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Last updated on April 14, 2021
Cenote Jardín del Edén, also known as Cenote Ponderosa, is a large natural freshwater pool, surrounded by a lush jungle. With its massive rock formations covered in green moss, its translucent green water and its very specific aquatic life, it is a singular snorkeling spot, which is well-worth exploring.
Cenote Jardín del Edén is located along the federal route 307, some 15mi/25km south of Playa del Carmen. The cheapest way to reach it is to ride a collectivo traveling along the road. Ask the driver to drop you off at the cenote: he will stop at the crossing with the little dirt road leading to the site. It is then about 10 minutes walk from the highway.
You can also reach it with your own car (free parking is available at the cenote), or book a tour including a visit to Cenote Jardín del Edén with a local tour operator, generally including snorkeling equipment and pick-up at your hotel.
Entry is 200 pesos per adult. The cenote is closed on Saturdays. Snorkeling equipment and life jacket rental are available on-site.
Enter the water from one of the three stairs that have been installed on the wooden decks bordering the cenote.
The area to snorkel covers the whole open-water cenote, which is about 100 meters long and 30 meters wide. The water level in the cenote varies, but is never more than 25 feet/8m in the deepest part. The water temperature is at a constant 76-77°F/24-25°C in the cenote throughout the year.
The underwater visibility is amazing and offers wonderful light effects. You will surely enjoy exploring the rocks covered in aquatic plants and moss, where you can spot a fair variety of freshwater fish, including mollies, platys, and tetras. If you are lucky, you may also spot slider turtle.
There are some small underwater cave passages in the cenote that you can free dive through if you are an advanced snorkeler. We advise you to do it only with a guide. Pay attention to people jumping off the cliffs.
Drinks and snacks are available at the cenote. Barcelo Resorts are set in front of the dirty road leading to the spot, just across the highway.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
