The land of the entire Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is riddled with cavities and caves. The ancient Mayans believed that caves, like the saints — it is the entrance to the underworld of Xibalbá, where the dead and the gods of disease and death live. The Maya were fond of caves, performed their rituals in them and rarely used them as shelters.
The modern caves of Yucatan are loved by lovers of adventure tourism. There is entertainment for every taste, from underground light and sound shows to underground mountaineering.
From six of the Yucatan's most famous caves, they are all fairly easy to reach.
Calcehtok
Perhaps these are the most famous caves in Yucatan. They are located in Maxcanú, 60 minutes south of Merida. It offers a variety of activities, from hiking to crawling and rock climbing. The length of the caves is quite large, and you can spend the whole day in them.
These are not dry caves, the ground is wet, so it is recommended to take a change of clothes.
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Xtacumbilxuna’an
These caves are located in the ejido (village) Bolonchén de Rejón in the municipality of Hopelchén, 110 km from the state capital of Campeche. The name of the caves translates as “hidden woman”, and many believe that her image is imprinted on the wall of one of the caves. Main attraction — An underground light and sound show that allows you to admire the various rock formations of the caves.
Nearby are the ruins of an ancient Mayan city, which, like many other archaeological sites in Yucatan, remained in oblivion until the end of the 19th century, until archaeologists came here and discovered the caves.
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Tzabnah
The Tsabna Caves are located in the municipality of Tecoh, Yucatan state, just 45 minutes drive from Merida. There are walking tours in the caves. Be careful, the ceilings of the caves are very low!
Inside one of the caves there is a beautiful cave, surrounded by rocky walls and strange formations that come down from the ceiling or rise from the ground. On the way to the cave, visitors pass deep chasms. There are a total of 13 underground towers of different sizes. The twisted paths that lead to them turn the cave into a fascinating labyrinth.
One of the most impressive sights of the cave walk is the geological formation known as the "Cathedral Dome" due to its resemblance to the Merida Cathedral.
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Loltún
The Loltun Caves are located in the municipality of Oxkutzcab and are part of the Puuc hiking route, which connects several archaeological zones. These are caves for the especially impressionable. Each has its own name and its own decorations in the form of geological formations. Walking through the caves, visitors admire the rock paintings and the play of light penetrating through the narrow openings in the ceilings of the caves.
Loltun — The largest and most extensive system of caves in Yucatan, and the length of the travel route exceeds a kilometer underground. In different rooms, galleries and niches — about 60 m underground — There are a variety of archaeological exhibits, ceramics, stone artifacts and petroglyphs corresponding to the Mayan culture at different stages of its development. There are even barricades built here by the Mayan rebels who took refuge in several caves during the so-called Caste War.
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Tekax
Tekash — «crystal» caves. The caves attract fans of extreme underground entertainment from all over the world. You must go underground, reach a certain place, then crawl to get into a cave filled with giant crystals. The entire route takes 4-6 hours underground.
The first few meters are easy, but later you will have to crawl 200 meters on your hands and knees. It makes up for that! Along the way, you have the opportunity to admire the fossil remains of creatures that once lived at the bottom of the sea. The reward at the end of the road — see «waterfalls» minerals that shine from the touch of light from lamps. Large formations of stalactites and stalagmites make the spectacle simply stunning.
The caves are located in the municipality of the same name, Yucatan state.
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Kantun Chí
Kantung-Chi — part of an ecological reserve in the Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo. The name Kantun-Chi translates as «yellow stone pfrom». The park is full of tropical gardens with many spider monkeys, rare birds, enfroms, deer and reptiles. But the main attraction — of course, caves with incredible beauty.
The eco-park offers a visit to four saints, strikingly different from each other, and an underground route past incredible landscapes and pools of crystal clear water. During the approximately 50-minute journey between stalactites, stalagmites, through narrow passages and under high arches, guides talk about how this system of underground rivers was formed on the Yucatan Peninsula, about the great discoveries made by explorers here, and about the relationship between caves and Mayan religious life.
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