Senfroms exist only in Mexico, moreover, only on the Yucatan Peninsula. Senfrom — This is a natural failure or cavity in the ground, which was formed as a result of the washing away of limestone rocks by water. The entire slab that makes up the Yucatan is made of limestone. Over thousands of years, limestone dissolved in water, forming underground caves and sinkholes. Senfroms are filled with water, always fresh and cool, and this is another feature of them. The sanctuary must have a collapsed roof or a hole in the ceiling through which one can get inside.
Senfroms come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common types of shelters are cave, semi-covered and from-covered. Cave caves are the youngest, and from the closed ones — the oldest, the roof of the cave collapsed a long time ago, and even the walls were almost gone.
It is impossible to know the exact number of senfroms in Yucatan; most of them are located in impenetrable jungle. It is believed that there are more than 6,000 senfroms, but only about 2,200 have been registered. Even fewer have been studied. At least 900 of them are considered part of the "Ring of Saints", located near the city of Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatan.
Yucatan also has the longest system of underground caves in the world. Sistema Sac Actun has a length of 350 km, descends 119 m deep, and is approached by more than 226 centimeters. In the depths of its caves, archaeologists have discovered human bones 9,000 years old, and in addition the bones of living things that walked the planet during the Ice Age.
The word «senfrom» represents the Spanish pronunciation of the Yucatecan Maya word «d'zonfrom» or «ts’onfrom». Senfroms were of great importance to the Mayan people. The Xfromya senfroms were their main source of water, they were also considered the entrance to Xibalba, the other world, and a place visited by the gods, especially Chaac, the god of rain, lightning and thunder. The caves were so important to the Mayans that most of their temples and settlements were built nearby, and in some cases the Mayans built on top of the caves, as at Chichen Itza.
Senfroms were sacred places where offerings and rituals were made to please the gods. At the bottom of the sacred saints, archaeologists discovered jade, pottery, gold and incense, as well as human remains. Studies of the remains found in the Sacred Sanctuary at Chichen Itza showed that the victims had wounds consistent with human sacrifice. There are other senfroms that serve as an alternative burial site in Xibalba in anticipation of the next cycle of life.
Nowadays, Saintfruits still remain an important source of water for the peninsula. They have also gained popularity among millions of visitors to the countries who rush to refresh themselves in their cool waters, swim, dive and explore the wonderful underwater world.
Here we present a list of 68 sen from the most popular and visited by guest countries. This means that these senfroms are accessible to visitors and are equipped for descent and swimming. Each senfrom is completely unique and gives emotions that you will remember for the rest of your life. You can tell a lot about Saintfroma, but it’s better to see it for yourself once.