If you’re looking for a truly magical dive in Mexico, diving at Cenote Chikin Ha should be at the top of your list. Located in the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula, this beautiful cenote offers divers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a truly visually captivating underwater landscape in the world.
Cenote Diving in Cenotes Chikin Ha
Cenote Chikin Ha is a hidden gem that’s perfect for divers of all levels. Whether you’re a seasoned cavern diver or someone just starting their underwater Cenote diving journey, this Cenote provides a safe, calm, and interesting environment to explore.
As you descend into its crystal-clear waters, you’ll be greeted by the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over thousands of years. But it’s not just the breathtaking scenery that makes diving at Cenote Chikin Ha so special. The whole location is surrounded by lush vegetation and a total of 3 Cenotes in total.
These Cenotes are spread over the premises of the Aldea Maya Cenote Park, also known as Chikin Ha Cenotes. Our main focus while diving here is on Cenote Chikin Ha and Cenote Rainbow.
You can do two different dives entering Chikin Ha Cenote, both eventually leading through a huge tunnel to the open area of Cenote Rainbow. Here you can ascend and surface to admire this unique Cenote from inside.
Quick Facts
Dive Depth
The depth in the cavern area of Cenote Chikin Ha is a maximum of 15 meters. As both possible dives lead through the same connecting tunnel, that dive depth applies to both.
Water Temperature & Conditions
Generally, the water temperature of nearly any Cenote in the area is 24°C all year round. As the Cenotes are connected through tunnels, the water flows and never really warms up more.
Cenote Chikin Ha offers excellent conditions for beginners, featuring two easy dives where you can discover fossils and dripstone formations.
Dive Time
Both guidelines leading from Cenote Chikin Ha to Cenote Rainbow, are approximately the same length and share the same maximum depth. Therefore, the dives here usually last about 40-55 minutes.
Requirements
Every diver participating in a Cenote dive must at least have his open water diver certification. Also, it’s important that you feel comfortable in the water and have a good feeling for buoyancy, trim, and propulsion.
Group Size
During every Cenote dive our groups are limited to 4 divers per professional cenote dive guide. This is to follow local rules, provide attention, and maintain safety for all participants. Depending on the Cenote, some even limit groups to 3 divers per guide, but in Chikin Ha you can safely dive as a group of 4 divers plus a guide.
What to Expect From A Dive at Chikin Ha Cenote
When arriving at the Chikin Ha Cenote park, first we have to pay the entry fee and register. Once completed your guide will take you to the common parking area where we set up our dive equipment and hear a thorough briefing about the upcoming dive. Your guide will explain to you the cavern diving rules, gas management, communication with dive lights, and more before gearing up.
We put on our wetsuits, and gear and complete a pre-dive safety check before heading to the Cenote entry and enter the water prepared for the dive. Every diver has to take a flashlight for better vision and communication, as we dive in a single file setup.
First Dive
Your Cenote dive guide will lead the group, with the divers behind him following the permanent guideline to descend into the Cenote. Following the line, we will dive through a huge tunnel that eventually opens up and permits some natural light to fall in from Cenote Rainbow. Once we cross the tunnel, we slowly ascend to the surface of Cenote Rainbow. Be aware that you’re in open water before breaking through the surface so you don’t accidentally hit any roofs or formations upon ascending.
Cenote Rainbow is a cenote commonly used for ceremonies so a slight incense smell may be present here. You can see bats flying inside the covered parts of the Cenote, lots of roots hanging from the roof, and some vegetation inside the collapse. Also, there are some drip stone formations hanging off the roof.
We will spend some minutes on the surface of Cenote Rainbow before we descend again to dive back to Cenote Chikin Ha. This is where we will end our dive, after following the same guideline back that initially brought us here.
Second Dive
After finishing our first dive, we usually take a quick lunch break. This is also the time to switch tanks, check our gear, and prepare for the second immersion of the day.
Entering again in Cenote Chikin Ha, but this time from the other side, we begin our second dive. Starting off between some big rocks, the guideline for this dive leads us in a slight slalom pattern. We follow it through another part of the huge tunnel we dived through before. You may observe blurry vision when hitting maximum depth in this dive, as there’s a halocline just near the bottom.
Check up on the phreatic walls, as often there are some sea urchin fossils to find. Also, you can find smaller cavities with unique dripstone formations inside.
Cenote Diving in Playa del Carmen with BlueLife
When planning to go Cenote diving for the first time, often questions come up beforehand. Blue Life is located in Playa del Carmen and runs daily diving trips to the most beautiful Cenotes. We’re happy to answer all your questions and take you on a unique adventure to see and experience Cenote diving in the safest and most fun manner possible.
Our highly trained professional Cenote dive guides are looking forward to taking care of you during your dive day. They explain to you everything you need to know before the upcoming dives and accompany you throughout the day.
Get in touch for more information, booking, or creating a bespoke scuba diving package for your vacation.
Also we offer recreational and technical diving courses from beginner to pro, and ocean diving experiences to Playa del Carmen or Cozumel reefs.
We hope you enjoyed reading our blog post about Chikin Ha Cenotes. Make sure to read our other interesting blog topics too! Contact us for any information, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date about any offers or seasonal highlights!