Cenotes are one of the Yucatan Peninsula's most unique features. Cenotes are cool, fresh water spots scattered throughout the green jungles and savannahs of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cenotes are created when cave ceilings collapse into the water below. They open up a deep, wondrous underground world.
Believed to have been of great significance to the Mayan people as the link between the earth and the netherworlds and often the only source of freshwater, cenotes were considered sacred. Known by the Maya as dzonot (ZO-note), the original name became translated to cenote (say-NOH-tay) by the Spanish.
Cenotes are mysterious and beautiful, not to mention a great place to cool off. For this reason, snorkeling through a cenote and cavern is one of the bucket list items while visiting the Riviera Maya. Visit our activities page to book a snorkeling or swimming trip to nearby cenotes.