Casa Cenote

Casa Cenote, also called Cenote Manatí, sits at Tankah just north of Tulum, a brackish lagoon-like cenote fringed by mangroves that connects underground to the Caribbean. The shallow cavern line runs beneath hanging mangrove roots and through swim-throughs, with a visible halocline and fish such as small barracuda. A resident Morelet's crocodile nicknamed Panchito has long shared the water with swimmers and divers; in May 2026 local media reported that it bit an elderly visitor after people had thrown stones at it. After heavy rain the water can turn tea-orange from mangrove tannins.

Facts

Region: Mexico – Riviera Maya Cenotes
Area: Tulum
Depth: 0–10 m
Level: intermediate
Current: low
Type: cave
Coordinates: 20.26702, -87.39227 (approximate)
Highlights: mangrove roots hanging into the water, halocline (brackish, connected to the sea), small fish, barracuda, crabs, resident Morelet's crocodile ('Panchito'), tannin-orange water after heavy rain
Tips: An easy, shallow site (max. ~10 m per Mexidivers) – good for a first cavern-style dive; Open Water is enough and Discover Scuba is offered here. Cave lines lead further into the system and need cave certification. Keep your distance from the crocodile and never feed or harass it. Entrance fee per Mexidivers: MXN 200; GoPro/action-camera fee reported extra – check current.

Casa Cenote

Facts

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