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cancunairporttransportation-blog · 6 years ago

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Top 10 Cenotes in Riviera Maya

Beside its fabulous beaches and natural parks, the Riviera Maya is well known for its wonderful cenotes. Cenotes are swimming pools of fresh water.

All the water from the rain in Riviera Maya area is filtered through the limestone and transformed into underwater rivers. Cenotes are sinkholes or natural pits, result of collapsed limestone bedrock that expose the water that normally flows beneath the surface.

Since cenotes are surface connections to subterranean water bodies, they are very popular among intrepid divers who are not afraid to swim through small caves with little or non existing light. In fact, to be able to dive in a cenote, you need an advanced diver certification since its a very different environment with specific safety rules.

This is the list of Cenotes in the Riviera Maya that we as locals think are the best ones to visit. If you are interested in visiting any of them, we’ll take you there!

1- Cenote Cristalino. Puerto Aventuras, Riviera Maya

From Cancun International Airport, this cenote is right after Puerto Aventuras. Click here to get the location pin. Altough is not a big cenote, is quite nice. The water is crystal clear and as an open-air cenote, you can enjoy a sunny day while having a refreshing dip into the cenote.

2- Cenote Manatí. Tankah, Riviera Maya

From Cancun Airport, this cenote is right before Tulum around Tankah area. Click here to get the location pin. This is one of our favorites. It is also an open air cenote but is barely distanced from the Ocean. Is not small, so you can rent a kayak to move around, enjoy the mangroves landscape and maybe even discover a new fish specie. The place has a charming restaurant which gets to be very convenient in case you want to quench your thirst with a cold cerveza after swiming.

3- Cenote Samulá. Valladolid, Yucatán

This cenote is around 2 hours from Cancun Airport, near the beautiful small town of Valladolid. Click here to get the location pin. Samulá Cenote is a splendid subterranean cavern; a few steps ahead you will enjoy a view full of tranquility and peace, where you can contemplate the roots hanging from the ceiling and dive into turquoise waters. Definitely, one of the ‘must visit’.

4- Cenote Suytun. Valladolid, Yucatán

This cenote is also 2 hrs from Cancun Airport, near Valladolid. Click here to get the location pin. Suytun is one of the most important cenotes in terms of mayan ceremonies. In this cavern, there is a small stage surrounded by beautiful crystal waters, which despite of being shallow, will amaze you with the spectacular amount of fishes living in. Suytun is, so far, the only cenote counting with exterior huts. There is also a small museum where amazing pre-Columbian archaeological pieces are exhibit.

5- Gran Cenote. Tulum, Riviera Maya

This cenote is located between Tulum and the Coba Mayan Ruins. Click here to get the location pin. Although is not as big as the name says (‘gran’ stands for ‘great’), it is a cool place to refresh after visiting the Coba mayan ruins.

6- Cenote Ik Kil. Chichén Itza, Yucatán

This cenote is located right next to Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins. Click here to get the location pin. Talking about a big refresh after walking around Chichen Itza… this is the place! This marvelous cave has many ‘lianas’ hanging from above rocks, giving it an unique ancient aspect. 7- Cenote Dos Ojos. Tulum, Riviera Maya

From Cancun Airport, this cenote is right after Xel-Ha Park and before Tulum. Click here to get the location pin. This is a great cenote for snorkelling. Get some equipment and wander around or dive in the caves that connect to the underwater rivers. The name was given as a reference to the main two caves which give an impression of two eyes (‘dos ojos’). 8- Cenote Dzitnup. Valladolid, Yucatán

This cenote is around 2 hours from Cancun Airport, in the surroundings of the beautiful small town of Valladolid. Click here to get the location pin. Its beautiful turquoise waters and the amazing light beam reflection, make this cavern an unequaled natural treasure that you must know. Inside, it is possible to find a lot of stalactites hanging from the top. Although the water is not deep enough for diving, it is excellent for swimming and exploring its beautiful spaces. 9- Aktun Chen Caves. Akumal, Riviera Maya

This park is on the other side of the road of Akumal bay. Click here to get the location pin. Aktun Chen Park is a natural park in Riviera Maya. It has a nice cenote, caves and an underwater river. Zip lines are also available. 10- Xplor, Riviera Maya

This park is right next to Xcaret in Riviera Maya. Click here to get the location pin. Yes, this is a post about cenotes, yet, Xplor has very cool caves which deifitely count in. It is possible to swim or move in a kayak in its long underwater circuit. You will have to move carefully under the stalactites. From our perspective, those are the Top 10 Cenotes in Riviera Maya. Do you know any other that should be on this list? Let us know!

#Cenote #Riviera Maya #Stalactites #Cave #Underground river #Diving #Natural

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wayneooverton · 8 years ago

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Mexico’s Top Cenotes for Scuba Diving

There are plenty of freshwater cave systems in the world. But when it comes to diving, none compares to the sinkholes of Mexican’s Yucatan Peninsula. Gin-clear freshwater, Mayan history and an idyllic tropical-jungle setting make these cenotes world-class among cave and cavern dives. Many dive centers operate from Cancun south to Tulum. These offer everything from beginner cavern dives to full-fledged cave training, so there’s something or everyone. With that in mind, here are the Yucatan’s five top cenotes for scuba diving.

The Pit

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In the jungle between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, is the Pit, one of the world’s most intriguing cavern dives. To reach the site, divers previously had to trek through the jungle and then giant stride 20 feet (6 m) into the water from the edge of the sinkhole. A recently constructed dirt road leading to the entrance and the addition of stairs to the water, however, have made the Pit much more accessible. The deepest cenote in Quintana Roo at 391 feet (119 m), the Pit offers breathtaking visibility and stalactites of all sizes in the first 100 feet (30 m). At that depth there’s a hydrogen sulfide cloud that divers can penetrate to descend into complete darkness at around 130 feet (40 m).

Casa Cenote

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Casa Cenote, also called Cenote Tankah, connects one of world’s longest underwater cave systems, Nohoch Na Chich, with the ocean. In the middle of a lush mangrove forest, diving in Casa Cenote offers the unique feeling of diving under a tropical rainforest. The dive never exceeds 30 feet (8 m), and follows the course of the surface river, with big open areas. Because of the river’s connection to the ocean, Casa Cenote features a fresh- and saltwater mix. This environment hosts both fresh- and saltwater fish. Small caves along the sides of the cenote also occasionally hold manatees, so dive slowly and keep your eyes peeled.

Angelita

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At around 10 miles (17 km) south of Tulum, Angelita is the furthest south of the area’s cenotes. A short walk into the jungle reveals a cenote that descends directly to 200 feet (60 m) with no side passages or offshoots. Angelita, meaning “little angel,” also holds a mix of salt and fresh water. At around 100 feet (30 m), there is an eerie hydrogen sulfide cloud that sits atop the cenote’s saltwater layer. Here, in the depths of the cenote, divers will see trees and branches. They peek out of the cloud, creating a surreal scene. Huge stalactites stud the cenote’s shallow walls, offering another fascinating sight. Angelita is popular among technical divers because of its depth. Recreational divers, though, should not exceed depth limits if they descend beneath the sulfurous cloud.

Dos Ojos

Perhaps the most famous cenote of all, Dos Ojos, meaning “two eyes,” is actually two connected cenotes, with a shared cavern zone. Part of a larger cave system, there are 28 known sinkhole entrances in the Dos Ojos system. Exploration continues today. There’s an opportunity for both cavern and cave dives here, shallow and simple enough for divers of all levels. Divers walk a short distance through the jungle to the entrance, where there are bathrooms, changing facilities and concrete tables for gear.

The first of the dives takes place along the opening of the “Second Eye.” Here’ there’s lots of daylight and immaculate visibility. The second dive, also known as the Bat Cave, requires divers to follow a line that twists and turns through tight swim-throughs, where light begins to disappear into the distance behind them. Divers will eventually emerge into a stalactite-filled chamber where bats reside in the hundreds.

Pet Cemetery

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Despite its sinister name, Pet Cemetery cenote offers all the best of Mexican jungle diving. Its name comes not from the Stephen King novel, but rather from the multiple animal skeletons within the cenote, including the fossilized remains of an extinct prehistoric camel. Part of the second-largest cave system in the world, it’s further along the same access road that delivers divers to Dos Ojos. Much of the dive is at only 10 feet (3 m), so snorkelers can explore here too. The cave system is filled with stalactites and stalagmites, all in superb visibility. Beware though — divers must have good buoyancy control before attempting the dive, as the column formations are quite fragile.

These are just a few of the area’s top cenotes for diving, with many more systems to explore. Mexico’s unique cenotes draw divers from all over the world, but before you explore here, make sure you’ve got the proper certifications and knowledgeable guides.

The post Mexico’s Top Cenotes for Scuba Diving appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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