Taj Mahal (Tajma Ha)
A cavern about 5 km south of Puerto Aventuras, entered through a wide room beneath an air-filled bat cave. The tour follows a figure-eight route through several rooms; in the Points of Light chamber, three direct shafts of sunlight cut in at midday among stalactites that nearly reach the floor. The top 12 m is fresh water, below which a sharp halocline creates mirror-like effects. Fossils can be spotted in the walls, and the route reaches the Sugar Bowl, a small cenote open to the jungle.
Facts
- Region: Mexico – Riviera Maya Cenotes
- Area: Playa del Carmen – Puerto Aventuras
- Depth: 0–15 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: low
- Type: cave
- Coordinates: 20.48339, -87.27702 (approximate)
- Highlights: halocline at ~12 m with mirror-like effect, three shafts of sunlight in the Points of Light chamber at midday, Sugar Bowl: second small cenote with light show, stalactites and stalagmites, hidden fossils, air-filled bat cave above the entrance room
- Tips: Guided cavern tour for certified Open Water divers (max ~15 m), but the saw-tooth profile and dense formations demand good buoyancy; some guides recommend more experienced divers. Leaving the cavern line (e.g. towards the 'Chinese Garden') is full-cave diving and requires cave certification. Entrance fee is paid to the landowner, listed at 360 MXN per diver by one shop (check current).