Cenotes

Swimming in the Yucatan's underground rivers

The Ik Kil cenote near Chichen Itza

The Ik Kil cenote near Chichen Itza. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Cenotes are the Yucatan peninsula's signature: limestone sinkholes opening onto underground rivers, sacred to the Maya and perfect for swimming. Open cenotes like Ik Kil are sunlit; cave cenotes like Dos Ojos are otherworldly.

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