Nearly anyone who visits Yucatan soon learns of a rather unique feature of the landscape called a cenote (say-NO-tay) in Spanish or dzonot in Mayan. The Yucatan Peninsula is a flat, thick shelf of limestone with thousands of miles of underground, water-filled caves interconnected by rivers. When the roof of one of these caves collapses, it produces a sinkhole or natural well, filled with fresh water. The most famous cenote is the sacred cenote at Chichen Itza, but hundreds of cenotes large and small dot the Yucatan. Some cenotes are hidden deep in the jungle and others are inside larger caves. Some have been reliable sources of drinking water for centuries, which is why many Maya villages and ancient cities are located nearby.
During a recent visit to Hacienda Chichen, we learned of a small Maya pueblo called Yokdzonot, only a few minutes drive from Chichen Itza, where a group of citizens had formed an association that has spent two years converting their abandoned cenote into a project of sustainable tourism. The video below is our report of their efforts. For more information about this project, visit Yucatan Adventure.
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Another excellent content. A new discovery (new mark in our “december’s agenda”) and a perfect mixture of curiosity, social interest and irony. A sample of love for this land. Thank you WG’s!!.
“Records” from Barcelona
Josep
I’m going! Wish I had known about this on my last trip to Chichen Itza. Maybe they can get some tour groups to stop there.
This is the type of “out of the mainstream” article I expect from your site. This will be on our trip plan on our next visit to Celestun. Good job !
Thanks a million for this lovely video! Your support to this Mayan community project spread the word for travels to visit this wonderful place. By the way, the group of residents that take care of this cenote and eco-park are planning to add picnic areas and some “palapas” with nice “hamacas” for visitors to rent, have a “siesta” and enjoy a full day there!
How wonderful! I think their business just picked up – don’t you?
Keep the mass tourists away!!
This is fabulous. Perhaps, now, visitiors to the area will see this and utilize the cenote, giving themselves a swim of a lifetime, and provide some badly needed, and earned income for the people who have developed it.
My grandchildren loved seeing Working Gringa swimming in the cenote, but they wanted to know if it had sharks or pirahnas.
They were assured that it had neither.
As always, you bring us the best of our beautiful Yucatan. When will I be able to return to my homeland for good?!
It is always such a joy to log on and read/watch your stories! Thank you, WGs for all your hard work and dedication.
THANKS - hope to have a chance to visit this january - articles like this will help us on our upcoming visit
How awesome! We go to Chichen a lot, so we will have to check it out next time we are there. Thank You !!!!
that was fabulous! thank you. when we were visiting family there we went into the cenote….another one, cant remember where, but close to Chichen..and it was glorious!…and everything you said. thanks for the reminder!
Hola Gringa,
We will be coming down in October and driving over from cancun to our place in Chixculub. Is the sign you mentioned on 180 or do we have to exit at chichen and follow the road to Yokozonot. Specific directions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your info, I love checking the web site, always something new and interesting.
Rusty
Don’t tell everyone, it won’t be secret anymore, ja ja ja.
I agree with Bob Brownie. When I went to Merida, I tried to distance myself from other U.S. citizens. While I did eat at Burger King, KFC, and shopped at WalMart, I always tried to be around the locals as much as I could. When I watch geographical programs, I feel sad that the modern world is removing many places. Help to conserve beautiful places like the Cenotes.
Hi Gringos!
beautiful,beautiful video!! the fish, are they catfish??.. edible?
Gina
Beautiful inspiring story, thank-you for sharing it.
Rusty,
When driving from Cancun or Merida on the 180 toll road, exit at the Chichen Itza off ramp and go to Piste. Turn right on the 180 Libre (free) road (if you turn left, you’re going to Chichen Itza) and head west. From that point it’s todo derecho hacia Yokdzonot, if you know what we mean.
Gina,
We asked about the fish, but nobody could tell us what kind they are. They sure look like catfish, but they are not bottom feeders, so they are probably something else. Since fish wasn’t on the menu in the palapa restaurant on the rim of the cenote, we’re guessing that either the fish aren’t very tasty, or the whole town is tired of eating them…
Thanks for the info!
Hola Again;
Great article, it is not a secret anymore I sure will go there next time I go to Yucatan. Thanks again, W.G. for re-descovering my “tierrra blanca”.
Thanks again for all you do!!!!
That was adorable…i love that i will be able to watch these little videos forever. pretty bathing suit too
We are looking for places to visit in two weeks and found this one. Thank you - MNM
We discovered this natural cenote while staying at Hacienda Chichen, we appreciate the Maya culture so much that the manager said he would take us to a special place.
Indeeed it was, all natural, as it has always been, unlike Il Kil that has been Disneyfide with added fake waterfalls and tourist shops. Here you can really relax, uncrowded. Its incredible that women worked this land to clean it up and secure it for the love of it!
This is great…I heard about it on the BBC radio last night. What a great project…hope I can get there soon!
I enjoyed the video, the dzonot or cenotes are very unique.
The narrator reminded me a lot or the NPR, which I enjoy listening on the road.
Thank you for sharing the information, hopefully, I can return to Merida and visit a beautiful cenote again.
We visited Yokdzonot Cenote last week (November 30) - there are still some finishing touches being added, I believe they are adding rappelling. The people were fantastic and the experience wonderful - we were the only people there at the time - I informed the women that we had come from “Gringolandia” and they seemed pleased. Cenotes are wonderful to experience and this one particularly so. I would highly recommend it.
I once lived here in 2003…..dated the town doctor and later married her.
This seems great for the people. But if you wanted to enjoy a natural tropical setting and being the only gringo in town, you missed the boat by about 2 years. It will never be as precious as it once was when I was there. Gone are the days when the people would invite you into their homes for a fresh meal, the teenagers would marvel at you, borrowing a child’s bike to go pick some mangos, trade the kids some mangos for guyabas, or calling from the only phone in the town store for all 800 residents. Because here comes the parade of tourists.
To enjoy true, untouched Yucatan beauty, you’ll now have to travel further west down the road by car or bus for the next few towns. Don’t be shy and turn into them….true adventure awaits.
terrific! i leave for the yucatan yet again in a few weeks (jan. 08) and this time plan to spend considerable time in and around merida, uxmal, etc. i will have ample time to stopy by yokdzonot either coming or going. i’m delighted to learn about it! thanks!
This is EXACTLY the kind of off-the-beaten-path place every true traveler longs to stumble across. Thanks for the insight–we will definitely seek this place out on our upcoming trip to Mexico.
I can tell You first hand just how lucky, honored, and privileged, that My wife and Myself had 2-years ago as We went on a jungle tour ,and got to See ,smell, swim, and just take in the incredible sense of being in a SACRED Place that has been around for thousands of years!!! I have only been visiting the Yucatan for 6 years and have 8 years left to retire if I can wait that long… I’m afraid the cenotes will become too much of an attraction, not meant to be!!! Go SEE them and keep Them to Yourself, so They remain sacred if not The truth is all the BEAUTIFUL PLACES in MEXICO that WE Americans are loving because We have commercialized every thing and place in the US that We are seeking out other places and countries, to figure out What the Mayan People- MExican-people and Our own Indians that it was Their Country that WE have ruined, which I apologize for !!!! MY point is look at DISNEYLAND !!! ALL fake to look at but People go there? WHY??? The CENOTES have to remain sacred .,,,. Look at the Beautiful TULUM Ruins , if You visit or have visited, They have been arouund for thousands of Years truly breath taking, wonderful but only in the last few years some American Idiots spray painted their names on the inside walls that They were there ,litteraly defacing history with littering etc,etc ,and lack compassion for the People of the Maya… Thank- You Tim ALWAYS RESPECT and try to give something back!!!!!!
We just returned form Chichen and I too wish we had had the privelege of visiting this Cenote- We will be returning and will visit. Congratulations on your hard work.
Your paper YL is the most infomative for me and my friends; please keep up the good work.
I have learnend so much about the Yucatan from you.
[…] These cenotes are magical places and, if you haven’t seen one, take a look at Working Gringa’s visit to The Secret Cenote at Yokdzonot. […]
We were with friends in Feb. and visited Chichen Itza. We took the free road back to Merida and while passing thru this small village saw the sign to this cenote at Yokdzonot. We were not expecting what we discovered - the cenote and the caretakers were fantastic. We did not have bathsuits with us, but that did not stop two of us from jumping in with our undershorts. One of the older Mexican ladies kept peaking and snickering while we were changing from our wet undershorts.
The water was cool and clean and some of the local boys were doing the high jump from the rim above - they said it was about 75 feet to the water below. The steps down to the water were fairly easy to walk. It was one of the highlights of our day and will certainly be on out itinerary when we travel that way again. Lance
Can’t wait to be there!!
We made it there in May it was wonderful! Thank you Alex for showing us around…Joan Romiti
[…] features a nice story and a video of the cenote at […]
HI, I AM LUCIANO FROM THE YUCATAN , BUT I AM LIVING HERE AT FLORIDA, BEST BEACHS FROM U.S, AND I LOVE FLORIDA JAJA. ANY WAYS, I FEEL VERY HAPPY WATCHING THIS GREAT VIDEIO FROM THE CENOTE, AND WOW REALLY FEEL ME BETTER, BECAUSE IT MADE ME FEEL AT HOME FOR A WHILE JAJA I AM GLAD U AMERICANOS, OR GRINGOS JIJI ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THIS WOW I WILL SAY VIRGIN CENOTE FROM EVERYBODY I HOPE U GET SOME MORE VIDEO I LIKE THANK U FROM THAT GREAT MOMENT AND HASTA LUEGO AMIGOS. LATER