Underground Swimming Pool – Cenotes

Of note Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is home to thousands of cenotes. The natural pools are created when the roof of a cave collapses, and the cavern fills with rain and water from underground rivers. -tripsavvy.com

You read it first in this week’s The Factory in Guide magazine.

As a kid, swimming was always so much fun! And the more friends we had with us the better! Some of us have had the privilege to swim in hotel swimming pools, inside and outside. Some have swum in ponds, rivers and even oceans.  But have you ever swum in cenotes? 

The word cenote is Spanish, but the word comes from Mayan origin meaning sacred well. Cenotes are actually underground caverns of limestone that fill with water from rivers and rain. Over time their ceilings will collapse forming natural swimming pools in the sinkholes created. The Mayans would get their fresh water from these pools and would build their communities closeby. 

There are some beautiful ones in Mexico located in the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya and Quintana Roo areas. If you ever travel to these places, be sure to check out the most reputable ones for the best safety. But on a hot summer day, there is nothing better than being able to swim in a natural, outside swimming pool in the middle of the jungle! 

There are different kinds of cenotes, and because of the differences the water color can vary with beautifully brilliant shades. The oldest ones are mostly near ground level and will be totally open so it will be just like you are swimming in a pond with sky and trees above.  Some will be partly open and partly covered because not all the roof has fallen down yet, but enough light gets through to illuminate the water inside. 

Then, there are those whose walls are still very high all around, but the roof is gone leaving the walls and water exposed to the outside. Lastly, the youngest ones whose roofs are still intact could have deep blue or emerald green water. Because each one varies, some will have stairs to get to the water.

If you enjoy these unique swimming places be mindful that there are fish in some cenotes, but not all contain fish. And many have stalagmites and tree roots in the water. Some of the pools are taken care of much better than others and so make for a more enjoyable swimming experience.

Our world is full of surprises and beautiful things. It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 41:18 that says, “I [God] will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” NKJV