Bright, motley, many-sided and mysterious Mexico opens up a unique world to the admiring gaze of tourists. The real treasury of priceless architectural monuments fascinates with stunning color and beckons with a daring character. The country of disappeared civilizations is famous not only for its rich cultural heritage, but also for its magnificent natural beauty.
Underground masterpieces
The unique miraculous sights that are located on the territory of the largest tourist center in the world are recognized as an authentic wonder of the world. Natural failures in the earth got their name from the word dzonot, which came from the Mayan language, which translates as "well."
Cenotes in Mexico, which have become the hallmark of the country of contrasts, are karst formations formed after the collapse of the arch of limestone caves, and underground rivers flow at their bottom. These are drainage wells, in which underground water accumulated over a long period of time has opened under the destroyed rock formations. Natural failures, which are part of the underground river system, have long been considered by the Indians as mysterious portals to the other world.
Gates to the other world
The Mayans, who built their settlements near freshwater reservoirs, often used the holy cenotes in Mexico for sacrifices. Life-giving moisture was valued more than gold, and it is no coincidence that the Indians worshiped the god of rain, whom they wanted to appease. Mayas threw statues, precious stones into the green waters, next to which similarities of temples were found, and even made human sacrifices here.
When the conquistadors invaded the territory of the country, they rummaged through everything in the hope of finding the legendary gold of the tribes. However, the Spaniards did not guess to look into the cenotes, whose bottom was covered with precious metal.
Scientists researching the objects of a departed Mayan civilization found under water skeletons of people who are at least 14 thousand years old, sacrificial objects, as well as the remains of mastodons.
Favorite vacation spot
Grandiose karst wells, carved by nature itself, are filled with waters coming from underground keys. The sacred places where mere mortals could not get, gradually turned into a popular attraction, which was chosen not only by tourists, but also by divers. The water in the caves is very clean and has a large number of mineral salts, making the skin silky and soft. Many natural masterpieces are equipped with staircases for the descent and latrines, as well as arbors for recreation built inside them.
All cenotes in Mexico are privately owned, so admission to them is paid and is approximately $ 10 (630 rubles). Owners trying to attract as many visitors as possible build tourist zones and cafes near natural monuments.
Types of karst formations
Scientists distinguish several types of cenotes in Mexico. Each cave complex has its own unique structure:
- completely located underground - caves filled with water;
- half underground - ponds with grottoes;
- open wells;
- Cenotes located at ground level - the lake.
Open-type karst formations are considered the oldest, and those with domes preserved to this day are younger.
Mexican peninsula resembling a sponge
Yucatan is a peninsula in Central America, well known outside the country. Having gained popularity thanks to the white beaches, it also surprises with other, more impressive places for swimming. On the territory of the state of Mexico of the same name, there are more than 6 thousand senots, and only a small part of them are investigated.
The peninsula is entirely composed of limestone and is a giant sponge that absorbs water after heavy rains. It does not go far through deep cracks: the aquifer of Yucatan, penetrated by caves, is located at sea level. And under a seemingly continuous surface is a gigantic system of underground lakes and streams. All natural formations of the peninsula are filled with fresh water, the temperature of which is about 24 ° C. Penetrating sunlight is playing on its smooth surface, creating radiant glare.
It is amazing that there are no lakes or rivers on the surface of the Yucatan, but its underground part consists of numerous channels with lakes. Not all Yucatan cenotes in Mexico are filled to the very top, and you don’t need to be a diver to experience the wonders of the underwater world. Many formations, whose depth is several meters, are intended only for swimming.
Largest karst formation
The most famous natural masterpiece on the Yucatan Peninsula is Cenote Ik-Kil (Mexico). Photos of the most beautiful karst cave, repeatedly appearing in geographic magazines, make hundreds of thousands of travelers give up everything and go on a long journey. A huge open-type well with a fresh lake at the bottom makes an indelible impression on tourists. This is an unearthly, mystical beauty that makes one admire the skill of mother nature.
Powerful tropical showers eroded the limestone, forming a real work of art, located near Chichen Itza - the Mayan cultural center, which is now in ruins. It was the Indians who came up with the name of the sacred place, whose name translates as "a corner giving birth to the wind."
Unearthly beauty
The business card of the country with a diameter of 60 meters has a perfectly round shape. Many thousands of years ago, a natural monument was a cave, but after heavy rains its upper part failed, forming a deep underground lake.
The long roots of exotic plants from the surface of the earth descend to the bottom, reaching the smooth surface of the water surface and resembling frozen jets of water or fringe. The lake, which delights with its amazing emerald hue, is so transparent and clean that swimming fish are visible. Wonderful color is achieved due to the high content of plankton and limestone. The sun's rays leaked through small openings in the dome of the cave play on the surface of the water, creating bizarre light patterns.
Bathing place
Mexicans are doing everything to as many travelers as possible to visit these places: a comfortable tourist complex has been built nearby, where guests can relax and enjoy the fantastic beauty of the local landscapes. And in order to please the Cenote Ik-Kil in Mexico, artificial waterfalls are created here. In addition, special platforms are installed at different heights, from which incredible views open.
In the lake, the water temperature of which is about 25 ° C, it is allowed to swim, because after the sweltering heat it is so nice to plunge into the cenote. And for the convenience of bathers, a stone staircase leading down was built. It is best to come here as early as possible to avoid a large influx of guests.
Scenic Area
In the archaeological park of Ek-Balam, one of the settlements of the Indians, there is the cave lake Shkanche, which is famous for its chamber atmosphere. A small body of water appeared after the collapse of the arch many centuries ago. The picturesque cenote in Mexico is a wonderful place where it is so pleasant to be alone with nature and think about something pleasant.
A narrow path leads to the cave, and you can go down the wooden stairs to the lake, which is equipped with platforms for diving and a bungee. Extreme sportsmen descend with the help of special climbing equipment and jump from a height of about 20 meters. The piercing rays of sunlight illuminate the "clusters" of stalactites hanging from the walls.
Nearby is a cozy restaurant in which the inhabitants of the local village prepare delicious dishes of national cuisine.
One of the most beautiful lakes in the country
The popular Grand Cenote in Mexico is located next to Tulum, a city in the state of Quintana Roo. He is one of the most beautiful natural failures in the country. Looking at a rather modest cave in size, it is difficult to believe in the truth of its name. However, under water is the entrance to Sac Actun - a giant system of underwater grottoes that spans several kilometers.
From above, the natural masterpiece looks like a small lake with crystal clear water. But it is worth diving, as the exotic beauty of the wonderful place that Maya used to conduct mystical rituals opens up.
Deep well attracting divers
Angelita is an unusual cenote in Mexico, which is a vertical well with a depth of about 60 meters. A natural miracle is located 17 kilometers from Tulum and is considered the most remote karst formation. This place is appreciated by divers who adore mysterious depths. To make the dive as comfortable as possible, you can use a specially equipped platform.
Amazing optical illusion
It seems as if a river of a mystical greenish tint flows inside a natural formation. Optical illusion (halocline) is created due to the special composition of two waters - salty and fresh. At great depths, they do not mix with each other thanks to a thin layer of homogeneous sulfate, which is responsible for an interesting contrast. Fresh water drifts in the upper layer, and saturated with salts - in the lower layer, where the bottom is littered with tree trunks and foliage.
Only professionals with at least 20 dives are allowed here. When extremals begin to work intensively with flippers, the layers are mixed, and divers find themselves in complete darkness, since water saturated with hydrogen sulfide does not transmit light. Thrill lovers compare diving with a walk through the night forest.
Diving centers
Diving in the Cenotes of Mexico is the most popular activity. A special certificate is required for scuba diving underground, and there must be at least 5 dives behind the thrill-seeker. For those who do not have the appropriate documents, swimming with a mask is available.
However, not all natural formations are suitable for diving: some are lost in the jungle, which cannot be reached by car, in others, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide exceeds all permissible norms.
Many cenotes of the country are recognized diving centers. The most famous is the "Two Eyes" (Dos Ojos), located near Tulum.
Mexico Cenote Reviews
Underground complexes are decorated with stone icicles (stalactites and stalagmites), forming underwater alleys of the most bizarre forms. Tourists plunging into caves seem to fall into a parallel world, surprising with unearthly beauty. It is no coincidence that visitors compare a miraculous miracle with a museum of unique reliefs.
Travelers note crystal clear water, which simply cuts the eye with its transparency, and it seems as if divers are floating through the air.
Even the descent into the water along a narrow stone staircase, when the steps echo through the cave with a booming echo, makes the heart beat faster. As soon as the legs touch the water, small fish swim up to them right there. Many overpower fear and try their hand, diving with a mask, and admit that they experienced incredible sensations.
The resulting underwater photos of Cenotes in Mexico are turning into a real work of art. Here everyone feels like a hero from an adventure film about Indiana Jones, and the overhanging vines and numerous flowing formations resemble the scenery for the film about the adventurer-archaeologist. The bizarre shadows laying on the stone walls, the special atmosphere of immersion in the ringing silence of the underworld leave an indelible impression.
Tourists enthusiastically speak of amazing masterpieces surrounded by lush green vegetation. And acquaintance with them is a real unity with nature.