Cenote Jardín del Edén, also called Ponderosa, is a large open cenote off Highway 307 about 3 km from Puerto Aventuras and 40 km north of Tulum. You can swim, snorkel, jump from platforms and dive into its caves. Guides report 200 to 300 MXN entry and say it closes on Saturdays. It suits strong swimmers and divers.
Cenote Jardín del Edén, also known as Cenote Ponderosa, is a large open cenote off Highway 307 about 3 km from Puerto Aventuras and about 40 km north of Tulum. You can swim, snorkel, jump from platforms and, with a guide, dive into the caves that open off it. Guides report entry at 200 to 300 MXN, and several say it is closed on Saturdays. It suits confident swimmers and divers; families with small children may prefer Cristalino next door.
Checked October 2026:
| Where | Off Hwy 307, about 25 km south of Playa del Carmen, 3 km from Puerto Aventuras |
| Drive from Tulum | 40.4 km, about 36 min (free-flow estimate) |
| Type | Large open cenote |
| Entry | Not published; 200 MXN adults, 100 children (Feb 2024 guide); 300 MXN in newer undated guides |
| Hours | About 9:00 to 17:00; closed Saturday |
| Rentals | Life jacket and snorkel, 25 MXN each (Feb 2024 guide) |
| Facilities | Rest area, toilets, showers, snacks |
The price is the least certain of any cenote on the Highway 307 stretch. The cenote entrance fees guide explains why figures vary and how to check.
Drive north from Tulum on Highway 307. Coming from Playa del Carmen toward Tulum, the sign is on the right; from Tulum it is on your left, shortly after Cenote Azul and Cristalino. You pay at the ticket office near the highway.
One map database places a “Jardín del Edén” point in the sea off the coast. That pin is wrong; the point on our Tulum cenote map is the cenote beside the highway. Colectivos on 307 stop at roadside cenotes on request; the getting around Tulum guide has the details.
Jardín del Edén is a large open cenote with jump platforms and caves that divers explore. Some parts are deep, so swimmers who are unsure of themselves should rent a life jacket. There is a rest area, and the snacks and drinks mean you can stay a few hours.
Certified divers can explore the caves with a guide; the cenote diving guide explains cavern and cave diving.
No tour in our list stops at Jardín del Edén. The tour suggested on this page is a budget cenote park on the Tulum to Playa highway, nearer Tulum.
The water in cenotes along this coast stays at about 24°C all year, by dive-blog measurements, so swimming works in any month. The dry season runs from about November to May; September is the wettest month. Cenotes are inland fresh water, so the sargassum seaweed that reaches Tulum’s beaches in summer does not affect them. The best time to visit Tulum guide goes month by month.
Pack cash pesos in small notes, water shoes, a towel (rarely rented at cenotes), a mask if you have one, a dry bag and a rash guard or long sleeves instead of sunscreen. Life jackets and snorkels were for rent at 25 MXN each in a 2024 guide, but bring your own mask in case.
Cenote Azul and Cenote Cristalino are less than 1 km away and are reported at lower prices. Back toward Tulum, Cenotes Casa Tortuga runs guided swims through several cenotes. For cenotes further north, see cenotes near Playa del Carmen. The where to stay in Tulum guide covers bases for the whole coast, and every cenote is on the Tulum cenote guide homepage.
4 hours
A budget park visit at Yax Muul on the Tulum-Playa highway: a copal blessing from a local shaman, a 12 m rappel into a cavern and swims in four open and enclosed cenotes.
No pickup: meet on site
from$28
Check availability6 hours
Young guides from the Chemuyil community lead you on jungle trails to three dark cave cenotes with headlamps and wetsuits, then back to the village for a home-cooked meal.
No pickup: meet on site
from$56
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 cenote does not publish its price, and the figures online are old or undated. A guide last updated in February 2024 gives 200 MXN for adults and 100 for children, with no local discount. Newer guides, without dates, say it has risen to 300 MXN for adults. Bring 300 MXN in cash per adult and check the board at the gate.
No, according to several guides, which all list it as closed on Saturdays and open Sunday to Friday, roughly 9 am to 5 pm (one says from 8 am). We could not find an official notice, so if Saturday is your only day, plan on Cristalino nearby instead, which a March 2026 guide lists as open every day from 8 am to 6 pm.
Yes. Cenote Jardín del Edén, the Garden of Eden cenote, is also called Cenote Ponderosa, and Mexican travel magazine México Desconocido uses both names. Some maps and signs use one and some the other. It is on Highway 307 between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, about 3 km from Puerto Aventuras.
Yes. México Desconocido lists diving into its caves alongside swimming, snorkeling and jumping from its platforms. Cavern dives stay within sight of daylight and need Open Water certification and a guide. Going further into the cave system needs cave training.
No reliable depth figure is published. Guides say only that parts of it are quite deep and recommend a life jacket for anyone who is not a strong swimmer. Treat it as deep water away from the edges, especially below the jump platforms, and rent a life jacket at the entrance if you are unsure.
This Cenote Azul is an open cenote of clear, shallow pools beside Highway 307 at Xpu-Ha, near Puerto Aventuras, about 40 km north of Tulum.
Cenote Cristalino is an open, mostly shallow cenote beside Highway 307 at Xpu-Ha, about 40 km north of Tulum and next to Cenote Azul.
Cenotes Casa Tortuga is a cenote park on Highway 307 at km 239, about 14 km north of Tulum, where a guide leads you through open and cave cenotes.