Cave Diving Safe Guide Lines for the Riviera Maya ↗
Facebook group
About the lines and safety in the caves of the Riviera Maya (not very active).
The Cenotes of the Riviera Maya – Mexico ↗
Facebook group
Group from Playa del Carmen about the cenotes and sustainable tourism (not very active). For current openings and fees the dive centres are the best source.

Nearby

Plan a cave diving trip to the Riviera Maya

Enter your team, with certifications, gas and configurations, and see right away which caves fit. With driving times from your stay, fill stations and an AI instructor who thinks along.

Start planning

Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training. Compiled from web research (CREER, cave-ha.com, opencaves.info, PSAI/QRSS, dive centres; Sept 2026). Map pins are Google Maps or opencaves.info locations (usually the entrance/car park); Ho-Tul, Camilo and Odyssey have no pin, the Muyil pins are estimates. Drive times are calculated by road for each stay (OSRM, OpenStreetMap; normal traffic, spot-checked against Google Maps within about 4 min); ~ = estimate. Rules, status and fees change often — check locally.