Cenote
Cenote Eden (Ponderosa)
Level 1 - Starter: CREER cenote level (guided cavern diving) [1] [2] (Shallow, few depth changes, wide passages, constant natural light (CREER).). Training drills permitted on listed lines: CREER approved cave training site [3] (River Run mainline and jumps, Little Joe line, cavern line and the first 200 m of the Chapel line jump.). These categories are the named scheme's own; they describe the training a site calls for.
A large open cenote south of Puerto Aventuras with a halocline at about 10 m, rated Level 1 (Starter) by CREER and used as a designated cave training site; it closes on Saturdays.
Eden, also called Ponderosa, is a broad, pool-like cenote with rocks, plants and fish, used for snorkelling, open-water courses and cavern and cave diving. Pro Dive International places it about 3 km south of Puerto Aventuras and describes a halocline stretching across it at about 10 m, with large cavern rooms and many cave passages connecting to nearby cenotes.
CREER rates Eden-Ponderosa Level 1 (Starter) for guided cavern tours and lists both cavern and cave diving as open, noting that the site closes on Saturdays. Its River Run mainline and jumps, the Little Joe line and the cavern line are on CREER's list of approved training locations. In January 2024 CREER recorded a community decision to replace an old, damaged line to The Chapel at Eden.
The environment
Large open basin with a halocline around 10 m, wide cavern rooms and branching cave passages.
Conditions
Halocline at about 10 m according to operators. Typical conditions only.
Typical ranges from published sources, not current conditions.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (9)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CREER rates Eden - Ponderosa as Level 1 (Starter), with cavern and cave diving open and a note that it closes on Saturdays.Viewed 2026-10-14. | Verified | [1] [2] |
| CREER's training rules list Ponderosa's River Run mainline and jumps, the Little Joe line, the cavern line and the first 200 m of the marked jump to the Chapel line as approved training locations.Rules dated 2020-12-14. | Verified | [3] |
| Pro Dive International describes a halocline across Eden at about 10 m. | Reported | [4] |
| Pro Dive International places El Eden/Pondarosa about 3 km south of Puerto Aventuras and 25 km south of Playa del Carmen. | Reported | [4] |
| CREER's votes page lists a January 2024 line change at Eden (Ponderosa) replacing an old, damaged yellow line to The Chapel.Taken from the listed document title. | Verified | [6] |
| CREER Level 1 requires a minimum age of 15, open-water certification with recent experience and advanced certification beyond 18 m, with at most 4 divers per guide. | Verified | [2] |
| Under the Jungle lists Ponderosa among its Level 1 guided cavern sites. | Reported | [5] |
| CREER's ratings page lists cavern and cave diving at Eden - Ponderosa as open.Viewed 2026-10-14. | Verified | [1] |
| CREER notes that Eden - Ponderosa closes on Saturdays.Viewed 2026-10-14. | Verified | [1] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction