Day 50 : My 1st Experience at a Cenote

Just barely an hour after arriving in Valladolid, at the recommendation of the people at the Hostel La Candaleria, I made my way towards Cenote San Lorenzo Ozman. 

Located about 4km away, there was no collectivo service, and the staff suggested renting a bike.  However, not being keen on paying hourly rental on the bike while I am at the cenote and concerns about the bike being easily stolen, I decided to walk. 

I had done hours of walking before, and 1 hour walking to the cenote shouldn’t kill me!

The path took me through the city centre and some residential neighbourhoods. 

About 20 mins later, I came across a train track and some directions pointing through remote sandy paths for the way towards San Lorenzo Ozman.

It was super hot outside and the sun was shining strongly on my head.  With completely no shade, and only half way towards the Cenote, I started regretting not renting a bike.  I took out my sarong to cover my head to get some reprieve from the glaring sun and heat.  

A couple of motorbikes rode past, heading the completely opposite direction which I was going, and with pillion riders on the back. 

A few moments later, a motorcyclist rode past, heading the opposite direction.  The rider must had taken pity on me, seeing that I had my head covered with the sarong and with the sun shining strongly high up in the sky, he turned his bike around and asked if I was heading to the Cenote.  I said yes.  “Hop on”, he said.

The rider’s name was Mario, and it was an extremely kind gesture, since it was definitely out of the way for him.  My saviour! 

About 10 mins later, and some simple Spanish exchanges while on the bike, we arrived at the destination. 

I had never been to a cenote before and didn’t quite know what to expect.  However the building in front of me looked more like a hotel than a cenote, and when I walked into the building, all I saw was a swimming pool!

A guy walked up to me, and I asked him if this was the way to Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman.  He said yes, and then pointed me to a small hut located just behind and outside the building.  I walked towards it, and found stairs leading down.  The stairway was damp and got darker as I walked down the 5 or more flights of stairs. 

When I reached the bottom, I found myself in a cave-like structure with light shining through a big hole in the “ceiling”. It was beautiful!!!

I could see the trees surrounding the “ceiling”, with roots dangling about 20m down the walls of the cave-like structure towards the deep blue water.  The cenote was completely empty and I had the whole place to myself! 

I hesitated going in for a moment.  Although the water was clear (I could see fishes swimming in it), I could not see the bottom at all! 

I pondered if I should put on the life vests located along the side of the wooden barriers, but after toying around with a couple of life vests, I decided against it and took a leap of faith. 

I cautiously climbed down the stairs and stepped into the water.  It was cold – not too cold, but refreshing cold. 

And then I plunged myself into the pool and swam to the centre and looked up into the open sky and stared at the hole in the ceiling. 

This is AMAZING! 

I had only seen a couple of pictures of different cenotes in some travel agency’s office, but seeing it in person is even better than the images.  

Cenotes are natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock, which revealed a secret subterranean world of groundwater pools. It is said that Mexico has over 10,000 cenotes and account for about 80% of the world’s cenotes.  

A couple of people peered down from the top from time to time, and at one point one asked if I was ok, probably checking in, since there was no lifeguard around. 

After about 30 – 40 minutes at the cenote, I decided it was time to go and also because I was getting lonely being alone in there.  I headed out of the water and got dressed.  I felt super good after swimming in the cenote!

Just as I was about to leave, I heard female voices from the stairway and 2 Mexican girls appeared.  They were somewhat surprised to see me there, more because there were no other vehicles on the outside when they came in, and I was alone, and asked how I got there.  I told them I walked and they asked how long it took.  I explained in my simple Spanish that it would have taken an hour, but I was lucky a motorcyclist gave me a lift half way.

I climbed back up to the surface, and the guy who pointed me to the hut asked how it was.  “Fantastic!”, I said.  He asked if I was going to walk back, and I said yes, and left. 

A double bonus was I never got charged for entering the cenote! 

No luck with getting any ride on the way back to the hostel, but I was glad that the sun was hidden behind numerous clouds during the entire time I walked back. 

First experience at a cenote and I loved it.  There are supposedly a lot more cenotes worth exploring in vicinity of Valladolid, so will check them out over the next few days!