Cenotes are sinkholes, underwater rivers, caves or caverns. The Mayas called them ‘dzonot’, which the conquering Spaniards translated as ‘Cenote’. They were the sacred places of the Mayas because they represented the entrance to the underworld, also they used the cenotes for water irrigation, drinking and in religious ceremonies. The Yucatan Peninsula was long time ago under the ocean and the area’s limestone foundation is fossilized ocean floor and coral beds. There are different types of cenotes, completely underground, Semi-underground and Open cenotes. On this zone, there are not ground rivers. All of the ground water sinks through the porous limestone and goes to the sea in underground rivers. The limestone weakened and collapsed, leaving holes filled with water. It is estimated that there are more than 6000 cenotes in Mexico.
The photos are from different Cenotes in the Riviera Maya and Yucatan. Escape from your hotel and visit Cenote Cristalino, Cenote Azul, Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Jardín del Eden, Río Secreto, Xcacelito, Ruta de los Cenotes, Casa Cenote, Kantun Chi, Hidden Worlds, Chac Mool, Cenote X’Keken, Cenote Samula, Gran Cenote, Xbatún, Cenote San Ignacio, etc.
More photos in our facebook gallery: Cenotes in the Riviera Maya
