Yucatan Peninsula: land of cenotes and subway rivers
Did you know that the YUCATAN PENINSULA has more than 7 THOUSAND CENOTES and CAVERNAS that are connected to each other by SUBTERRANEAN RIVERS?
Over millions of years, the FILTRATION of water advanced the erosion of the LIMESTONE SOIL of the region leaving it full of holes and caverns (like a gruyere cheese) and resulting in one of the most spectacular and interesting NATURAL PHENOMENA, the cenotes are unique formations that only exist in the Yucatan Peninsula!
Cenote Jardín del Edén.
The Yucatan Peninsula and the beginning of Cenotes
The Yucatan Peninsula, as we know it today, and the beginning of the cenotes are the result of the collision of a meteorite approximately 66 million years ago in the Gulf of Mexico and the northern part of the peninsula.
The impact was so great (equivalent to the energy released by 100 atomic bombs) and the temperature of the meteorite so high that it generated mega tsunamis, earthquakes, fires and a cloud of dust and ashes that covered the sky for several years generating a greenhouse effect and causing the destruction of 75 percent of life on the planet, among them, the dinosaurs.
The collision propelled rocks and sediments from the subsoil and the sea to the surface. The impact generated so much heat that all these materials melted and mixed together, forming a flat layer of limestone approximately 120 meters deep and giving life to what we know today as the Yucatan Peninsula.
The evidence of this event is what is known today as the Chicxulub crater. It is found under 600 meters of sediments, in the depths of the sea and the jungle. Research by the group of geologists who discovered the crater in 1978 indicates that the formation of the first cenotes and subway rivers of the Yucatan Peninsula are related to the impact of this meteorite. Along its outer ring, water and air basins were created, forming the first network of subway caverns, known today as the “Cenotes Ring”.
El anillo de cenotes de la Península de Yucatán.
The cenotes, subway rivers and the beaches of the Riviera Maya
The Yucatan Peninsula is flat and hides large cavern systems in its subsoil. The entire region is connected by subway rivers, most of them have not been mapped due to their difficult access, but there are explored sections where diving is possible, such as the cavern systems of Dos Ojos, Sac Actum and Ox Bel Ha. These systems have more than 300 km of caves; it is estimated that the entire Yucatan Peninsula has thousands of kilometers of these formations that constitute the largest system of subway rivers and tunnels in the world. Thanks to their smooth nature (the highest points of the Peninsula are only 30m above sea level), the water runs unobstructed for great distances between caverns, crossing the entire peninsula until it flows into the Caribbean Sea.
The cenotes are natural water reservoirs formed by the erosion, advanced over millions of years, of the limestone subsoil. They are pools in the jungle, caves or caverns flooded and connected by large subway river systems fed by rainwater and the entrance of the sea to underwater tunnels. It is important to know that Cenotes only exist in the Yucatan Peninsula, because here the limestone is close to the surface, is very porous and has a great thickness; in other places on the planet there are caverns that are miles deep, but are unreachable. The cenotes of the Riviera Maya have crystalline waters and are easily accessible.
When, after thousands of years of filtration, the walls or ceilings of a subway cavern are too thin to support themselves, a collapse occurs and with the new opening a cenote is born.
Like the Cenotes, the beaches of the Riviera Maya are unique because they are the result of the erosion of the limestone that has been carried, over millions of years, towards the coast, through the subway rivers that flow there. That is to say, the sand of the beaches of the Riviera Maya is powdered limestone, which contains no minerals, which is why when the sun heats it, it does not burn your feet. The sand of other beaches contains silicon and that is why it boils. Have you ever noticed that the sand of the Riviera Maya never burns?
The Cenotes we like the most
There are different types of Cenotes, the open-air cenotes that are pools of water with constant movement through subway channels; the semi-open caverns; the closed caverns that can only be reached through subway rivers; the cylindrical Cenotes with huge walls; and the lagoons.
When traveling in the Yucatan Peninsula be sure to visit these Cenotes:
Caves or Caverns
This type of Cenote is closed at the top and has a small opening that allows you to enter through the jungle and in other cases through subway rivers. Depending on the size of the cave there are sections where you can swim or float quietly, without the need to submerge, and there are others where the water is 4 or 5 meters deep. In some caves it is possible to walk both in and out of the water; in all of them there are unique rock formations, millions of years old: stalactites and stalagmites. Each cave is unique, but all are beautiful and a great adventure.ntura.
Cenote Taak Bi Ha.
Open Cenotes
The open air cenotes are one of our favorites, the oldest and closest to the coast, they are commonly known as “open sky cenotes”. They are pools of crystal clear water in the middle of the jungle, incredible and unique places to experience nature. These cenotes are for fun, refreshment and connection with the earth; you can dive, swim and snorkel in them. Some of them have zip lines, and in all of them you will take incredible pictures.rás fotos increíbles.
Cenote al aire libre, o abierto.
Cylindrical Cenotes and large vaults
These Cenotes are special because they are located in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the surface is about 20 to 30 meters above sea level. As all Cenotes are connected by subway rivers that flow into the sea, the water level of a cenote is always below the surface, at sea level. This generates large vaults that must be entered through small openings in the surface. When the roof of these vaults collapses, cylinder-shaped holes remain, with walls of up to 30 meters.
Cenote cilíndrico.
The cenotes are the most beautiful and impressive landscapes of the underground; connected by underground rivers, they form a network of ecosystems so complex that even today they hold secrets about the evolution of the planet and the origin of life on Earth. For the Mayans, the cenotes were sacred, representing portals to the world of the dead, the underworld. Today they are a source of water and life for the communities of the Riviera. They are also exceptional places to enjoy nature, swimming in fresh and crystal clear waters.
