Cenotes in Mexico on the map. Cenote Ik Kil is one of the most famous cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Cenote Ik Kil is one of the most famous and most visited cenotes in Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula.

What's happened cenote ? A cenote is a natural well, lake, or cave formation with bodies of water. The Yucatan Peninsula consists mainly of limestone; over the years, during torrential tropical rains, the limestone was eroded and such wells or underground lakes were formed, which became known as cenotes. The name cenote comes from the word “tsonot”, which means “well” in the Mayan language.

Now there are about 6 thousand cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula and only 2,400 of them are officially registered.

There are no rivers or fresh lakes on the Yucatan Peninsula, but the Mayans did not have problems with fresh water; they used water from cenotes for drinking. Cenotes also served as places of sacrifice for the Mayan tribe. On the territory of the ancient complex there is a Sacred Cenote, in which the remains of bodies and jewelry were discovered. The Mayan Indians also considered cenotes to be gateways to the kingdoms of the dead.

Cenote Ik Kil located 5 km from the entrance to archaeological complex Chichen Itza. A visit to this cenote is included in all excursions to Chichen Itza, so it is always crowded. I hope that the Mayan Indians did not perform sacrifices in this cenote, because the Ik Kil cenote is now intended for swimming, and I would not like to find out that I swam where sacrifices once took place.

We left the ruins around 11:30 pm and headed to the Ik Kil cenote. The problem was that the cenote itself was not marked on Google Map, and I did not know its coordinates. I only knew that I had to follow the road towards the city of Valladolid. So we drove at random and very soon we saw a sign for the Ik Kil cenote.

Cenote Ik Kil itself is located on the territory of the Cabañas y Bungalows Ik kil hotel. The hotel website is only in Spanish for now, but you can understand something 😎 Next to the cenote there is another hotel, Hotel Dolores Alba Chichen Itza. So whoever wants to swim in the Ik Kil cenote every day is welcome 😎

We pulled into a huge empty parking lot, but unfortunately, there were already two tourist buses. Those are the tourists, there’s no escape from them! 😎

The cost of visiting the Ik-Kil cenote is 70 pesos per person ($5.5).

On the territory there are several bungalows, a restaurant, a souvenir shop, changing rooms, a toilet, and a shower. You can even rent a life jacket for swimming here!

On the territory of the cenote you can buy tequila and other souvenirs

We wanted to go straight down the stairs to the cenote, but the guard told us that first we needed to change clothes and take a shower. And the shower is cold!

I changed clothes, but Lesha didn’t plan to swim, and we went down the wide slippery stairs to the cenote. There are several photo spots along the way, which are always crowded.

They say that the water in the cenote is always +23 +25 degrees, I don’t know, the water seemed very cold to me. But the color of the water is simply mesmerizing. The water is so clear that it seems you can see the bottom. By the way, the depth of this lake is about 42 m. The diameter of this lake is 61 m, the distance from the water to the ground is 25 m. Many small fish swim here.

The entrance to the water is equipped with stairs, and on the right there are places for jumping. I never dared to jump from a height into this clear water, which I still regret 😎

It was nice to swim in the cenote, even though I was frozen, I’m a fan of warmer water, just like in Mexico I was frozen all the time!

It was interesting to look at the sky from the well

In general, I liked our visit to the Ik Kil cenote, although Lesha didn’t like it and refused to swim. And I happily swam and looked around.


The downside of Cenote Ik Kil is that it is always crowded. Perhaps there are not so many tourists in other cenotes in Yucatan.

You can also visit Cenote Dzitnup and Cenote Samula, which are located near the city of Valladolid. We planned to visit one of them, but we didn’t have enough time. And if you relax in Tulum and drive around the surrounding area, there will be signs on every corner to some cenotes 😎 By the way, in many cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula you can not only swim, but also dive!

And now - a short video about my swimming in the Ik Kil cenote 😎

"They had a custom before and even recently of throwing living people into this well as a sacrifice to the gods during a drought... They also threw many other things made of expensive stones and objects that they considered valuable. And if gold came into this country, this well must have received most of it because of the reverence that the Indians felt for it..."In fact, in the photo it is not the sacred well (cenote) that Diego de Landa briefly mentioned in his diary, but its closest neighbor - the 40-meter deep cenote Ik-Kil, in which I managed to swim. All cenotes in Mexico are connected with each other by a system of underground rivers. There is a theory that the appearance of such almost perfectly round mines filled with water is the result of the fall of a meteorite, which simply squeezed water out of the ground under pressure through such mines within a radius of several hundred kilometers from the center of its fall throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. .

Cenote Sagrado- The Sacred Cenote, located on the outskirts of the city of Chich'en Itza, which was first mentioned by the Grand Inquisitor, excited the attention of treasure hunters from the moment the diary was discovered. But, almost until the end of the 18th century, technologically this was simply impossible. The first person to reveal the secret of the Sacred Cenote was Edward Herbert Thompson. Perhaps it’s worth starting the story with photographs taken by him at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

1. Consul

A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic University in Massachusetts, Edward Thompson was a dreamer and thought about things in life that his peers had never even thought about. And although everything was as usual - marriage at 23 to the daughter of a retired whaling captain, prospects for working in a Boston office... all this was not for him. At the age of 19, Thompson, who had never been to Central America, wrote a work in which he claims that the Mayan Indians are descendants, not of anyone, but of the Atlanteans themselves. Thompson's friend, landowner Steve Salsbury, who was also interested in Mayan culture, introduced Thompson to Senator George Frisbee Hoare in 1885, and over lunch at one of the Harvard taverns, where perhaps I had drunk beer a week ago, the trio decided to appoint Thompson as US Consul on the Peninsula Yucatan. The US President signs the paper without looking, and two weeks later 25-year-old Thompson, his wife and two-month-old daughter set off for the wild, unexplored part of Mexico.

The Thompsons arrive in Merida, the capital of Yucatan, where young Edward enters the service. But what does the status of consul mean to him! All he cares about is archeology and the study of the ancient culture of the Mayan people.

Source:

The working conditions are certainly not Harvard University.

But for a passionate person, a small alcove of an abandoned Catholic church or a niche in an old Spanish arsenal and a couple of reliable assistants are enough to start doing what they love.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

After several years of exploration near the city of Merida, Thompson purchases a plantation in a remote part of the Yucatan with an adjacent large area of ​​jungle containing some ruins.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The young Bostonian does not really know Spanish; when he entered the service, no one required such knowledge from him. But how to communicate with local residents?

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

You have to simultaneously learn both Spanish and Mayan dialects in order to communicate with your neighbors.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

In two years, Thompson became fluent in the languages ​​of Yucatan. Trying to understand the culture of this people, Thompson undergoes initiation rites and ancient rituals, even joining the Mayan religious sect, taking it absolutely seriously, as an important and significant part of his life. But, remaining a true scientist, he scrupulously documents his observations.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The Mayans accept the young Gringo as one of their own. He is a welcome guest in every house in the village of Chichen, near which the Thompsons' hacienda is located.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Mayan Indians are also frequent guests at the hacienda. Women prepare traditional maize dishes while men discuss legends, ancient leaders and plans for expeditions to ancient ruins.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Thompson's hacienda is open to everyone. Evening gatherings on the highway with locals are a common occurrence. It's summer 1904. the future seems full of hope.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The two Sisters of Edward's wife, Henrietta Thompson, Bertha and Lionel, pay visits from Boston every couple of years, but do not tolerate them well, preferring to stay in the shade in the 30-degree heat in their Puritan outfits.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

But Thompson did not buy the plantation for this reason, so that he could hold carefree parties on the route of his hacienda. His goal is to find Cenote Sagrado- a sacred well that Diego de Landa wrote about. Edward hires local young men as guides and sets off on a risky expedition.

Thompson and his guide slowly move through the dense thickets, clearing a path for themselves with a machete. After an hour of tedious travel, they stumble upon the ruins of some ancient settlement. The remains of stone structures appear through the green carpet of the jungle.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The column segments of ancient temples resemble an abandoned construction site.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Quite tired from working with the machete, Thompson wipes the sweat from his forehead and, squinting from the bright tropical sun, sees a strange pyramid-shaped structure that has been completely swallowed up by vegetation over the centuries. Only a small building at the top, where the sun burns the greenery, indicates that under the mound of vines and lichen there is something grandiose, something that has been hidden from the world for many centuries.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Getting closer, the young archaeologist realizes that he is in the center ancient city Chich'en Itza, who described the bloody conquistador de Landa in his chronicles.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The pyramid overgrown with vegetation is none other than the great Temple of Kukulkan! This means that somewhere nearby there must be a treasured Sacred Cenote...

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

After the first expedition, Thompson and his assistants took several months to clear the pyramid of creeping and tenacious vines.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Several years of hard work were spent clearing out the jungle around the temple and its surrounding buildings.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

All this was just the beginning of the great restoration of Chich'en Itza, which lasted for a century. This is what the Temple of Kukulkan looks like today (2012).

Chich'en Itza is replete with ruins of ancient buildings. They are everywhere. Thompson does not know what to tackle first. But all this can be put aside for later. Search Cenote Sagrado - here it is the goal of his life, it is already close, and he is persistently moving towards it.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Any, even small, excavations that Thompson undertakes lead to the discovery of new architectural structures buried by the earth for thousands of years,

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

and priceless artifacts of antiquity, such as the Chak Mol statue, known throughout the world thanks to Thompson.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

This statue is now located on the upper platform of the Temple of the Warriors at Chich'en Itza, the second largest temple in the ancient city after the Temple of Kukulcan

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

and no one still knows what this statue symbolizes.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Figures of ancient warriors. Stone sculptures of sacred Balams (deities in the form of a jaguar).

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Remains of tombs of famous priests of the past.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

And among this variety of evidence of antiquity, Thompson sees barely noticeable traces of an old path that leads from the Temple of Kukulkan in an unknown direction straight into the jungle.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

Thompson and his team make a bold decision to explore where this mysterious path leads and, after walking about two hundred meters, cutting vines and thick branches of bushes with a machete, scratching their hands on the thorns of wild flora, they come to the edge of a huge ominous well. Thompson cannot contain his joy and laughs loudly and loudly throughout the jungle. He realizes that he has finally found his Sacred Cenote, which he has been looking for all his life.

Later, in his book The Snake People, Thompson wrote: ". ..In times of drought, pestilence or disaster, solemn processions of priests, pilgrims with rich gifts and people intended for sacrifice descended the steep steps of the Temple of Kukulkan - the “Sacred Snake” and walked along a special road to the “Well of Sacrifices”. There, under the monotonous hum of rattles, whistles and flutes, beautiful girls and captured noble warriors, along with priceless riches, were thrown into the dark waters of the “Sacred Cenote” in order to appease the evil god, who, as everyone believed, lived in the depths of this pool".

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The Sacred Cenote is scary. It smells like death. Its steep, steep walls, covered with vines, are a manifesto of the inevitability and irreversibility of the finitude of existence. It seems that at the bottom of this devilish funnel there really is an entrance to other world Xibalba, as the ancient Mayan legend says.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

This is how Thompson sees this cenote. Inaccessible, with dirty and green water (not much has changed in a hundred years). After opening Cenote Sagrado An ambitious Bostonian loses his peace of mind. He comes here every day, thinking about how to get treasures from the bottom of the cursed green puddle. After taking measurements, Thompson establishes that the size of the cenote is 60 meters in diameter, 20 meters in height from the edge to the surface of the water and 10 meters in depth. But the main failure is that the bottom of the cenote over thousands of years was covered with a multi-meter layer of bottom silt.

For several months, the US consul has been throwing stones, his daughter's children's dolls and just wooden sticks into the well, trying to imagine how the ancient Mayans sacrificed various kinds of gifts, including people, to the god Chuck. At the same time, from the USA to Mexico on a ship, Thompson is being transported a miracle of American engineering from 1904 - a manual dredge, the great-grandmother of the modern excavator.

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Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The monster of American industrialization is placed on the edge of the well, and the work begins.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

The car is driven by four people. Thompson, with his sleeves rolled up, works together with his assistants - descendants of the Mayan Indians. " I doubt that anyone else can also feel the thrill that I felt as I watched four of my assistants struggle to hold the handle and brake of the dredge winch, the steel jaws of which first swung smoothly, moving away from the edge of the platform, and hanging briefly a moment in the air above the dark pit, quickly slid down, entering the quiet, black waters of the well, and then continued to sink to the bottom to complete their mission. After a few minutes of waiting, which were necessary for the machine to bite into the bottom silt with sharp teeth, under the dark brown tanned skin with enthusiasm our strong muscles began to play like mercury and stretch like steel cables, being in tension from a new unknown load emerging from the depths of the cenote" Thompson recalled in his memoirs.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

This “miracle of engineering” is now in the Chich'en Itza Museum.

As time went. Tons of bottom soil spilled onto the limestone shore of the cenot, and sometimes the remains of ceramics and animal bones were found. But treasures and any other evidence of sacred rituals have not yet been found. Thompson was in a bad mood, worried that he might not be able to find anything before the rainy season.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

To speed up the work and not have to raise the bucket to full height each time, Thompson himself goes down on a mini-raft and processes the material first while floating.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

And then it builds from soil extracted from the bottom small peninsula, on which all further research is carried out.

Source: Peabody Museum, Harvard University

And finally, the first discovery - petrified pieces of "copal", which, when thrown into the fire, emit incense. " Like a ray of sunshine breaking through a thick fog, the words of the old sage of Ebtun came back to life in my memory: “In the old days, our fathers burned sacred resin... and with the help of the fragrant smoke their prayers were raised to God..." - Edward feels that he is already close to his goal, builds a raft that accommodates him and two assistants and directs the teeth of his infernal machine directly to the very place where he found aromatic resin a week before. The very first sample brings a whole pile of jade and gold jewelry, ceramics, bones and skulls of people sacrificed. The consul-archaeologist triumphs. This is a real success!

Realizing that a dredge in archeology can only serve at the initial stage of research, Eduard decides to change the tactics of extracting treasures from the bottom of the cenote. He orders diving suits from Europe and hires two professional divers from Greece as assistants. Being a brave and fearless adventurer, Eduard himself puts on a diver's suit and dives almost every day. Due to pressure changes, he becomes deaf in one ear, but this does not stop him.

Over seven years of work from 1904 to 1911, Thompson retrieved more than a thousand different objects from the bottom of the Sacred Cenote: jade masks, knives, golden bells, two carved thrones of the city’s rulers and other jewelry. He secretly transports all this to the United States, where he deposits it in the Harvard Peabody University Museum. The Mexican government estimates the cost of damage at one and a half million dollars at 1926 exchange rates. Can you imagine how much this collection would cost now!? The United States is forced to return valuables to Mexico. Thompson was acquitted, but in fact, only very significant things were returned to Mexico, such as, for example, the jade mask of the ancient ruler of the city Chich'en Itza. Most of the objects are still in Harvard.

Finding the remains of people from the Cenote Sagrado, Thompson realizes with horror that the beautiful legend that virgins were thrown into the well, which he believed in since childhood, does not stand up to criticism. 80% of the remains of victims recovered from the well are children and adolescents aged 9 to 14 years!

Most likely, these were victims not of the Mayan cult, but of the Toltec cult, a barbarian tribe that assimilated with the Mayans during the decline of their civilization. Over the course of his work, Thompson finds about a hundred remains of young people sacrificed.

Although Thompson was acquitted by a Mexican court, in his later years he became an outcast among young archaeologists who, perhaps out of envy, criticized his methods and accused him of smuggling archaeological relics. It is interesting that throughout his life Thompson did not appropriate anything from what he found in the well. He was a patriot of his country and donated everything he found to the Harvard Peabody University Museum.

For 42 years he did what he loved. Despite the illnesses that the harsh life in the jungle brought him, Edward Thompson, as in his young years, was ready at any time to go on a risky expedition.

In the 20s, Thompson's hacienda was destroyed by revolutionaries, supporters of the oppositionist La Huerta. The plantation was looted and burned. Thompson cannot pay taxes on his lands in Chich'en Itza. The lands are bought by the Carnegie Institute, and Thompson returns with his family back to the USA forever

1932 On long winter evenings in New Jersey, Edward, Henrietta and their daughter Tia could spend hours remembering their youth and the time spent in Chich'en Itza. Two years later, Edward would pass away and he would go to explore the nine levels of the world of Xibalba, that world at the entrance to which he worked for most of his conscious life. He came into this world as Gringo, and left it as Maya. When he crossed the worlds, he walked together with the Divine Twins Hun-Aphu and Xbalanque, and all three held hands...

That's what he was - an adventurer, a dreamer, a consul and a scientist - archaeologist Edward Thompson. Interesting life, is not it?

2. Pragmatists

For fifty years, after Thompson ended his work, no one tried to explore the Sacred Cenote. Only in 1961 did archaeologists from Mexico and the USA again pay attention to the well. This time, a completely different technique was used to study the cenote.

This is how the Russian writer Gulyaev writes about this expedition: “.. in 1961, preparations for the Mexican expedition to Chich'en Itza were completed. It included archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, led by Dr. Eusebio Dabalos Hurtado, scuba divers from the Mexican water sports club and underwater technology specialists from USA It was decided that for research in the cenote, an original dredge would be used, which was successfully used during work in the sunken city of Port Royal in Jamaica. The dredge was a ten-inch pipe (25 cm), through which water and compressed air are sucked up. silt and small objects lying at the bottom. A large wooden raft mounted on steel barrels was lowered into the well. A dredger pipe was brought up through a hole in the center of the raft. A wire mesh was pulled around its base, which was supposed to catch all the objects thrown out by the dredger along with the water. and dirt..."Gulyaev forgot to mention William Folan - American specialist, who actually organized this enterprise, but these are already details. The scuba divers on this expedition worked blind. Visibility at the bottom of the sennot was zero. They had to feel for objects at the bottom by putting their hands up to their elbows in the mud.

Nevertheless, this expedition was quite successful. Over the course of four months, thousands of ancient artifacts were recovered from the bottom of the well, including " ..the most interesting finds: a wooden doll wrapped in scraps of old fabric, rubber figurines of people and animals, wooden “earrings” with mosaic inserts and a beautiful bone knife, the handle of which was decorated with carefully carved hieroglyphs and wrapped in gold foil"For the first time, scientists have made the first rough map of the bottom of the "Sacred Cenote."

Although the 1960 expedition brought many important discoveries, everyone understood perfectly well that the Sacred Cenote shared only a small part of its “storage”. In 1967, Mexican archaeologist Pinya Chan undertook another expedition to explore Senote Sacrado. First, he decided to drain the well and this plan failed - the water level dropped only four meters. He then decided to clarify the cenote's water by using chemicals that are used to keep the water clean in private villa pools in Mexico and the United States. This plan was a success. The water became absolutely clear. Chan's expedition also managed to discover a wide variety of objects: ".. two beautifully carved wooden thrones, several wooden buckets, about a hundred clay jugs and bowls of different sizes, shapes and eras, pieces of fabric, gold jewelry, items made of jade, rock crystal, bone, mother-of-pearl; amber, copper and onyx, as well as human and animal bones".

After this, no one seriously explored the Sacred Cenote. Although, there is one enthusiast and his name is Guilermo de Anda. Guillermo, an archaeological diver, found, as recently as 2011, six human skeletons and jade artifacts in a cave offshoot of the Sacred Cenote.

3. Ik-Kil

Not all cenotes in Mexico are so scary, dark and dirty. And the descendants of the Mayans now prefer careless rich tourists jumping and splashing in cenotes throughout the Yucatan to sacrificing priests. One of these cenotes is Ik-Kil. I visited it in May 2012.

Ik Kil is a neighbor of the Sacred Cenote and is located not far from Chich'en Itza. But if Cenote Sagrado represents death, then Ik Kil is absolute to him

the opposite. This cenote is a celebration of life. Clear blue water in which fish swim, waterfalls, plants with large flowers hanging inside the well. The water level is at a depth of 26 meters from ground level. You can go down along a stone staircase carved into the wall. This is what the cenote looks like from above.

You can swim in the cenote and jump into it from platforms different heights. The height of the highest platform is 7 meters. From above it seems that it is not very high, but the flight is quite long.

This cenote hosts daredevil competitions every year, which means “tease the devil.” Participants come from all over the world and jump into the well from the very top. I don't know how they do it!

The depth of the Ik Kil cenote is 40 meters. Few people have reached the bottom of this well, although divers come here every year to try their hand.

This is me, falling into the water from that same high platform. There were very few people who jumped.

Well, that's all I had to tell you. If the world does not end on Friday, I will go again to Mexico and try to explore other Cenotes and underwater rivers of the Yucatan Peninsula, about which I will definitely write a separate post.

If you are going to Mexico, you are unlikely to miss Yucatan Peninsula, or maybe limit yourself to just that. A tourist Mecca, whatever you say.

There is no end to the attractions of Yucatan: gorgeous beaches Caribbean Sea, ancient Mayan pyramids, natural parks, vibrant colonial towns, islands and much more. Not the least of them is cenotes. Before arriving in Mexico, I didn’t even know they existed. What is a cenote?

Cenote- This is a kind of well formed as a result of the collapse of the cave arch. At the bottom of the well, as expected, there is water - most often, this is an underground river flowing at the site of the collapse. A unique phenomenon, it should be noted. It is not found anywhere else except in Mexico.

At one time, the Mayans found a use for cenotes: they used them either to obtain water, because the water in them is fresh, or for sacrifices. Why not? They called the cenotes nothing more than “gates to the kingdom of the dead.”

There are several cenotes scattered throughout the Yucatan, some of which Andryusiks and I personally visited. We will talk about them.

Cenote Sagrado de Chichen Itza aka Sacred Cenote (Cenote Sagrado de Chichen Itza)

Cenote Sagrado is located on the territory of the Chichen Itza complex, slightly away from the main attractions. This was the first cenote we saw. Although no, I’m lying - the second one. The first was Xtoloc, in the same place, in Chichen Itza, but it turned out to be so overgrown with trees and bushes, and also fenced off, that it was not possible to really see anything, much less photograph it.

After the beautiful pictures of cenotes with clear blue water, which all tourist brochures are full of, the Sacred Cenote was a little surprising, because it turned out to be dirty and with muddy green water. I think you have already guessed that no one bathes in it, and it is fenced on all sides, like everything else in Chichen Itza.

In general, nothing special. Although, I already understand this now when there is something to compare it with, but then I liked the cenote because it was the first time we had seen such a thing.

How to get to the Sacred Cenote

Prices and technical information

• What is the price admission ticket: entrance ticket to Chichen Itza, on whose territory the cenote is located, costs 204 pesos (59 pesos - entrance to the archaeological zone + 145 pesos - tax for visiting the ruins)
• Operating mode: from 8:00 to 17:00
• Cenote depth: unknown
• 5-10 minutes

Cenote Ik kil

It is logical to combine a tour of this cenote with a visit to Chichen Itza. We went there after visiting the pyramids. Unfortunately, they forgot to take their swimwear, so they just walked around, took off their clothes, and left.

The cenote is very, very nice; it’s not for nothing that it appears on postcards with the best attractions of the state of Yucatan.

Ik Kil is an open cenote, as is the Sacred Cenote. What does it mean? This means that the once vaults of the cave completely collapsed and the cenote really began to look like a well. It is bright inside due to the penetrating sunlight.

The water in the cenote is a beautiful emerald color, many fish swim in it, which are not at all afraid of swimmers, and, it seems, do not pay attention to them at all. The picture is complemented by picturesque hanging tree roots.

Those who wish can dive from the steps, in any case, brave souls have done it, and I didn’t notice any prohibiting signs (the depth allows).

There were quite a lot of people in this cenote, apparently due to its proximity to the pyramids and the opportunity to combine two attractions. Tourists are brought here by busloads, it’s good that not everyone is swimming yet. In addition, Ik-Kil is located on the territory of the hotel of the same name, which also does not contribute to desertion.

All amenities are available on site: toilets, changing rooms. Before visiting, you must take a shower (mandatory). There is a market with souvenirs and clothes.

How to get to Cenote Ik-Kil

From Chichen Itza to the Ik-Kil cenote we took a minibus (colectivo) for 20 pesos for two. The drive was about five minutes or less; the driver brought us right to the entrance.

We also took a colectivo from Ik-Kil to Valladolid, paying 25 pesos each.

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: for adults 70 pesos, for children 35 pesos
• Operating mode: open from 9:00 to 17:00
• Cenote depth: 50 meters
• How long does it take for an inspection: 15-20 minutes if not swimming

Cenote Zaci

It is located in the center of Valladolid, so if you are in this town, do not pass by.

The day before we decided to go on reconnaissance, but we arrived after closing, so, naturally, no one wanted to let us in. However, after a short conversation with the guard and another amigo, they allowed us to look at the cenote from above. Having seen it, we decided that we would not swim in it, since it seemed a bit dirty (there were a lot of leaves floating), but we agreed that we would stop by another day to take photographs.

They arrived early in the morning, bought one ticket and sent Andryusiks to create masterpieces, and they left me on top.

Cenote Sasi, by the way, is quite nice. It is large and there are many stairs inside; you can practically walk around it at the bottom.

How to get to Cenote Sasi

From Central Park Francisco Cotona needs to go to east direction By main street Cancun-Valladolid. The cenote is located between 36th and 34th streets.

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: 25 pesos
• Operating mode: from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Cenote depth: 65 meters
• How long does it take for an inspection: 15-20 minutes

Cenote Dzitnup

Six kilometers northwest of Valladolid, there are three cenotes, to which we devoted a separate trip. The first was Cenote Dzitnup - one of the most famous in all of Yucatan.

When we went there, we expected to meet a crowd of frolicking tourists, so we were very surprised that at ten in the morning we were the only visitors. Later, two couples came, two girlfriends and that was it.

Cenote Dzitnup is significantly different from the previous ones, as it is closed. Light penetrates into it only through a single small hole in the vault. This entails other features: the presence of entire flocks of bats, twilight (despite artificial lighting) and an enveloping atmosphere of mystery.

The cenote is really beautiful! Dzitnup is crystal clear water of unreal color, filled with fish that will happily keep you company. By the way, in addition to black fish, there are very small gray-brown fish that will also not mind getting to know you. If you sit down with your feet in the water and freeze for even a moment, you will receive a full-fledged fish massage, for which in Thailand, for example, they charge money.

But you won’t be able to dive here, since the slopes are gentle and the likelihood of hitting your forehead on a rock is very high.

Andryusiks and I swam a lot in Dzitnupa. Although the water is cool, it does not cause any unpleasant sensations, especially when you get used to it a little. For those who are not good swimmers or want to take a breather, there are ropes stretched in the water, although you cannot grab them with your hands, you can only balance like a tightrope walker.

Yes, by the way, we had to change clothes in the toilet, since we didn’t notice any special rooms. But we noticed a large market, but it was not working, perhaps it only comes to life on weekends.

By the way, it has another name Cenote Xkeken. So know, you'll see this name - it's Cenote Dzitnup.

How to get to Cenote Dzitnup

Minivans depart from the Hotel Maria Guadalupe to Cenote Dzitnup. The fare is 25 pesos.

You can take a taxi, the distance is short, and there is a chance that the price will be reasonable.

We chose the ideal option for ourselves - we used bicycles rented at the hostel de Fraile, where we rented a room. For bisicletas we paid 80 pesos for the whole day.

As I wrote above, from Valladolid to Dzitnup - 6 kilometers, which we, very slowly, covered in an hour. In general, the drive is about 30 minutes, no more.

You need to go first west along the Valladolid-Cancun road (we took the path), and then north along the Valladolid-Merida highway until the Cenote Dzitnup sign. You definitely won’t be able to drive straight ahead past the entrance to the cenotes.

We left the bicycles at the entrance, bought tickets and proceeded to Dzitnup.

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: 59 pesos
• How much does video shooting cost: 30 pesos
• How much does it cost to rent a mask and life jacket: 20 pesos each
• Operating mode: from 8:00 to 17:00
• Cenote depth: 20 meters
• How long does it take for an inspection: we spent 2 hours (including swimming)

Cenote Samula

I thought that after Jitnup this cenote would not be impressive at all, but, fortunately, I was wrong. He is also very beautiful and effective.

Samula is also a closed cenote, but it is larger and brighter than the previous one, although this does not diminish the atmosphere of mystery. Bats, fearless fish and fish massage are available. Once again I was struck by the color of the water. She really is like in the pictures, no special Photoshop effects. Apparently, it has a very high mineral content, which gives it such a shade.

Diving from the parapets is prohibited here, as warned by “no diving” signs, and there is a sign in the water stating that you cannot swim further than the rope stretched next to it - it is dangerous. Perhaps the vault is crumbling, perhaps something else.

At the entrance, Andryusiks took a mask and tried to dive, but said that he did not see anything interesting. The water is so clear that everything is clearly visible, but where the bottom is dark, you can’t see anything, even if you dive. This is such a vicious circle.

We met even fewer people than in Dzitnupa, and even those stopped by only for a short time.

There are changing rooms near the entrance.

This cenote also did not leave us indifferent. Perhaps, when you come here, you want to choose one of the two, not wanting, for example, to pay 59 pesos for each cenote. But I would recommend visiting both: they are both similar and different at the same time, each has something of its own, and where else can you find such beauty.

How to get to Cenote Samul

It is located within walking distance from Cenote Jitnup, so the methods of getting there are identical.

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: 59 pesos
• How much does video shooting cost: 30 pesos
• How much does it cost to rent a mask: 20 pesos
• Operating mode: from 8:00 to 17:00
• Cenote depth: 3 meters where the bottom is visible and 12 meters where it is not visible
• How long does it take for an inspection: we stayed there for 1 hour, only Andrey swam and not as long as in Dzitnupa
• Recommendations: take water with you, a liter of water in the shop on site costs 30 pesos

Cenote Saamal

A cenote that miraculously made it onto our list. It was not marked on our map, it was not on our visit plan, but, nevertheless, it was included in it.

Even in the morning, on the way to Dzitnup, pulling onto the road from the Valladolid-Merida highway, Andryusiks saw a cenote behind the fence. Somehow we did not attach any importance to it, because we were in a hurry to get to the other two, well-known ones.

On the way back, completely forgetting about what happened in the morning, we had already driven past, but by the will of fate we turned around and went to look at this cenote, whose name is Saamal. If it weren’t for the advertising poster of a nearby restaurant, on which they decided to mention the cenote, we would never have gotten to know it.

Having added 2+2, we realized that we were rare guests, since we did not see a single visitor, including in the restaurant.

A little later, when we had already walked around the top of the cenote, a friend ran out to meet us and allowed us to go down for free, since we were not going to swim.

Saamal is an open, large, bright cenote with emerald water. Among the features are the presence of a small waterfall and the opportunity to float on the water in a boat. You can also dive from the bridge.

Quite a nice cenote worthy of attention, it's good that we came here.

How to get to Cenote Saamal

The cenote is located at the turnoff from the Valladolid-Merida highway to Cenote Dzitnup. Look for a sign on the gate advertising the Selva Maya restaurant, it will also say about Cenote Saamal.

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: You can take photos for free, if you are going to swim, you will have to pay 50 pesos
• Operating mode: unknown
• Depth: 72 meters
• How long does it take for an inspection: 15 minutes

Grand Cenote or Grand Cenote (Gran Cenote/Grand Cenote)

Having said goodbye to the cenotes of Valladolid, we went to Cancun, then to Playa del Carmen, and after that we ended up in Tulum, in the vicinity of which there are also cenotes.

Perhaps the most famous among them is the Grand Cenote. Since the choice is small, most tourists come here. It is interesting because it is a system of caves in which you can swim, dive and even go diving.

We reached the entrance to the cenote, but never crossed the threshold, because visiting it seemed like an expensive pleasure. After weighing all the pros and cons, taking into account the fact that we had already seen many cenotes, we decided to bypass the Grand Cenote. If you only have the opportunity to visit the Riviera Maya, I think it's worth checking out.

How to get to the Grand Cenote

To get to the Grand Cenote, you need to take highway 109 towards Valladolid. You can do this by bicycle or by taxi. By bike from the city it takes 20-25 minutes along the highway. Renting a two-wheeled friend costs an average of 80 pesos per day. A one-way taxi will cost from 50 to 100 pesos (as agreed).

Prices and technical information

• How much is admission: entrance costs 120 pesos per person (just to swim), diving equipment - plus 80 pesos, if you are going to go diving in a cenote - pay 150 pesos.
• Operating mode: from 8:00 to 17:00
• Depth: about 8 meters

How long does it take for an inspection: unknown

Cenotes- This is one of the most famous attractions in Mexico.
Underground caves filled with the purest water, attract tourists and divers from all over the world.
If you are going to relax in Mexico, be sure to book an excursion to one of
numerous cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula. In this article we will find out what this name means,
how these caves appeared, we will make a virtual immersion in the most popular cenotes available to tourists.

Cenotes are natural wells or small lakes that were formed when a vault collapsed
limestone cave in which flows The groundwater. The Mayan Indians used cenotes
for sacrifices and a source of water. Judging by the photo, the cenotes are near their surface
don't seem like anything interesting. An ordinary well, only deep and level.
But live it causes extraordinary delight. It becomes clear
why the Mayans called them “mouths” or “eyes”.
Cenotes are a kind of gateway to the underwater cave river system and a huge system 350 km away.

Most of Mexico's cenotes are located on the Yucatan Peninsula. While plunging into the water you can contemplate
extraordinary paintings hidden from the average passerby. For example, these are the wonderful rays of the sun,
deep-penetrating caves, as well as unusual formations. Visitors are treated to an incredible view
both above the water and inside. Bright fish, unusual birds, unique water and many colors
create incredible sensations.

What does the name mean?

The word cenote itself is very similar to Spanish, from the Yucatan Mayan language it means something deep and
pronounced "tsnot". That's what the Indians called the underground water complexes in the caves.
And these are lakes, wells, rivers, etc. These special formations even made it possible to have access to sea ​​water.
These waters were considered sacred, and local residents They called them “the gateway to the kingdom of the dead.”

How were cenotes formed?

Geographical location Yucatan is located on a special piece of land,
where the soil is mainly composed of limestone. There are practically no bodies of water in Yucatan.
The lakes are mostly swamped, they cannot be used, and there are simply no rivers.
Therefore, the ancient Indians showed resourcefulness. Due to lack fresh water,
they used sacred cenotes and were not threatened by thirst.
The history of the emergence of cenotes goes back to a very distant past, when there were no Mayan tribes.
Namely, 250 million years ago the Yucatan Peninsula did not exist. It was completely flooded.
And when the water level dropped, one could see a plateau that consisted of soft limestone.
The soil was easily damaged by external influences. Due to hurricanes and heavy tropical rains themselves
cavities or cavities formed. Nature itself made the cenotes accessible.
The ceilings of the caves collapsed and the springs that are known today were formed.
Science is trying to answer the question of how it happened that the holes for the wells have
perfectly round shape. Most often they say that when there is a sharp decrease in water in a flooded cave,
its arch fell inward, which explains the formation of such amazing wells.

Diving in cenotes is very popular.
The most important reason for the popularity of diving in Yucatan is the uniqueness of the local cenotes.
Cave diving here is impressive due to the enormous duration of the underwater caves.
For example, Dos Ojos has a length of over 213 kilometers. This cenote has become famous in many ways
thanks to the film “Journey to Amazing Caves”. Moreover, it is impossible to overestimate
those beauties that can be contemplated inside the cenote. Amazing stalactids and
stalagmites create a fabulous atmosphere, magnificently shimmering sun rays
delight the spirit even more. In the caves you can swim under the roots of the tropical forest.
Also in the cenotes you can see the amazing phenomenon of the halocline, where the water seems to peel away.
But to enjoy all this beauty you need to fulfill an important requirement -
obtain an Open Water certificate. The water temperature is also attractive to these places - 24-25 degrees in
any time of the year. Even a beginner will feel easy and safe, because the places have already been mastered for a long time.
Although the situation may seem a little scary to the diver at first, over time it becomes
incredible feeling. Of course, diving is serious business, so it is important to
think everything through carefully and plan well. Having studied the routes at home
you can choose the most interesting and exciting route.

The cenote is essentially part of an underground river system that lies deep in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Translated from the Mayan language, cenote, “zonot” literally means a hole with water. For the ancient Mayans, cenotes were sources of fresh water as well as places of worship, and burials, sacrificial objects, and human remains have been found in many cenotes.

Now the cenotes have become vacation spots for tourists and locals. The water in the cenotes is absolutely clean and transparent, and the mineral salts contained in large quantities in this water make the skin soft and silky after swimming. Typically, cenotes are equipped with stairs for descending into the water, platforms, and restrooms. Many popular cenotes also offer storage units, tables and gazebos for relaxing.

There are three types of cenotes - open, closed and semi-closed. The open ones look like lakes, the half-closed ones are partially lakes, partially closed by grottoes, the closed ones are caves filled with water. Separately, we can distinguish this type of open cenotes as wells; they are found in the state of Yucatan, which is located higher above sea level, so the water in such cenotes is at great depths - 20-30 meters from the surface of the earth.

Open Cenotes

The most famous open cenote isIk-Kil , which is a 5-minute drive from Chichen Itza. He is one of the most beautiful, but at the same time very popular. To enjoy this cenote, you need to come here as early as possible, before the influx of tourist groups that usually stop here on the way from Chichen Itza.

If you like solitude, then as an alternative you can visit a cenoteZatsi, located in the center of Valladolid. There are almost no people here, and its beauty is almost as good as Ik-Kil.

We can visit one of these cenotes of your choice during an excursion to Chichen Itza

Near archaeological zone Ek Balam is a cenoteShkanche. To get there you need 3 km along a country road. You can walk there, but it’s better to rent a bicycle or a rickshaw, which are constantly on duty waiting for tourists. There are usually almost no visitors to this cenote, which allows you to enjoy it in peace and privacy. The cenote is equipped with a bungee and diving areas. Fans of extreme sensations can descend along the wall of the cenote using a climbing rope and even jump from its very edge from a height of about 20 meters. Near the cenote there are toilets, showers and changing rooms, as well as a small restaurant where residents of the neighboring village can prepare local cuisine for lunch.

Zazil Ha. This small but very beautiful cenote is located near the road that runs between Tulum and Coba. We usually visit it during the Tulum-Coba excursion. The cenote is equipped with toilets, changing rooms, tables and gazebos. Those interested can ride a small bungee or jump from a 3-meter platform into the water. Masks and vests are also available for rent.

These three cenotes are located just off the road opposite the Barceló Maya Hotel. They are quite popular among locals, so you should avoid visiting them on Sunday. These cenotes are located in the jungle among lush vegetation, their waters are also full of life - here you can see lotuses, water lilies, fish, freshwater turtles, and sometimes even pelicans!

Semi-closed cenotes

One of the most beautiful, but at the same time the most expensive is located near Tulum. The cenote consists of 2 lakes with islands in the middle, connected by an underground gallery. In the closed part of the sonote you can see stalactites and bats. They also offer masks, vests, and storage compartments for rent.

Dos Palmas - small but very beautifulcenote located in the Mayan community of the same name. Swimming in it can be combined with a visit to the Mayan community, also locals use this cenote as the final part of the temazcal ceremony, which can be accessed by appointment as in group tour, and order individually.

Closed cenotes

Sak Aktun – a very beautiful underground river. You can only get there with a tour. All visitors are given vests, masks and a local guide who will tell you about the cave, its formations and ecosystem. Almost the entire tour takes place in the water. The cenote is located 6 km from the main road between Playa del Carmen and Tulum

Santa Cruz - another underground river, which can be entered with a local guide. A tour here is cheaper than in Sac Actun. Most of the tour takes place in the form of a walk through a half-flooded cave with swimming at the end. The cenote is located near the village of Akumal.

One of these cenotes can be visited as part of a tour, and during a separate trip.