Cenote Carwash, also called Aktun Ha, is an open, lily-covered pond 8.8 km from Tulum on the Cobá road, next to Zacil-Ha. Swimmers stay in about 3 m of open water; divers explore a cave to about 14 to 15 m. 2026 guides report entry from about 100 to 250 MXN. It suits quiet swims and first cavern dives.
Cenote Carwash, also called Aktun Ha, is an open cenote on the Cobá road 8.8 km from Tulum, right beside Zacil-Ha. From the bank it looks like a jungle pond: clear water about 3 m deep, water lilies across the surface and, according to an October 2026 guide, turtles. Below the open area a cave drops to about 14 to 15 m, and that makes it a well-known beginner cavern dive. 2026 guides put entry anywhere from about 100 to 250 MXN. Come for a quiet swim or a first cavern dive, not for facilities.
Checked October 2026:
| Where | Hwy 109, Tulum to Cobá, next to Zacil-Ha |
| Distance | 8.8 km from Tulum town, about 10 min by car |
| Type | Open pond with lilies; cave for divers |
| Swim depth | About 3 m |
| Cave depth | About 14 to 15 m (dive-site listing); 30 m in one April 2026 guide |
| Entry | 100 MXN (Sep 2026 guide); 200 to 250 with snorkel gear (Apr 2026 guide); about US$15 (Oct 2026 guide) |
| Divers | About 250 MXN (dive operator list, undated) |
| Hours | Not published |
| Facilities | Small palapa restaurant |
The wide spread means no single figure is safe; the cenote entrance fees guide explains how fees work around Tulum.
Take the Cobá road west from Tulum, past Calavera and Gran Cenote. Carwash is about 9 km out, beside Zacil-Ha. Cycling is possible on a flat road. If you drive, slow down well before the turn; local news reported a crash at a cenote entrance on this road. The getting around Tulum guide covers bikes and taxis, and the Tulum cenote map shows where Carwash sits on the road.
Swimming. The open pond is calm, with lilies on the surface. Leave the lilies and the turtles alone, and keep your fins off the bottom.
Diving. The cave below is the draw for divers. A dive-site listing rates it for beginner cavern divers, to about 14 to 15 m. Cavern dives stay within sight of daylight and need Open Water certification and a guide. Beyond the daylight zone is cave diving, which needs cave training. The cenote diving guide explains the difference. If you have never dived, the tour picked on this page is an intro dive in an open cenote near Tulum; the listing does not name the cenote.
Guides say taxi drivers once washed their cars here. It is a nice story, but we found no early source for it, so treat it as a nickname. Aktun Ha is the other name, used on some maps.
Zacil-Ha is next door, with a zipline and restaurant. Gran Cenote and Calavera are back toward town. Further west, the Cobá cenotes are underground pools near the Cobá ruins. For hotels close to the Cobá road, see the where to stay in Tulum guide. Every cenote is on the Tulum cenote guide homepage, and tours are on the tours page.
4 hours
A first dive for non-certified swimmers: a 30-minute lesson, then up to 50 minutes underwater in a mangrove-ringed open cenote with an instructor and no more than four people.
from$167
Check availability5.5 hours
Two guided cavern dives on different lines at Dos Ojos for Open Water divers, with lights and 5 mm wetsuits supplied and groups of four at most.
No pickup: meet on site
from$199
Check availability4 hours
A morning run from central Tulum to Gran Cenote, the jump platforms at Cenote Zemway and the mangrove edge of Casa Cenote, with snorkel gear, towels and transport between stops.
No pickup: meet on site
from$135
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
The usual story is that taxi drivers once washed their cars with water from the cenote, which sits right by the Cobá road. Guides repeat it, but we found no early source for it, so treat it as local lore. Its other name, Aktun Ha, is the one some divers and maps use.
There is no published price, and 2026 figures vary. A September 2026 guide and another 2026 guide give 100 MXN. An April 2026 guide gives 200 to 250 MXN including snorkel gear, and an October 2026 guide gives about US$15. Divers have been charged about 250 MXN. Bring cash pesos and check the board at the gate.
Yes. Carwash is a well-known cavern dive, rated as suitable for beginner cavern divers, with the cave reaching about 14 to 15 m. One April 2026 guide says 30 m. You need Open Water certification and a guide for a cavern dive, and cave training to go beyond the daylight zone.
Travel blogs have reported a small crocodile living at Carwash, but we found no 2026 report confirming it is still there. Crocodiles do live in some cenotes on this coast. If you see one, keep your distance, do not feed it, tell the staff and follow their instructions.
Yes, for a calm swim. The open area is about 3 m deep with water lilies and, according to an October 2026 guide, turtles at the surface. It has far fewer facilities than Gran Cenote: a small palapa restaurant, not the showers and walkways of the bigger cenotes. Snorkelers stay in the open pond.
Cenote Zacil-Ha is a small, round, open cenote about 3 m deep, 9.2 km from Tulum on the road to Cobá, next door to Cenote Carwash.
Gran Cenote is a semi-open cenote 5 km west of Tulum on the road to Cobá: two clear pools joined by a cavern, with wooden walkways and resident turtles.
Cenote Calavera is a semi-open cave cenote 3.3 km from Tulum on the road to Cobá, close enough to cycle.
Choo-Ha, Tamcach-Ha and Multum-Ha are three underground cenotes near Cobá village, 53 to 55 km from Tulum on the Cobá road and a few minutes' drive from the Cobá ruins.