Additional Information
| Price | $81.00 |
|---|---|
| Country | Mexico |
| Departure From | All hotels at or near Playa del Carmen |
| Duration | One Day Tours |
| Duration | 4 hours + unlimited free time at the park |
| Type of Tour | Adventure Trips |
| Activities | Hiking, Snorkeling, Swimming |
| Season | Year Round |
| Tour Days | Every Day of the Week |
Details
The Tour
Enjoy a full day at this magical eco park in the heart of the Riviera Maya. Out of the many cenote parks in the Riviera Maya this is without a doubt the most impressive one! Swim in the wonderful fresh water cenotes and explore the underground cavern with its striking natural beauty. You'll be treated to an unforgettable experience while you relax and enjoy nature's wonders!
Upon arrival you will be welcomed by your guide who will take you on a 40 minute underground snorkeling adventure through caves and caverns.
Cenotes were sacred places to the ancient Maya; your guide will not only explain you about the amazing geological features of the cavern, but will also talk about the Mayan traditions and believes related to the cenotes.
After the underground snorkel tour your guide will show you the rest of the park where you can spend the day relaxing.
The park has 4 more cenotes for you to explore and to swim in, there are hammocks and beach chairs to rest on, a horse carriage will take you to the furthest cenotes and there is plenty of local flora and fauna to be witnessed. You will see orchids and bromeliads, white tail deer, spider monkeys, raccoons and a variety of birds and insects.
The restaurant serves delicious Yucatan specialties in a beautiful setting; lunch is included!
Note for customers departing from Cozumel
This tour starts from the ferry dock at Playa del Carmen. So when you´re coming from Cozumel you have to take a ferry to Playa del Carmen. This takes about 45 minutes. Please note that ferry tickets are not included in the price. We advise to purchase a one way ticket (15 USD) so you are able to choose with which company you return to Cozumel (there are 2 alternating companies between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel).
Ferries back to Cozumel run until 10 pm. You may take pleasure in spending a few hours at Playa del Carmen before heading back to the island.
Price
With transportation from Playa del Carmen:
Adults and children from 12 years old: US $ 81.00
Children up to 11 years: US $ 70.00
Included in the Tour:
- Transportation from hotels at or near Playa del Carmen
- Guided underground snorkeling tour
- Snorkel equipment
- Access to the park and its many cenotes
- Towels
- Lunch and drinking water
What to bring
Comfortable clothes, bathing suit, towel, change of clothes, hat, sun block, insect repellent, camera and pocket money (for tips and souvenirs).
Cenotes
Cenotes are surface connections to subterranean water bodies. The term cenote has also been used to describe similar karst features in other countries such as Cuba and Australia, in addition to the more generic term of sinkholes.
Cenote water is often very clear, as the water comes from rain water infiltrating slowly through the ground, and therefore contains very little suspended particulate matter. The groundwater flow rate within a cenote may be very slow at velocities ranging from 1 to 1,000 meters (3 to 3,000 ft) per year. In many cases, cenotes are areas where sections of cave roof have collapsed revealing an underlying cave system, and the water flow rates here may be much faster: up to 10 kilometers (6 mi) per day.
Cenotes around the world attract cave divers who have documented extensive flooded cave systems through them, some of which have been explored for lengths of 100 km (60 mi) or more.
Geology and hydrology
Cenotes are formed by dissolution of rock and the resulting subsurface void, which may or may not be linked to an active cave system, and the subsequent structural collapse of the rock ceiling above the void. The rock that falls into the water below will then be slowly removed by further dissolution, creating space for more collapse blocks. The rate of collapse increases during periods when the water table is below the ceiling of the void, since the rock ceiling is no longer buoyantly supported by the water in the void. Cenotes may be fully collapsed creating an open water pool, or partially collapsed with some portion of a rock overhang above the water. The stereotypical cenotes often resemble small circular ponds, measuring some tens of meters in diameter with sheer drops at the edges. Most cenotes, however, require some degree of stooping if not crawling to access the water.
In the north and north-west of the Yucatan Peninsula, the cenotes generally overlie vertically extensive voids penetrating 50 to 100 m (160 to 330 ft) below the modern water table. However, very few of these cenotes appear to be connected with horizontally extensive underground river systems, with water flow through them being more likely dominated by aquifer matrix and fracture flows. In contrast, the cenotes along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (within the state of Quintana Roo) often provide access to extensive underwater cave systems, such as Ox Bel Ha, Sac Actun/Nohoch Nah Chich and Dos Ojos.
The Yucatan Peninsula contains a vast coastal aquifer system, which is typically density-stratified. The infiltrating meteoric water (i.e., rainwater) floats on top of higher density saline water intruding from the coastal margins.
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