Cenotes — one of the main attractions of the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Cenotes are found only in Mexico and only on the Yucatan Peninsula. The erosion of limestone rocks that has lasted for millions of years in Yucatan has created kilometers and even hundreds of kilometers of underground rivers and a whole system of underground caves. Most of them are still unexplored. Sometimes the ceiling of such a cave collapses, revealing an underground space that may look like a large well or lake. But this is the entrance to a whole underground world, an opportunity for anthropologists and divers to enter and explore it. Cenotes were also important for the ancient Maya, who also considered them the gateway to the underworld, to the underworld. Some of the cenotes are large and others are small, some are shallow and some are deep. But for every open cenote, there may be a dozen more caves hidden underground. There are more than 3,000 known cenotes in Yucatan, and new ones are constantly being found.
Cenotes are an ideal place for diving. The crystal clear waters, the lack of rapid movement of water flows and fabulously beautiful underwater landscapes attract thousands of novice divers from all over the world to Yucatan. Sometimes it is not easy to decide which cenote to choose for the first dive, if you have not previously swum in underground caves. Of course, it is advisable to discuss your experience and the level of difficulty of diving with a local diving operator — they can make recommendations based on your level of training. But the five cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, which we present below, are great for beginners.
Dos Ojos
One of the most popular cenotes, and not only for novice divers, is Dos Ojos (“Two Eyes”). It’s actually two cenotes connected by a cave, and it offers two excellent dive routes: the so-called Barbie line and Bat line. Each of them has a system of caves, with large and open spaces overhead, with beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and other geological formations. With a maximum depth of just over 9 meters and relatively short transitions between caves, this is a great place to try and see if you like cave diving. It is also a popular cenote for regular tourists to visit.
Aktun Ha
Aktun Ha Cenote, also called a car wash because it was a popular spot for taxi drivers to wash their cars many years ago, is also one of the most popular places for divers today. There is a line of caves opening onto large open areas. The cenote is home to many freshwater fish, sometimes turtles, and sometimes crocodiles. Swimming is very calm. In open reservoirs, pay attention to the beautiful pink water lilies, the stems of which stretch from the bottom to the surface.
El Pit
The Yama Cenote is great for beginners who are attracted to deep diving. The large “pit” has a depth of about 30 meters, and it is very interesting to watch how the rays of sunlight penetrate it all. The dive is usually a descent to the bottom, where you can see fallen tree branches and a small layer of hydrogen sulfide that swirls like fog around the branches. The white trickles of bubbles created by the decomposition of wood material give the impression that you are floating in an enchanted forest with rays of light falling down. Then the divers slowly circle around the walls of the cenote, watching the rays of light dancing in the center. It feels like you’re in some otherworldly world.
Angelita
To see the underwater hydrogen sulfide cloud, you need to go to Angelita. This is a large and open cenote, through which you can swim to another, very small cenote. But at the same time, it seems that you are descending into the sky. At a depth of about 30 meters, there is a layer of hydrogen sulfide stretching along the entire length of the cenote. Looking down, it seems that the sky is moving below you with thick clouds. There are many fallen trees and branches in the middle of the cenote. The cloud is not the bottom, since the cenote extends much deeper, but through the cloud layer, light almost does not penetrate there.
Ponderosa
This cenote is also called the Garden of Eden. It looks like a majestic body of water surrounded by dense tropical jungle. There are many shallow waters where you can go snorkeling or watch the many colorful freshwater fish species. This cenote is also popular with cenote lovers. The line of caves leads through an enclosed space under the rock, with sunlight visible on the other side. When you approach the light on sunny days, it turns into a curtain of sunlight shining and dancing in front of you. It’s a spectacular sight. On cloudy days, everything is no less mysterious here: you swim through tree branches and roots that dip into the water.
The average water temperature in the cenotes of Yucatan all year round is about 22-24 degrees. A 5 mm or 7 mm thick wetsuit is recommended. Most beginner cenotes have impressively clear visibility, but some fins can easily lift silt and muddy the water. Sometimes heavy rains cause mineral substances to wash away from the earth’s surface, which also leads to its turbidity or staining in orange, red, brown or green colors.
Be sure to bring a flashlight. As with night diving, make sure you have a primary and backup light. Some dive centers attach a glowing tube to your buoyancy compensator or leave a small backup light on to find you in case your lights go out. Make sure that your depth/pressure sensor is also illuminated.
You can swim in the cenotes all year round. However, most cenotes are best visited on clear, sunny days.
Each cenote asks for an entrance fee plus a dive fee. What is included in this payment (changing rooms, equipment, etc.), each cenote also determines itself. You must be accompanied by a certified guide or be a certified diver yourself. Additional charges may also apply for the use of the camera.
