CAVES AND CENOTES

The first explorers who arrived in Yucatan were amazed to find an extraordinary culture focused around water, in a place with no rivers or lakes and with a lengthy dry season.

 For this reason, most of the beliefs and customs of the area's prehispanic inhabitants are concerned with rain as the basis of survival. Therefore, it was the water god who was most frequently found represented on the temples and ancient buildings.

The Maya took advantage of the cenotes and caves, naturally formed wonders created by the filtration of water through the limestone surface.

The cenotes, or underground rivers, are sources of plentiful crystalline water witch have fulfilled mess needs throughout the centuries and can be found only  in Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula an the island of Cuba.

Today at least 440 cenotes have been located among the approximately four thousand that are believed to exist in the State of Yucatan.

These unique places are now included in the ever increasing number of tourist attractions of the area, both for the archaeological value they offer, as in the cases of Chichen Itza and Dzibilchaltun, and for the exquisite natural beauty they possess, as found at the Dzitnup cenote near Valladolid.

Due to the existence of these historical and natural attractions, cave diving, as an  ecotourism activity, is beginning to gather momentum.

For those who enjoy this fascinating sport, a journey into the depths of the earth, traversing the fabulous watery labyrinths of Yucatan, the ideal temperature and clarity of the water offers a unique experience.