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Last updated on April 14, 2021
The Cenote Pet Cemetery is part of the second longest underground river system in the world. Its name refers to the large number of animal skeleton found in the caves, including that of species long-extinct. This crystal-blue cenote is hidden very deep in the forest, in a natural unspoiled jungle setting. It perfectly suits for snorkeling, with shallow depths and rock formations on all sides, like columns, stalagmites and stalactites, in an amazing clearness of water.
Cenote Pet Cemetery shares the same entrance with Cenote Dos Ojos, about 30 miles/50km south of Playa del Carmen and 12 miles/20km north of Tulum. All the group taxis (known locally “collectivos”) which travel non-stop along federal route 307 stop there (« Xel Ha » stop, under the bridge).
Do not buy your tickets at the main entrance, but at the Cenote Pet Cemetery gate, a 30 minutes walk through the jungle from the main road. You cannot visit this Cenote without a guide, contrary to other cenotes like Casa Cenote or Cenote Dos Ojos, for example.
You can also book a day tour including a visit to Cenote Pet Cemetery with a local tour operator. You’ll have a large choice of excursions, as tour organizers are particularly numerous along the Riviera Maya.
Enter the water from one of the stairs which have been installed on the wooden decks bordering the cenote.
Snorkeling Cenote Pet Cemetery consists of swimming through the caves filled with crystalline freshwater and enjoy this totally unique environment. This cenote has one of the finest and most stunning stalactites and stalagmites formations.
The visibility is amazing and offers wonderful colors and light effects. The cenotes are not full of fish, but the area, including the jungle, offers nice opportunities for wildlife sightings, including bat, motmot bird, snake, iguana, tarantula, fox, and many other species. Because of its remoteness, Cenote Pet Cemetery is one of the best cenotes if you want to enjoy nature.
The water temperature is perfect for snorkeling, at a constant 76-77°F/24-25°C throughout the year. Stalactite and stalagmite are spectacular, but also highly fragile, and can be broken by a passing swimfin. Don’t touch anything, and watch where you are going, especially when your way lies through narrow passages.
The roof of the caves is very low in some places: be careful when you go back up to the surface.
Two restaurants (Restaurante Dos Ojos and Restaurante Juanita), serving local Mexican food, are located next to the entrance of Cenote Dos Ojos.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. 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.
