The jaguar dwells in the depths of the jungle, but a light still remains on. It comes from inside the earth, from a cave where the priest of the Sun has danced before seeing the zenith and a young man who is not even 12 years old waits for his heart to be ripped out before falling into the void. The copal that floods everything, the moon peeking above and a sacrifice for the god Chaak, whose sigh will tickle the sky, causing the rain that will bring good corn crops.
The rituals of the Mayans in the cenotes (ts'ono'ot: "hole with water") implied a cult of water and life, fertility and death, spirituality and control of time, especially the past that they loved so much. obsessed 10,000 years later, the dregs of this microuniverse are still throwing up new mysteries and better dips.
Born due to the erosion of limestone rock during the Pleistocene period, the more than 6,000 cenotes that sigh in the Yucatan peninsula make up a system of underground channels -fresh and salt water- that today we discover in the form of fascinating sinkholes where you can swim according to its structure (open sky, semi-open, underground or in a cave).
With so many options, it is normal for the same questions to arise -or at least, the ones this author asked himself-: What are the most beautiful cenotes? How can I easily visit different cenotes from the city where I stay? We resolve all doubts through the best cenotes in Mexico (and the three places from which to make the perfect dive).
The largest city on the Yucatan peninsula evokes that Caribbean we dream of: the fans stopped at 3 in the afternoon due to the heat, the pastel-colored houses eroded by the wind and the joy of cumbia resounding in squares overlooking some of the main monuments built during the colonial period. Visiting Mérida has two great advantages: it is not the most touristy area of the peninsula -unlike the Riviera Maya- and, therefore, it allows access to hundreds of cenotes that are hardly crowded, especially if you get up early and choose from the following options:
Some cenotes are touristy, others wild, and a few belong to private properties such as haciendas, lavish colonial buildings where you can enjoy a bath, among other experiences. The Mucuyche Hacienda is the best example thanks to a tour that allows you to discover the three cenotes of the complex (open cave, mini internal river and underwater hole) to end up tasting the best cochinita pibil in its restaurant.
Another advantage of visiting these natural ponds from Mérida resides in the presence of many cenotes around towns such as Cuzamá, famous for its taxi tour of three cenotes in a single day: Chelentún (one of the most spectacular, within a cavern); Chak-Zinik-Che (a feast of lianas and stalactites in the center of which the blue eye shines) and Bolom-Chojol (famous for the scarce sunlight filtering through the vault).
Just 3 kilometers from Cuzamá is Homún, a mecca for the well-known “cenote ring” among which Tza Ujun Kat stands out, known as “the cenote of the people”, of great extension and semi-open condition. Other options are that of Bal-Mil, hidden, caressed by the roots of a tree and with a staircase that seems to plunge into the great blue, or the Chelpak cenote, a literal hole that is worth visiting at noon to contemplate the golden transition of its pristine waters.
If the Yucatan peninsula has a heart, that is Valladolid. Founded in 1543, the formerly known as Sultana del Este is made up of colorful houses at whose doors the matriarchs chop mangoes; the church of San Servacio, the only one that does not face Rome due to demolition; or paradises of Mayan crafts such as the House of the Deer. However, the main reason why Valladolid dazzles is because of its strategic location to visit the main charms of the peninsula, including the yellow city of Izamal, the coastal town of Río Lagartos or, especially, the Chichén Itzá complex, a only 42 kilometers. From this visit, the immersion in some of the best (and also most touristic) cenotes in Mexico also begins.
This cenote is located within the well-known Hacienda San Lorenzo and is one of the most spectacular. A few kilometers from the city of Valladolid, Oxmán is a semi-open cenote with abundant vegetation where you can take a bath -or dare to do so through its vertiginous zip line-. It is one of the cheapest cenotes in this area (70 pesos -3.65 euros-) and has a kiosk to have a delicious Mexican rice horchata after soaking.
Suytun is the most instagrammable cenote of all. The reason is none other than the spectacular entry of the sun through a tiny hole in the middle of the day, a reason that drags a queue of onlookers to take the obligatory photo on a platform that seems to have been set up by the ancient Mayans for influencers of the world. future. So spectacular that the least thing is to bathe.
This cenote is possibly one of the most photographed, and no wonder: with a height of 25 meters, Ik-Kil evokes the fantasy of merging with exuberant nature and its feast of lianas caressing the water. Another reason for its success is the location of the cenote just 3 kilometers from Chichén Itzá, making it a most refreshing option after a sweltering visit to the ruins. To avoid crowds, you can go by taxi for free and get ahead of the tour buses that arrive en masse after 12 in the morning.
Oh, Tulum, Tulum! The best ending to an intense route through the Yucatan peninsula finds in this hippie chic redoubt of the Riviera Maya the best shortcut to relax in the Caribbean, visit the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tulum -the only ones of a coastal nature- or choose between a wide establishment of charming restaurants. The area is divided into Tulum beach and town (cheaper, but 5 kilometers from the sea), two areas that can be combined during your stay, especially if you rent a scooter or bicycle. Tulum is also the threshold to some of the most beautiful cenotes in Mexico and, best of all, they are all very close, so they can even be visited in the same morning.
It is one of the most peculiar cenotes because it has three holes in the rock -hence the name skull-, as well as the possibility of several alternative dips. Located within a designated space, this cenote has its own beach bar, a ladder that promises a safe descent for the scariest, and a swing where you can take the typical photo. Beyond posturing, getting away from visitors in search of the birds and bats that doze inside the cave is well worth the visit.
A short distance from Calavera, the Gran Cenote has different wooden platforms to access a huge tunnel where the turquoise blue stands out with the greenery of the palm trees. In addition to its beauty, the Gran Cenote stands out for the presence of sea turtles -let's not forget that many of these sinkholes are connected to the Caribbean-, and a cave where you lose the perception of time and space.
Diving lovers will find in this cenote one of their best paradises. The reason for its name comes from the union of two sinkholes connected through a 400-meter underwater passageway where we find plays of light, stalactites and bats. In turn, the cenote is included in the Dos Ojos park, which also has cenotes such as Jaguar, El Pit, Los Monos and Nicte Ha, the wildest of all. The best excuse to leave the present and be enchanted by the Mayan secrets that lead to the past. Perhaps, by the time you return to 2023, nothing will be the same.
