Riviera Maya Cenotes · Mexico · Cenote · Cave & cavern
Cenote Tak Be Lum
Dripstone cavern that never gets deeper than 6 m
Area photo: diego_cue · CC BY-SA 3.0
A decorated cenote north of Tulum with stairs down to an easy entry and a cavern that runs 4 to 6 m deep, with sections that are shallower still. Dripstone formations are the reason to come, and the risk of silting out is why the site's own description asks for good buoyancy before you get in.
Where it is and how deep
20.3146° N, 87.4002° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Access is by stairs to the water, an easy entry by cenote standards, and the dive begins on the surface with the guide leading the group down. There is no current and nothing to swim against, so the whole dive is about placing yourself in the water rather than covering ground, and gas lasts a long time at these depths.
The cavern holds dripstone formations, and the profile stays between 4 and 6 m with sections that are shallower still, which is where the discipline comes in: with the ceiling close above and silt close below, a careless fin stroke costs the visibility of everyone behind you. Divers who are trim and slow get a long, quiet dive out of a shallow cavern.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Riviera Maya Cenotes: Cenote water temperature holds steady all year; Dos Ojos gets busier in the December–April peak season while most other cenotes stay quiet.
Know before you go
- Fine silt lies on the floor and stirs up easily; a silt-out closes the visibility for the whole group, so trim and fin technique matter more here than depth does.
- Parts of the cavern are very shallow with the ceiling close overhead, leaving little room for a buoyancy correction to go wrong.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Cenote Tak Be Lum?+
Between 4 and 6 m at its deepest, with sections that are shallower still, so a cavern dive here is long rather than deep.
Do I need good buoyancy for Tak Be Lum?+
Yes. The cavern is shallow and silty, and the site's own description warns of silting out, so guides expect solid buoyancy control before leading a group in.
Sources
- Cenote Tak Be Lum - Scubago — Scubago
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