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Dive in to the Yucatán Peninsula’s otherworldly cenotes - AAA Magazine

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 Repost from AAA Magazine


By Tim Leffel

July 18, 2023

A  single shaft of light cut through the jungle and illuminated a patch of water before me. I set down my sandals and dove in. The water was clear, cool, and refreshing. I could see fish below me, and much deeper down—perhaps 60 feet—the bottom of this mystical pool, named Chukum-Ha.

Thousands of freshwater sinkholes called cenotes dot Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. They were created some 66 million years ago when a massive, miles-wide asteroid crashed into the area. The cataclysmic event is thought to have eventually wiped out the dinosaurs, but it also sent a lot of freshwater underground—so instead of ponds and rivers, the Yucatán Peninsula today has caverns and hidden pools. Some, like Chukum-Ha, became exposed when the ground covering them collapsed.


 

Cenotes for the modern world

To the Mayan people, these cenotes were sacred places associated with legends of gods and the underworld—spots where sacrifices took place and priests sought answers. While some cenotes are hidden on private land or still undiscovered, others are visitor attractions with snack bars and snorkel rentals. Many have become famous selfie spots. Some deep-water cenotes have diving platforms, rope swings, or even zip lines.

Swimming in a cenote can make for a memorable excursion from Cancún or the Riviera Maya, or from Mérida, the Yucatán’s capital. Three cenotes lie in a rain forest outside the town of Cuzamá, about 30 miles from Mérida. Visitors ride a horse-drawn cart to get to them. To reach one of the cenotes, they must climb down a 50-foot ladder. The Zazil Tunich cenote near the town of Valladolid and the Río Secreto near Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya are eerie, watery underworlds of stalagmites and stalactites. The Zací cenote in Valladolid even has a restaurant.

Whichever cenote you choose, you’ll never forget immersing yourself in one of these ancient, sacred sanctuaries.

Tim Leffel is the author of A Better Life for Half the Price. He lives in Guanajuato, Mexico.

If you have a rental car, you can visit on your own, but you might consider a tour company. Some tours combine cenote stops with visits to archaeological sites. Xcanché cenote, for example, is about 2 miles from Ek Balam, and Yokdzonot cenote is about 12 miles from Chichén Itzá. Avoid wearing sunscreen and bug repellent that are not organic; chemical formulas are prohibited. 

Web: https://www.ace.aaa.com/publications/travel/international-destinations/yucatan-peninsula.html 

 

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