Travelers
Guide to Yucatán
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.