Cenote Dos Ojos

Crystal-clear twin sinkholes with snorkel and cave-dive access

Two large, almost circular cenotes ("eyes") connected by a 400-metre underwater passage in the jungle 50 km south of Tulum. The water is fresh, cold, and extraordinarily clear — visibility often exceeds 50 metres — and the limestone formations on the walls and roofs glow blue when light pours through. Snorkellers swim from one cenote to the other through the connecting passage, with a rope guide and a guide's flashlight overhead. Cave divers go much further into the side passages.

Entrance includes a brief safety briefing, life jackets and (optionally) snorkel gear. Visit early in the day before tour groups arrive; the experience is far better with fewer people in the water. Combine with a stop at the nearby Hidden Worlds park or with the Tulum ruins for a long day trip from Cancun.

nature
A story
Dos Ojos forms part of the world's longest known underwater cave system, Sac Actun — over 350 kilometres of mapped flooded passages stretching inland from the coast. Cave divers continue to extend the map every year, and in 2018 it was confirmed to connect with the neighbouring Sistema Dos Ojos itself, making it the longest underwater cave on Earth.