Shallow basin and weekend crowding guidance.
Mexico · Akumal · Tulum
Open Tulum cenote with easy swimming and cavern potential.
Open Tulum cenote with easy swimming and cavern potential.
Cenote Zacil-Ha is an open-air Tulum cenote with a shallow, pool-like main basin, clear turquoise water, wooden decks, and an on-site restaurant that makes it an easy half-day stop. Most visitors come here to swim, snorkel, lounge, and jump from the platforms, while trained divers can use the connected passages that link into the wider underground system. The main basin is straightforward and family-friendly, but the overhead sections deeper in the system belong only to properly trained cavern or cave divers.
Site Conditions
Safety Notes
Stay out of the connected passages unless you are trained for cavern or cave diving; the open basin is simple, but the overhead system is not.
Community notes to help plan your visit.
Scuba Diving
Certified cavern and cave divers can explore the connected passages, but the surface cenote itself is shallow and family-friendly.
Freediving
A good shallow-water breath-hold spot in the open basin.
Snorkeling
A strong snorkel spot thanks to the clear, shallow water and easy access.
Chill / Non-diver
Easy half-day stop with a restaurant, decks, and calm water.
Species commonly reported at this site, with direct links into their wildlife guides.
Conservative research baseline blended with 1 dive by 1 diver.
1 community dive logs and visit reports for this site.
Last Updated
Research Sources
Shallow basin and weekend crowding guidance.
Wildlife and safety notes.
Connected-cavern and scuba context.
Official page highlighting family, nature, and restaurant amenities.
Open-air cenote, shallow pool-like shape, decks, and zipline.

Relaxed cenote with lily pads, turtles, and cavern light.

Deep open cenote with vertical walls, light shafts, and halocline.