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pault36
pault36
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Swimming Under Stalactites

  • October 4, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by airynfaerie from St. Augustine, Florida
Swimming Under Stalactites

One of my most favorite things that we did was to visit a few cenotes throughout the Yucatan. Cenotes are a type of sinkhole unique to this peninsula area of Mexico, and exist in several environments, including open, cavern, and cave. The word is derived from the Mayan word, "dzonot" which means sacred well, as the ancient Mayans thought that these fresh water collections were a gift from the gods. Some of the underwater cave and river systems extend for dozens of kilometers in a web of interconnected streams. Divers come from around the world to experience the unique experience and specialized ecosystems of the cenotes.

The first cenote we visited was the Gran Cenote just outside of Tulum. This is mostly a cavernous sinkhole, and is touted as one of the most beautiful in the area. It was completely magical getting there early before many people, and swimming in the open area as well as under the cave openings where countless stalactites hang. Groups of small birds chirped and wizzed above our head just barely grazing the water before landing again in the holes among the cave ceiling.

There were so many caves and passageways to explore beneath the water but as we were just snorkeling, many were off limits to us, although a couple groups of divers emerged from the blackness during our swim. It was so peaceful down in the sinkhole and the shade of the overgrowth and the coolness of the water was very refreshing from the overwhelming heat during that week.

I'd definitely recommend this as a MUST SEE and EXPERIENCE place while in the Tulum area.

http://www.grancenote.com/
Open 10-5 everyday
Entrance fee: about $8/per person
Snorkel equipment available for rent : about $7/mask, fins

More extensive diving tours available as well. Consult the site for more info on pricing.

From journal Exploring Southeastern Yucatan :: Tulum & Coba

Editor Pick

Gran Cenote

  • April 21, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by pault36 from Cortland, New York
Gran Cenote

A cenote is a freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole which may lead to a cave system. You can read more on wikipedia. Gran Cenote is one of the most popular cenotes in the Tulum/Cancun area, and we stopped by on our way back from Coba. At first, we hesitated due to the $8-a-head entry fee, but heat and interest won out and we laid down our $32to get in. We had our own gear, so I can't tell you what the rental costs are, but we had to change and I have to express my disappointment at the "facilities" for changing we found. A men's room with a door that wouldn't shut, a very funky toilet, one sink that was questionable, and muck on the floor. I had expected a bit more for our entry fee. We didn't go to luxuriate in the facilities, so it was a minor annoyance. Once we changed and headed to the cenote, all thoughts of funky restrooms vanished. You come upon a hole in the ground—eight bucks to go into a hole in the ground—but there's a decent rustic stairway down into the cenote and the descent leads you down into another world. Apparently our timing was good, because there were less than a dozen other people snorkeling the cenote. Limestone stalactites, clear water, caverns to snorkel into and through, and plenty of fish to see. Even our jaded 10-year-old snorkeled here and had a great time. Periodically, scuba divers would break the surface and climb out. There's an extensive cave system accessible only to certified divers. It makes me want to go to my local Y and sign up for scuba certification.

From journal A Week in Tankah/Tulum

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