A cenote ("say-no-tay") is a flooded sinkhole, often leading into a cave. Along the Mayan Riviera in the Yucatan, south along the coastal highway from Cancun, cenotes abound, and are often commercialized for snorkelers and divers. Hidden Worlds Cenotes is a tourist park with a maze of dirt roads leading to cenotes hidden in the jungle, some of which have been used for shooting the IMAX film “Journey into Amazing Caves” and Hollywood’s “The Cave.” You can rent your equipment at the main building, which has lockers, and take a reasonably priced all-day or partial day guided tour. I only had time to snorkel through Hilario’s Well and Tak Bel Ha, but was very impressed with the flooded cave scenery, which I photographed with an underwater camera that I purchased in the dive shop. Below the water’s surface, you can see fishes, and stalagmites that formed when sea-level was considerably lower than it is today. The water is comfortably warm, even in winter, when most people visit.
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