The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico (home to the Riviera Maya) rises from a continental platform that divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. It’s basically a floating slab that doesn’t exceed 200 meters above sea level. In some places, the water has created cracks and gaps in this platform, which has resulted in one of the area’s most unique geological features: Cenotes.
There are hundreds of cenotes throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. They are a bit like sinkholes, appearing randomly in the landscape, surrounded by vegetation and filled with water that is an impressive turquoise color, in part because the entire area is connected by a series of underground rivers. They are not only a unique geological feature on the Yucatan Peninsula, but they were also important sources of water and sites of worship for the Maya. In fact, cenotes were very much a part of the Mayan culture and history; they played a significant role in their local folklore, and artifacts, cave drawings and other pieces of archeological evidence are widespread throughout the area, punctuating the importance of cenotes to the first settlers in the area.
The expansive stretch of cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula makes this a popular place for cave diving, and in places, where cenotes once existed there are now simply underground caves, many of which served as sacred sites for the Maya. Calcehtok is the site one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s largest cave features, which is made up of 30 smaller caves, many of which are likely connected to each other. Balankanché is a spacious cave with many interesting geological features, and rock paintings, rock carvings and sculptures from generations past have been found in Loltún.
