A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with water. The Mayans used to throw people in them for human sacrifice. Today, they are destinations for swimming. Many archaeological ruins have an adjacent cenote because the civilizations viewed cenotes as holy. I was really looking forward to experiencing swimming in cenotes as part of my travel experience in the Yucatan. The photos on the Internet excited me. I put cenotes into the three categories:
The Pond Cenote
This is exactly what it sounds like. You think you are looking at a pond or a swamp with a bunch of lillypads but actually it is a cenote. I went to a bar in Tulum with Amanda that claimed they had a cenote inside. I pictured a magical fairy land where people were drinking in mystical caverns. Alas, it was a bar with a pond next to it. Another night in Tulum, people were talking about the all-night long dance party "in the cenote". No, once again, no one was dancing in the cenote. I found out the next day that the dance was on the grounds, as in the parking lot, of the cenote. At the ruins site of Dzibilchaltun, the pond cenote was more of a stunningly beautiful swimming pool (pictured above). We spent probably more than an hour there taking a break from the heat and rewarding ourselves for caring enough about Mexican cultural history to travel out of the way to see Dzibilchaltun (see future post about Progresso).
The Cave Cenote
This cenote requires you to walk down many flights of stairs deep into the Earth. I think I was in one that was 20 meters below the ground. As you descend, the cenote reveals itself. The maintainers have setup artificial lights so you can see the beauty of the cavern. It is artistically angled towards the water so there is a beautiful glow. You can see the crystal clear blue water. You can see the fish swimming with you too. The cave cenotes seem to all look the same. They are of various size and shape. Maybe the lighting is slightly different? I saw three cave cenotes and I had my fair share. I didn't post any pictures of these because the lighting was just terrible.
The Dream World Cenote
The Dream World Cenote is the one you see in pictures on the Internet. It is real. It is true to the photo. There are so many cenotes in Mexico, you really need to do your research to make sure you end up at one of these guys instead of the ones that have cloudy water. In the Dream World Cenote, you descend into an open pit. The sun is bright and has a direct angle into the pool of water. The rocks and natural growth surrounding the open put are covered by forest green moss. Everything is glistening from the water and the sun. There is water dripping off the perimeter. The cenote is eerily quiet until a few families arrive. Eventually they get bored and leave and it is quiet again. The only time there are loud echoes in the cenote is when there are travelers from North America there. (I asked the super loud family of 4 blond children where they were from. Mormons from Utah. They seem to yell-talk at each other out of the mere excitement of being on vacation in such a beautiful place. It is endearing but obnoxious. I'll bet me and my brothers would have been super loud if we were there as younger boys. The loud yelling is a stark difference from the peaceful whisper-voices of the Mexican families visiting.)
The beautiful cenote in the city of Valladolid is called Cenote Zaci. The guidebooks claim it is less clean than other cenotes due to its urban location. I did not find this to be the case. The water was crystal clear. There was no one there. It was a hot weekday afternoon and I was sweating like crazy. I cooled off in the cenote and I thought about how lucky I was.
Cenote Xanache
Another beautiful surprise awaits you when visiting the archaelogical site at Ek Balam. At the entrance to the site is an adorable little bike rental hut. You can bike 8 minutes through a little forest to Cenote Xalache. I saw some people doing the mile long walk. It was hot. The bike rental was cheap. I started wondering if I was making a mistake because I didn't see anyone else on bikes. Maybe they didn't know how to ride a bike? I was wondering if I'd ever make it to the destination. I was alone. Finally, I arrived at the cenote and I found a little piece of paradise. There were very few people there. Of the few people, I met an NYU professor and his wife and son of 5 years old. They live on Bleecker Street in Washington Square Village. How amazing is that?