Playa del Carmen info needed

[FW]

What is the closest (nice) cave to Playa? How hard is it to get to it from the Cozumel ferry?

[Skorpiov]

Dos Ojos is setup nicely and has a snack bar and a souvenier shop. Nice paved steps most of the way. Easy entry. Chac Mool is a little bit more rustic and the steps are kinda steep, but there's not a long walk. These are a couple of the more popular caves. Reato could probably give you the best info.

[reato]

The first cave system coming from Playa is Chac Mool.
It is a long phreatic pipe with very few intersections.
From the main cenote you have upstream and downstream. Decorations are concentrated in few spots. One of them is the Monster Dome in the downstream section where the largest submersed stalactite of the world exist.
Nice halocline, low flow.

Following down you have the Ponderosa cave system where you have more than 15 kilometres of caves. A lot of intersection and cavs going wherever.

One of my favorite is Taj Mahal (just nex the gasoline station) where you have nice decorations, a lot of intersections, a lot of cenotes connected and some really beautiful spots like the Chinese Garden.

Those are the closest in a range of 20 km from Playa.
:yawinkle:

[FW]

Is there a way to get to these from the Coz ferry, without a rental car? How far is Chac Mool from Playa?

[Slüdge]

Forrest is used to humping sidemount gear thousands of feet through a sump, so it's nothing for him to do a twenty-mile hike with gear...

[divindoc]

Went to Coz last August , took the ferry over to Playa and did a cenote dive at Chac Mool. IIRC the drive was about 20-25 mins, probably longer than you'd want to hire a taxi for transport. Don't know if they're any minibuses that go there from Playa. We had a guide (Juan Bernal) so he picked us up in his truck and we didn't have to hassle with a rental car or the traffic (which wasn't that crazy).

[FW]

Went to Coz last August , took the ferry over to Playa and did a cenote dive at Chac Mool. IIRC the drive was about 20-25 mins, probably longer than you'd want to hire a taxi for transport. Don't know if they're any minibuses that go there from Playa. We had a guide (Juan Bernal) so he picked us up in his truck and we didn't have to hassle with a rental car or the traffic (which wasn't that crazy).
OK, that is what I neded to know, thanks.

Anyone willing to take a couple diver from the Coz ferry to Chac Mool, in about three weeks?

[FW]

Forrest is used to humping sidemount gear thousands of feet through a sump, so it's nothing for him to do a twenty-mile hike with gear...
It isn't me, I have a ride :-)

[JDostal]

He's asking for me and my father in law :)

We'll be down the same time as they will be, but we are staying on the island and trying to figure out how to dive with them for a day!

[Me]

A Collectivo won't take you if you are hauling gear. A bus is possible, but you would need to get from the pier to the bus station. A taxi is an option, and last I knew it was around $125 for a taxi from Cancun airport to Akumal; Playa to Chac Mool should be considerably cheaper.

You could rent a small car for the two of you for the day for $50 or less and that includes insurance. Easyway has a location in Playa and you could probably arrange for them to pick you up at the pier.

www.easywayrentacar.com (http://www.easywayrentacar.com)

My memory escapes me on how far off 307 the cenote is from the road. I'm usually in the back of a VDR van snoozing or chatting with others. :roll:

[reato]

.....You could rent a small car for the two of you for the day for $50 or less and that includes insurance. .............
That is the best solution if you don't want to pay the taxi driver for the all day...
Cenotes are about 1 mile away from the road, so the minivan (colectivo) is not a great idea...

[JDostal]

Not too big of a deal to rent a car to be honest.

Thanks for the tip!

[Mart]

Xibalba is in Playa del Carmen, a lot closer than Chac Mool. It is a nice little cave, well worth one long or two shorter dives.

[Attchoum]

are you looking for cavern or cave dive??

Cave, go to minautoro instead of chac-mool. Amazingly beautiful.

Alexandro, someone told me that the restriction to the chiness garden is not stable anymore. Do you know anything about that???


Etienne

[JDostal]

Looking to meet up with FW and others from the board and get a cave dive or two in.

Looks like I'm going to rent a car so can meet up with them south of Playa and dive whatever they are diving for the day!

[CaveBuddy95]

FW, it is very easy for your hotel (in Coz) to book you a car - $50 should do. From there collect some tanks at Cuzel or Zero Gravity (excellent tank/valve quality) and next door to that you have Tajma Ha and Minotauro or go back towards Garden of Eden (Ponderosa) or Chac Mool, in my opinion full of interesting stuff!
No need for a guide!
Have fun and maybe see you around

Cheers

[reato]

are you looking for cavern or cave dive??

Cave, go to minautoro instead of chac-mool. Amazingly beautiful.

Alexandro, someone told me that the restriction to the chiness garden is not stable anymore. Do you know anything about that???


Etienne
I agree with Minotauro, very nice cave.
About the Chinese Garden, that restriction never was stable.
I know about a rock collapsed a couple of years ago, but I haven't been there since long time.

[FW]

FW, it is very easy for your hotel (in Coz) to book you a car - $50 should do. From there collect some tanks at Cuzel or Zero Gravity (excellent tank/valve quality) and next door to that you have Tajma Ha and Minotauro or go back towards Garden of Eden (Ponderosa) or Chac Mool, in my opinion full of interesting stuff!
No need for a guide!
Have fun and maybe see you around

Cheers
Several of the moderators are staying at DeRosas, so we have transport, and tanks. It is the guys that are staying on Coz, that need a car, and tanks. I think they have worked out a plan, so thanks.

If anyone else wants to dive with some moderators, we will have internet access, and can let you know where we will be diving on any particular day.

[JDostal]

Thanks for the help everyone, much appreciated!