There is so much to love about Mexico’s Yucatan Peninula, which juts north to give the country its backwards “J” shape. But for anyone who visits, what they often remember the most are the cenotes: natural swimming pools found inside caves. You get to see them for yourself in this week’s video!
Eric and I visited our first Yucatan cenote together in 2016. We thought it was amazing to lie on our backs in the water, looking up at rocky walls covered in tree roots, with the open sky above us.
But that was nothing.
That cenote was located near the famous Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá. There were so many people there.
At the time, we didn’t know what we were missing. But since then, we’ve found the incredible Cenotes de Cuzamá, located south of the town of Cuzamá near Mérida.
We first visited on a Friday with friends, but we were back the following Monday with my parents, to celebrate my dad’s 71st birthday!
Take a look at these three cenotes, including the wild ride to get there and the perilous entrances:
Let us know if you have any questions about the video!
If this cenote experience looks too physically intense for you, there’s another option we can recommend. Cenotes Santa Bárbara is located in the same region. It is much more developed and definitely busier, but the cart ride is short and the entrances are not as freaky (there are still stairs).
We can answer your questions about either of these cenote options, and there are so many more on the Yucatan Peninsula!
What’s next
We are in Mérida for nine more days. Then we continue down the Yucatan Peninsula into Belize. It is hard to believe we are so close to life in Central America. It felt so far away when we crossed into Mexico last October, but suddenly it’s right on our doorstep! Thank you for joining us for the journey.
-B
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