Zip Lining in Cancun & The Riviera Maya: Cenotes & Selvatica

Cenote Verde Lucero

Cenote Lukuma

Before going to Selvatica Adventure Kingdom, most people have never even heard of a cenote (ce-no-te). Most people by instinct call it simply a “sinkhole” however; by definition a cenote “is a deep natural pit, or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico and Central America, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath,” Wikipedia. For many, many years cenotes have been a very important part of life and culture in the Yucatan of Mexico. Because rivers and lakes are not common in this area, the water provided by the cenote was very important to surviving here. One very famous cenote is located at Chichen Itza, called Ik Kil. (Follow the link to read more about that topic.) This cenote was thought to be sacred by the Mayan people and believed to be a doorway to the afterlife. “Pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac,” Wikipedia. To make a visit to the Mayan Ruins of Chichen Itza and to see the famous cenote, you can find tour information at Cancun Best Discounts.
There are different types of cenotes as well as a classification system to identify the varieties. It was discovered sometime in the 1980’s through diving exploration that some of these cenotes are connected by an underground river system. Some even flow into the ocean. A super cool video I found is on YouTube. If you are interested, it is a 5 part series about the exploration of the cenotes of the Yucatan and how they are connected underground. It is amazing to see what they found underground and to see the formations in the caves. Follow this link to see the video on YouTube, the video is called, Secrets of the Mayan Underworld.

Cenote Lukuma (BEFORE)

Cenote Lukuma (AFTER)

An interesting fact about cenotes is that they all have names in Spanish and some in Mayan. The cenote at Selvatica is called Lukuma, which means “Mouth of Heaven” in the Mayan language and is used for purposes other than human sacrifice. The cenote needed a lot of work before it became a part of the tour. It needed zip lines, stairs, and a bit of landscaping around the edges as well as restrooms/changing rooms. It was finally opened for guests in October 2010. Along the stretch of highway leading to Selvatica, named Routa de Cenotes/Route of Cenotes, you will find several cenotes such as Verde Lucero (bright green star), Boca de Puma (mouth of the puma), and Siete Bocas (seven mouths). The cenote Verde Lucero will be remembered by some past Selvatica guests because it was the first cenote that Selvatica used for their tours. But because it was also open to the public the owners of Selvatica decided to give their guests more space and privacy by purchasing the land where we now know Lukuma to be. In case you are not familiar with Selvatica yet, after the zip line portion of the tour, guests arrive at the crystal clear refreshing cenote for a splashing good time. There are 3 ways to enter into the water. The first is by the stairs, the second is jumping from the cliff, or third and most fun, the zip line that has been stretched along the length of the surface. So many frontflips, backflips and belly flops are recorded on photo and video at least four times a day at Lukuma. To see some of the tours that Selvatica has, take a peek at this link.

Today many tourists and Mexican locals travel to the many cenotes of the Yucatan for all types of recreational activities. Snorkeling and cave diving are very popular as well as swimming, sightseeing and sunbathing.