Cenote Carwash
Riviera Maya Cenotes · Mexico
Roadside cenote 8 km west of Tulum on the highway toward Cobá, named for taxi drivers who once rinsed their cabs in the open pool. Lily pads and water plants carpet the surface; in the rainy season the canopy filters sunlight into emerald shafts that rake the cavern floor. Divers enter through a sunlit cavern past stalactites, cross a halocline near 14 m, and follow a marked line into the cave system beyond the daylight zone. Freshwater turtles patrol the shallows, schools of mojarra dart through the beams, and a small crocodile sometimes rests beneath the lilies.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 16 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
24 to 26°C
5 mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Mesoamerican slider
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 130 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Mexican mojarra
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 89 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Great-Tailed Grackle
Last confirmed Jun 26, 2026 · 360 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Tropical Mockingbird
Last confirmed Jun 19, 2026 · 204 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Great Kiskadee
Last confirmed Jul 2, 2026 · 204 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Morelet's crocodile
Last confirmed Jul 3, 2026 · 18 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Mexican tetra
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear
Basic kit
For this site