Beat the sargassum blues: why Mexican Caribbean Cenotes are a must-visit for tourists

The notable levels of sargassum on the shorelines of the Mexican Caribbean are causing an “bizarre wealth” of visitors within the cenotes, the Mayan water wells that look for to outlive the climate crisis.

“There were more individuals here within the range, within the whole cenote stop, and in all the other places. Moreover, the cenote framework, there was a parcel of plenitude (of visitors) since the ocean was in that sargassum circumstance,” said Mayan cleric Freddy Orlando Coto to EFE.

For the shaman of the Mayan refinement ceremony performed at the Dos Ojos ecotourism stop within the Riviera Maya, the distress that sightseers feel due to sargassum has driven them to look for unused choices, which is reflected in a more prominent convergence.

Researchers cautioned in February that the entry of sargassum, obtrusive green growth, had progressed by three months this season, and it is anticipated to be the foremost intense year of this wonder.

“The individual (the visitor) did not feel comfortable being in that water, since sargassum is something that has its awful smells, and individuals did not like it, they did not feel comfortable,” Coto indicated.

“And after that within the cenotes, the water is as you see it presently, that does not alter, because it is water that indeed makes you need to drink it, it is medication and could be a incredible component that has maintained our lives,” he included.

Cenotes: an obligatory stop for tourists in Mexico

For Noé Rodríguez, president of the Association of Hotels and Hostels in Valladolid, Yucatan, the cenotes are an obligatory stop for visitors to the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza.

In recent years, he mentioned, the number of tourists arriving to visit and swim in the cenotes has increased.

“Valladolid is a destination that, in addition to being cultural due to its history and architecture, offers adventure through its great nature, which includes the cenotes and its natural reserve, Punta Laguna,” detailed the business leader to EFE.

Before, visits to the cenotes were part of a long tour offered to tourists staying in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, and they only allocated a few minutes to visit them.

Now they have become places of great interest.

“In each of the cenotes, there are different concepts, in addition to services such as swimming, exquisite and authentic gastronomy, the use of bicycles, in some zip lines, and obviously also the ambiance of the essence of the Mayan community,” explained Noé Rodríguez.

An Opportunity to Encounter the Mayans

For the shaman Coto, the presence of an increasing number of tourists interested in exploring the cenotes is an opportunity to discuss Mayan culture.

“They have a wonderful experience because when they come and enter a cenote, it’s like entering the underworld. You feel connected to that place, to the water, to the earth, and it’s like a baptism that feeds your life,” he affirmed.

“The water purifies our blood, that’s why the cenotes are so sacred,” he stated.

Tourists who were previously only familiar with typical beach destinations such as Cancun, Isla Mujeres, the Riviera Maya, and Tulum, are now discovering the cenotes.

“Sometimes they haven’t experienced it before, and when they enter that sacred place, it’s like a healing experience for them because that’s how ancestral cenotes were traditionally used,” he mentioned.

Another segment that has grown around the cenotes is scuba diving.

“We see lots of people enjoying that sacred water every day, both on the surface and in the underground rivers. There are many divers, and they enjoy it even more than us,” the religious leader pointed out.

Although there is no official count, Quintana Roo tourism authorities estimate that there are more than 2,500 discovered cenotes in the state and around 7,000 in Yucatan. However, only a few have tourist facilities and are open to the public.