Heading to Mexico soon, and want to jump into the best cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula? These post will act as a guide to those seeking out these sacred Mayan pools of crystalline water on their journey south of the border…
Rio Secreto
Just discovered in the past decade, Rio Secreto is a half-submerged cave that is one of the longest systems of its kind in the Yucatan at almost 12 kilometres long.
After a quick Mayan spirit cleansing ceremony, you’ll enter a stalactite-filled cave that features crystal clear waters with blind fish (fitting, seeing how they have never seen light in their lives), a silence that borders on spiritual, and pitch darkness that will define what that term means to you. When it comes to adventure in Mexico, this attraction deserves its rapidly rising place on thrill seeker’s itineraries.
Cenote Yokdzonot
Looking for a break from the heat of the day after a productive visit to Chichen Itza? There is a cenote that draws in the crowds from all the day tours; waltz on by these folks and continue ten minutes past them to Cenote Yokdzonot.
Beyond the reach of the easily satisfied, this natural wonder is sparsely populated by tourists even during peak season, making it a great option for those that are startled by crowds.
Cool off as fish swim below you and hummingbirds hover above, and float in silent awe at the jungle vines that dangle from the trees beyond your pool of paradise.
Cenote Azul
If you are seeking the antidote to all the development that is enveloping nearby Playa Del Carmen, then Cenote Azul is the treatment you’ve been looking for all this time.
The cerulean blue water that gives this local swimming hole its name will captivate you from the moment you lay your eyes upon it.
No matter your activity level, you’ll enjoy this place, whether you dig jumping off cliffs or simply wading in the slightly chilled but refreshing groundwater that has come to be loved by locals and travelers in the know over many decades.
Cenote Azul can be accessed easily via collectivos from Playa Del Carmen and Tulum.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Staying in the Tulum area? If so, one of the best cenotes that are reached quickly from the village centre is Cenote Dos Ojos, so named for its two differently coloured pools.
The clear, blue pool is ideal of swimmers, but the dark pool is of interest to divers trained in cave descents.
If you know how to go into to these potentially risky areas safely, a wondrous world of stalactites, passages and weird subterranean aquatic life awaits you.