Valladolid Cenotes
There’s something magical looking up from a cave with pristine turquoise blue water, & your feet in the water getting a free fish pedicure. There are 6000+ such cenotes that dot the Yucatan peninsula.
Cenotes (pronounced Say-No-Tay), derived from Mayan Dzonot or well, is a natural sinkhole on limestone rock with groundwater running beneath. They were formed by the dissolving of limestone through eons of eons of acidic rain water filtering over.
The Cenotes were sacred among the Mayans. They believed that these sinkholes were the portal to the netherworld or the Xibalba where their spirits reside after death.
A visit to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is not complete unless you add a few cenotes to your itinerary. Here are a few of the most photogenic cenotes near Valladolid:
1. Cenote Ik Kil
This cenote is not really in Valladolid, but about 40 minutes drive east from Valladolid towards Chichen Itza.
A grand cenote, it has vines reaching out from the opening all the way to the water. It is very popular among tourists since it is just minutes away from Chichen Itza. Best to try to get here early in the morning when the bus loads of tourists don’t start arriving by 10-11AM.
2. Cenote Samula
Cenote Samula and Cenote Xkeken are right next to each other in Dzitnup and are located in Valladolid itself. The cenote is open from 8:00AM – 4:30PM and there are separate tickets for both of these.
3. Cenote X’keken
Cenote X’keken feels very cozy. After a point, we were the only people there, and it felt very private. The cenote is full of small fishes that give you a fish pedicure when you set your feet in the water. General rule with all the cenotes – do no wear any lotion or perfumed products, or take a shower before stepping into the cenote so you do not poison the delicate life in the cenotes.
4. Cenote Suytun
The most instagrammed cenote ever. It’s best to get here early in the morning when the cenote just opens so you can avoid the crowds and the tour buses. However, if you cannot, you just need to have patience and wait until the crowd dissipates away.
If you’re lucky, you will also catch a show put on by local performers.
