Postcard from the Riviera Maya in Mexico: Artisans of Leisure travel specialist Aliza Sena snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of a cenote on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Thousands of these limestone sinkholes dot the Yucatan. Ancient Mayans used cenotes as water sources and considered some to be sacred places or passages to the underworld. Visitors can now enjoy swimming, snorkeling and diving among the fantastical stalactites and stalagmites inside these natural wonders.

The cenote that Aliza visited is part of the Sac Actun cave system, one of the longest underwater cave networks in the world. Continually filtered by the limestone walls, the water is clear and fresh.

Known locally as Cenote Pet Cemetery for the number of animal fossils found in the flooded caves, it offers travelers an ethereal experience among white stalactites and stalagmites, tree roots submerged in the vivid water and bats overhead. We can arrange for a private guide to take our travelers into sections of the cave where archaeologists have found shards of ancient pottery and fossils of mammoths.

Aliza noted of her private cenote excursion, “It was a beautiful and otherworldly experience.” “We had to be careful when navigating through the cave not to bump into the stalactites and stalagmites as they grow extremely slowly—they take around 100 years to grow a single inch.”

Artisans of Leisure arranges private Mexico tours that include accommodation at the top luxury resorts on the Riviera Maya, expert-led private touring of ancient Mayan ruins, the UNESCO-listed Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, snorkeling, scuba diving, golfing, private boat charters, cooking classes, shopping tours, and excursions to other famous cenotes such as Gran Cenote and Cenote Dos Ojos, also part of the Sac Actun cave system. 

Contact us to begin planning a private Mexico tour featuring the cultural and scenic highlights of the Yucatan and the Riviera Maya.