{"id":763,"date":"2021-07-31T07:31:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T07:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/10-of-cancuns-absolute-best-cenotes\/"},"modified":"2021-07-31T07:31:45","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T07:31:45","slug":"10-of-cancuns-absolute-best-cenotes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/10-of-cancuns-absolute-best-cenotes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of Canc\u00fan’s Absolute Best Cenotes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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So you\u2019ve made it to Canc\u00fan, spent an entire day (or several) lying on the beach, and you\u2019re looking for something else to do on the Riviera Maya. Luckily, Canc\u00fan is a great base for getting out and adventuring in the area.<\/p>\n
One thing you definitely won\u2019t want to miss out on is visiting the cenotes around Canc\u00fan. A cenote is a limestone sinkhole filled from underground freshwater rivers. They can be closed and cave-like, semi-open with cliff overhangs, or completely open, resembling a pond from above.<\/p>\n
Intrigued? Here are my top picks for the best cenotes that are easily accessible from Canc\u00fan:<\/p>\n
This cenote is one part of a system of three separate cenotes that open to the same larger body of water and are connected by underground rivers. It\u2019s open on the surface, with rocky cliffs on one side. But it\u2019s the epic underwater caves that attract visitors and make it ideal for divers. Given that, it is not as spectacular if you can only see it from the surface.<\/p>\n
Some dive tours, like this one from AcuatiCaribe, include dives through the two other connected cenotes, Kukulcan and Little Brother. The tour will take you down to see the haloclines and thermoclines, the layers of cloudlike substances where freshwater and saltwater mix and create neat optical illusions.<\/p>\n
This cenote got its name when cave divers used a clever play on words. Its deep and wondrous caverns had divers referring to it as the \u201cTaj Mahal\u201d of cenotes. As \u201cha\u201d means \u201cwater\u201d in the Mayan language, Tajma-ha sounds like a Mayan interpretation of \u201cTaj Mahal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tajma-ha is certainly well suited for divers, especially those who have a lot of experience. It boasts a maze of tunnels, limestone formations, and huge chambers. For more information on diving in Tajma-ha, check out Koox Diving. <\/p>\n
You\u2019ll find this cenote just 5 kilometers south of Puerto Aventuras; it is easy to access by car or public transportation.<\/p>\n
Chikin-ha is the biggest of three cenotes on the same property. It is open, with underwater caves, making it a stellar location for diving. Throughout the flooded caves, there are several small openings that let light in, changing the color of the water as you swim through.<\/p>\n
Even if you don\u2019t go for the diving, Chikin-ha is next to two smaller cenotes, X\u2019tabay and Ta\u2019ak Bil-ha. X\u2019tabay is an open cenote that is great for swimming, and Ta\u2019ak Bil-ha is a ceremonial one that doesn\u2019t allow visitors to get into the water. All three of these are in a gorgeous jungle setting and definitely worth a visit.<\/p>\n
The Ruta de Cenotes is a stretch of highway between Puerto Morelos (about 30 minutes south of Canc\u00fan) and the community of Leona Vicario. The 40-kilometer stretch of highway goes inland from the coast and has over 60 cenotes along it. Many of these are privately owned and have higher entrance fees than the public ones. They\u2019re also much more built up and have more things to do, such as zip lines, ATV tours, and horseback riding.<\/p>\n
Here are the best cenotes along the route:<\/p>\n
Named for the fish you\u2019ll find in freshwater cenotes and lakes, Las Mojarras is a large, open cenote with emerald water. It\u2019s one of the biggest on the Ruta de Cenotes and has a six-meter-high platform to jump in from. There are camping facilities on-site, along with bathrooms and changing areas. You\u2019ll also find a fun zip line that goes through the surrounding jungle and over the cenote.<\/p>\n
Siete Bocas is a semi-open cenote with seven different access points from above, which allow sunlight to pour into the semi-underground pool. There are ladders leading down to the water, but you can also take a leap through one of the mouths into the depths. There are some massive stalactites in the cenote that are especially neat to check out.<\/p>\n