Cenotes (Day 3)

It's hard to go anywhere in the Yucatan and not hear about cenotes, they are everywhere. A cenote is a natural sinkhole that is caused by a collapse of limestone that exposes groundwater. The term is specifically used in the Yucatán Peninsula where the cenotes were used as a water supply by the ancient Maya and occasionally used for sacrificial offerings. Before going to the Yucatan we didn't plan much of what we wanted to do; when we went to Playa del Carmen we talked with some of the tour venues and found one we liked for a cenote tour.

Chaak Tun Cenote

Whoever grew up wanting to explore caves and the depths below, this is the type of tour for you. This two-hour guided excursion takes you down to three hidden caves under the ground. Before entering the crystal blue water you will be given a flashlight, snorkeling equipment, a life vest, and if you want a wet suit too. We didn't use the suits the water is a relaxing 70 degrees.

While swimming there is no need to go completely under the water unless you want to. Though there are spots where you can swim below the waves into the caverns and explore even more if you wish. There are lights all along the caves so you can see without having to use the flashlights too. One point they turn these lights off in one section so you can get a feeling of what the total dark feels like. Do remember you are not alone in there, not only are there little black fish that are to be expected in the water. But when you look up into the stalactites you may get lucky enough to see some tinny black bats hiding among the folds. Our guide also showed us some transparent spiders that were blending into the walls. Most of the animals in the caves never see day light so they never need to develop color to camouflage.

At the end of the activities we got to view around the grounds, when we went they had a spot set up for some tequila tasting. My mom and I sampled some really good almond tequila that we bought a bottle of and brought home. Would recommend if not at this cenote then somewhere in the Yucatan sampling some of the almond tequila.