14 cenotes · down to 140 m (459 ft) · 12 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving in Yucatán
- Cenotes14
- Max depth140 m (459 ft)
- Water temperature25–26 °C (77–79 °F)
- Dive centres4
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Diving Yucatán (Mérida)Air and nitrox (per the listing); ask about trimix and oxygen
Why come here
Around Mérida you don't dive long, shallow cave systems but vertical, deep cenotes on ejido or private land, where you are often at -30 m within minutes and the guides prefer to dive on trimix. Light falls in through collapsed ceilings and between tree roots, and in Sabak Ha the bottom has not yet been found. Open-water and advanced divers may only dive the lit zone of Yax Há and Kankirixché, with a guide; the deep sections are for cave divers. The water is about 25–26 °C all year, often green with algae near the top and with 25–50 m visibility below. Only air and nitrox fills are confirmed here, so bring trimix from the Riviera Maya or arrange it in advance, and the nearest certain hyperbaric chamber is in Playa del Carmen, about 3.5 hours' drive.
Don't miss
- Kankirixché: through a collapsed ceiling some 90 m across, the light falls in fans on the floor among the tree roots, above a large cavern with stalactites.
- Noh Mozón: a very large dome with stalactites along ceiling and walls and tree roots reaching through the roof into clear blue water, with some 25 m visibility.
- Sabak Ha: an almost vertical free-fall pit of some 60 by 30 m whose bottom has not been found: a team from the region reached -120 m in September 2025 with about 130 minutes of deco, and without trimix and ample deco gas you don't start here.
On a rest day
- Uxmal: The Maya city 62 km south of Mérida, a World Heritage Site in the Puuc style, with the oval Pyramid of the Magician.
- Chichen Itza: The Maya city in eastern Yucatán state with the El Castillo step pyramid and the Sacred Cenote, where pilgrims left offerings.
- Historic centre of Mérida: Around the Plaza Grande stand the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, begun in 1561, and the Casa de Montejo.
- Cuzamá cenotes: About 48 km from Mérida, a horse-drawn cart on old rails takes you to swimming cenotes such as Chacsinicché and Bolonchoojol.
All 14 cenotes
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| CalcuchEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 24 m (79 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| DzombacalEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | – | Backmount | Cavern |
| KampepénEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 20 m (66 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| KankirixchéEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 50 m (164 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Nah YahEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 42 m (138 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Noh MozónEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 45 m (148 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Sabak HaEntry or dive feeBackmount · Full cave | 140 m (459 ft) | Backmount | Full cave |
| Suem (Su-hem)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 6 m (20 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| TanimaxEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 75 m (246 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Usil (Cenotillo)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Full cave | 112 m (367 ft) | Backmount | Full cave |
| X'BatúnEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 50 m (164 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Yaal UtzilEntry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 49 m (161 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| Yax Há (Abalá)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 42 m (138 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
| YaxbacaltúnEntry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 15 m (49 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
4 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Adventure Tours Yucatán (Mérida)
Calle 23 #246 x 30, Col. Montecarlo, Mérida
Guided dives: Yax Há (Abalá)
Day trips with two cenote dives from Mérida (about 3,450 MXN pp) with a cavern guide, oxygen on board and fees included; their regular cenote is Yax Há. Certified divers only.
Diving Yucatán (Mérida)
Calle 61, Centro, Mérida, Yucatán
Air and nitrox (per the listing); ask about trimix and oxygen
Ask
Training: Cavern, Sidemount · PADI, SSI
Guided dives: Sabak Ha, Kankirixché, Yaal Utzil, X'Batún, Dzombacal, Nah Yah, Noh Mozón, Suem (Su-hem), Calcuch, Tanimax, Kampepén, Usil (Cenotillo)
Rental: Dive gear, including tech gear (per the listing)
Dive centre in the centre of Mérida with the longest public list of cenotes in the state: from Suem (6 m) to Sabak Ha (120 m) and Usil (112 m). Cavern course, sidemount and nitrox; the deep cenotes only with the right certification.
SCA Dive Center / Scuba Cave Adventours (Mérida)
Calle 61 #217 x 42 y 44, Centro, 97210 Mérida
Training: Cavern · PADI
PADI centre with a cavern specialty and nitrox; guided cenote dives from Mérida including transport (about 1,500–1,700 MXN for two cenotes). Which cenotes: ask.
Yucatán Dive Center (Mérida)
Calle 16 #201-H x 21 y 23, García Ginerés, 97070 Mérida
Training: PADI, TDI, SDI
Guided dives: Noh Mozón
PADI dive centre (S-23420) with cenote dives, technical training and nitrox; dives Noh Mozón among others. Fills and rental: ask.
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Mérida and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- Call 911. The new Hospital O'Horán in Mérida (opened May 2026) was to get a hyperbaric chamber; ask whether it is working. Certain chambers: SSS Playa del Carmen +52 984 188 6486 (about 3.5 h). DAN +1 919 684 9111 or +52 557 100 0540 (Spanish).
Access and rules
- Guides: no state or federal rule found. Open-water and advanced divers may only dive the lit zone at Yax Há and Kankirixché, with a guide; the deep sections are for cave divers. Sabak Ha and Usil: technical dives only, with a qualified guide.
Fees and opening hours
Gas and fills
- Fills: only air and nitrox confirmed (Diving Yucatán, Mérida). Trimix, oxygen, helium and CCR support have not been found in Yucatán state: bring your gas from the Riviera Maya (Cave CCR, Zero Gravity, 3.5 h drive) or arrange it in advance with your dive centre in Mérida.
Water and season
- Water: about 25–26 °C all year. The open cenotes often have a green algae layer in the top metres; below it 25–50 m visibility. Dry season November–April; hurricane risk June–October.
Getting around
- Distances from Mérida: Abalá/Mucuyché about 1 h, Pixyá/Cuzamá about 1 h, Sabak Ha about 70 km via Muna, Usil (Cenotillo) about 100 km. MID airport is 5 km from the centre.
Rest day
- Swimming cenotes without cave diving (day off): the Homún string (Santa Bárbara, Santa Rosa, Tza Ujun Kat, Bal Mil, Hool Kosom, Canunchén), the three of Cuzamá by horse cart (Chelentún, Chacsinicché, Bolonchojol), Sambulá near Motul, and around Valladolid Suytun, Zací, Oxman (diving banned), X'kekén and Samulá.
- Rest day: Mérida itself, the haciendas of Mucuyché and Sotuta de Peón, Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc, Chichén Itzá.
Good to know
- Different country from the Riviera Maya: no long, shallow, decorated systems but vertical, deep cenotes on ejido or private land around Mérida. Many sites are at -30 m within minutes and the guides prefer to dive them on trimix. No CREER rules here; each cenote has its own owner and arrangements.
News
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