Senfromy — one of the key attractions of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The entire Yucatan is riddled with senfroms, there are not even dozens of them, but thousands, and thousands more are estimated fromdisclose. Only a small part of the villages has been studied and is available for visiting by guest powers.
The ancient Mayans believed that the Saints — this is the path to the underworld, where the dead and the gods of disease and death live. Road to Xibalbá — the Mayan underworld — was full of traps and dangers. Along the way, they had to cross a river filled with scorpions, then a river filled with blood, and then a river filled with pus.
Today, the underground rivers of the Saints and caves are chosen by lovers of active recreation. You can't be in Mexico and not visit Saint Frome. An enchanting underground world, a miracle of nature, filled with water and shrouded in ancient legends — Even just looking at the city from the inside means gaining an unforgettable experience. And if you add swimming along an underground river, jumping into water from the top or a tour of a cave, the emotions will last for many years.
Among the many Mexican senfroms, four are especially worth highlighting. Their visit is perfectly organized and includes not just “come, look, swim”, but also other exciting active entertainment.
Río Secreto
Located close to the Mexican resort of Playa del Carmen and the theme parks of the Xcaret group, Rio Secreto — this is a whole system of underground galleries and rivers created by nature itself. This is the longest unflooded cave system in the Yucatan. Continuous filtration of rainwater through the soil over millions of years has formed a huge number of stalactites and stalagmites here. The trees extended their roots tens of meters deep in order to reach the water of underground lagoons and rivers.
Rio Secreto was found by chance by a local farmer who was catching an iguana hidden under the rocks. Under the stones, the farmer discovered the entrance to a cave… Before opening the caves to public viewing, the system of underground galleries was carefully examined by archaeologists and speleologists.
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Today, Rio Secreto offers its visitors a variety of tours and entertainment. First, you are able to undergo a Mayan ceremony asking the gods to allow your trip to the underworld. You have the opportunity to take a short tour along the underwater river, snorkel, observing the inhabitants of underground lagoons, swim and dive, and even ride a bike. In the Hall of Peace, a natural amphitheater, you will witness an unforgettable show — games of light and sounds.
Website Río Secreto
Dos Ojos
Flooded Caves «Two Eyes» (Dos Ojos) are located in the Ejido Jacinto Pat park near Tulum, Mexico. The two villages are connected by a large cave inhabited by bats, hence the name. In the senfroms you can swim, dive into the water or go snorkeling, admiring the azure tints of water under the rays of sunlight passing through it inside the senfroms.
There are other towns nearby — Pit, Jaguar, Nicte Ha and Maya Mystery. Some of them are closed to the public. Research on senfroms began in 1987 and is still ongoing.
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Dos Ojos are part of the San Acun system — the longest known submerged cave system in the world (319 km). In addition, one of the underwater caves of Dos Ojos has a depth of 119 m — This is the deepest cave in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. This is a system of anchialine caves, when the natural penetration of sea water causes leaks in the villages.
The water temperature is 25 °C all year round, and the maximum depth of the main ports of Dos Ojos — about 10 meters. Most cave dives go to depths of 5-7 meters. The water in the villages is exceptionally pure as a result of rainwater filtering through limestone in an area where soils are almost non-existent.
Website Dos Ojos
Xenotes
Xenotes — This is an organized tour of four months from the group Xcaret. INAll senfroms differ from each other: one is located almost on the surface, the other — half-covered, and another one completely hidden in a cave. The last senfrom has a cylindrical shape, with vertical walls covered with «carpet» vegetation typical for this area.
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Senfruits offer snorkeling, stand-up kayaking and ziplining. All visitors are given life jackets.
The Xenotes tour also includes a final buffet.
Website Xenotes
Sotuta
In Yucatan, about an hour's drive from Merida, there are seven cenotes, united under the common name Sotuta or Los 7 Cenotes. The villages are located under the cover of the dense tropical flora of the Yucatan, and the park can be reached by bicycle or on foot along jungle paths. The surroundings of the senfroms are rustic, however, the senfroms themselves provide visitors with all the options for active recreation. These are perhaps the closest to the feeling of the presence of the Mayan culture, which is facilitated by the surrounding nature and the created surroundings.
Blue Butterfly — the name of the first senfrom. To get to Senfrom, you need to jump from a nine-meter platform or go down the stairs if you are not so brave. Saint from El Caracol, located nearby, is a large closed cave. There are stalactites and a variety of aquatic fauna here. In Saint Arcoiris you can go down into the water on ropes.
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After visiting the saints, tourists are offered lunch of traditional Yucatecan dishes prepared by the local chef.
Website Los 7 Cenotes
It would be a good idea to remind you that before swimming in St. Froma you should take a shower to remove traces of sunscreen or deodorant from your body. All senfroms provide criteria for this.
Cenote (cenote) — a form of karst relief, a natural failure formed when the roof of a limestone cave collapses, into which groundwater flows. Senfroms are located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and nearby Caribbean islands. In the past, they were used by the ancient Mayans as water sources and places for sacrifices.
There are more than 6,000 different senfroms on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The water of the saints is often very pure, coming from rainwater slowly percolating through the ground, and therefore contains very few suspended particles. The water temperature in almost all villages is constant — 24-25°C.
The most famous towns on the Yucatan Peninsula: Dos Ojos, Tulum; Dzibilchaltun, Yucatan state; Ik Kil, Yucatan; Gran Cenote, Tulum; Hubiku, Yucatan; Sacred Cenote, Chichen Itza; Xtacunbilxunan, Bolonchen; Cenote Azul, Playa del Carmen; Jardin Del Eden, Playa del Carmen; Choo-Ha, Koba; Zaci, Valladolid.