Cenote Calavera (Temple of Doom)
About 2 km from Tulum towards Cobá, Calavera has three openings – one about 10 m wide and two small ones – that from above resemble a skull, hence the nicknames Temple of Doom and Skull Cenote. Divers enter with a giant stride from roughly 3 m above the water (or by ladder) into a large cavern room with a mound of sediment and rock in the centre. The main attraction is a sharp halocline at roughly 12–15 m that looks like a mirror-like floor, with light beams cutting through the openings. Caving reports say the cave beyond the cavern connects to a larger system (reported as Sistema Camilo).
Facts
- Region: Mexico – Riviera Maya Cenotes
- Area: Tulum – Cobá road
- Depth: 0–17 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: low
- Type: cave
- Coordinates: 20.22918, -87.45727 (approximate)
- Highlights: three skull-like openings, halocline at ~12–15 m, light beams through the openings, large cavern room with sediment hill, jump entry ~3 m above water
- Tips: Guided cavern dives here are offered to certified open-water divers (Mares lists Open Water; ProTec includes 'Temple of Doom' in its cavern menu); a good giant-stride entry and solid buoyancy are needed. Passages beyond the daylight zone are full cave and require cave certification. Showcaves listed free entry in 2008 – a fee is now charged; check current.