I enjoyed a quick trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico this summer to meet up with friends who I met many years ago back in college. We rented a fantastic beach house and spent most of our time relaxing by the pool. However, we did plan a couple excursions. I recommend to anyone traveling to the area to discover some cenotes and sea turtles!
We booked the “Turtles and Cenotes” tour with Ocean Tours. The company offers free pickup at any hotel in the Riviera Maya. (Transport to and from Cancun was listed as an additional $10). We had a little trouble with setting up the pickup. For some reason, the house we rented did not have an address. This caused quite a bit of confusion in trying to explain where they should get us. We sent them the directions the owner of the house provided us and hoped for the best. That morning, when they were late we were concerned. Luckily one of the caretakers of the house was on site, so we asked him for help. He called the company from his phone and provided better directions, and in Spanish (which was probably the most help). This did the trick and they managed to find us. From our experience, I would recommend having a way to call the company the morning of your pickup in case there are any issues.
We explored three different types of cenotes. Cenotes are created when the limestone bedrock collapses, exposing underground rivers in the Yucaton Peninsula. They were important to the Mayans and some were even used for sacrificial ceremonies.
The first cenote only had a small amount of water. Large roots had broken through the ceiling in search of water below. Smaller roots took advantage of this break through the stone, and entangle the large ones. All around the cave these living ropes hang, making their way down to and through the floor below your feet.
The second cenote was a mostly closed cave filled with water about half way up. After jumping in, I took in the scene of a few hanging roots and some large rocks sticking out of the water. Then I put on my mask and peered into the world under the water. Wow! Our guide informed us she likes to visit here in the morning, so that the sunlight shines in through the water. The light beams penetrated through the water and danced along the rocks below. We swam to the other end of the cenote and took a photo break on the rocks breaking the surface. This end of the cave had a great view of the stalactites above us.
The third cenote was completely open on top. Green and red plants fill the large circular pool of water. While swimming, small fish raced in front of me. They were a type you would find in a household aquarium, though less colorful. Swimming through this environment felt like swimming though a huge freshwater fish tank.
The company provided a light lunch and then we headed to the ocean in search of sea turtles. It didn’t take long for us to spot one. We watched it feed along the bottom, swim to the surface for a gulp of air, then back to the sea floor to graze more.
There were quite a few people in the ocean all watching. Therefore, we did get a little crowded every once in a while, but then we would move on and find another turtle.
After viewing a few of these guys, we explored a small section of the coral reef located just off the coast. It is part of the 2nd largest coral reef system in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef. This reef stretches from Cancun all the way down to Honduras. We spotted corals, a variety of fish, sea urchins, and even a sting ray!
This tour company had an extra bonus. A couple photographers took pictures of us throughout the day. At the end of the tour, we viewed these photos and opted to buy the USB to take home. This was especially nice since I didn’t want to take my DSLR with for the tour, and my GoPro photography skills need some work. I was impressed with the images the photographer caught of the sea turtles! The pictures featured above are thanks to these photographers. My only disappointment was not having any underwater photos in the cenotes. Check out my YouTube to see my video of this experience, including underwater in the cenotes!
I was very happy with our experience other than the difficulty with the pickup. They did offer the group a couple of free souvenir t-shirts as an apology, which we appreciated. Their website also states that they have a 100% money back guarantee if no turtles are spotted, which I think is great.
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Great post! Sounds like a fun tour and company to make it all easier for a large group.