What is a Cenote?

Selvatica is Latin America’s number one adventure park. This isn’t a marketing slogan. This is reflective of thousands of peer reviews from Trip Advisor. The results are in. Selvatica is Cancun’s number one outdoor activity—for several consecutive years now.

What makes Selvatica so great? Well first off, no one does adventure like we do. Whether it’s our blazing ziplines over the Mayan jungle canopy, or our badass Polaris ATV ripping its way through the muddy terrain, we know what will get your heart pumping. We know adrenaline.

But part of what makes us unique is how we culminate the experience. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish right? We make sure that everyone who takes part in our wide variety of adventures available—don’t forget about our wild bungee swing—leaves feeling refreshed, revitalized, and reborn.

What’s our secret? In a word: Mother-Nature. Think of it like this…we have our own fountain of youth, right here on the property. It’s called, a cenote. Now before you look at a dictionary definition of a cenote (believe me, this will only make things more confusing), allow us to explain what a cenote is, and why it’s the perfect finale to an amazing outdoor adventure in Cancun.

What is a Cenote?

Every year, millions of tourists flock to The Riviera Maya to swim and dive in its hundreds of crystal clear, freshwater swimming areas called cenotes. The word ‘cenote’ originates from the Yucatec Maya, meaning ‘ts’onot’, or ‘any location with accessible groundwater’.

Cenotes are sinkholes that develop over millions of years. In a nutshell, a cenote is the result of acidic water collapsing the limestone bedrock and uniting the top body of water with groundwater. In a sense, all cenotes are fundamentally united.

Mayan History

Centuries earlier, the Mayans reigned supreme in the Yucatan by relying on cenotes as their primary source of water. Unlike other great civilizations that depended on a network of above-ground river systems, the Mayans used a subterranean network of access points connected to groundwater. They also viewed cenotes as a portal to communicate with their gods, Chac, and Xibalba; the god of rain and the Mayan mythical underworld, respectively.

American Misperception

Some American’s may be wondering, as I originally did: why on earth would I want to willingly swim in an acknowledged sinkhole?

Growing up in Florida, I viewed sinkholes as your worst enemy. It has destroyed many homes insidiously, over the course of a decade. Some, overnight. Just a few years ago, a 37-year-old man in Florida was swallowed alive in his sleep by a sinkhole.

However, there remains a BIG fundamental difference between a Florida sinkhole and a Riviera Maya cenote.

The difference is, Florida sinkholes have a top layer of sand and clay. Most of the time, this top layer has held up. Other times, it has crumbled. Those are the times you hear about on the news.

Mayan Reality

In the Riviera Maya however, the collapse has already taken place long ago. There is ZERO inherent risk of collapse like there is with Florida sinkholes. With cenotes, the water gets ultra-filtered through the ground, removing any particle that would leave the water looking murky.

All that remains is a fun and safe freshwater swimming area with shockingly crystal clear clarity and brilliantly beautiful turquoise blue water. Also, due to its lack of salinity, you won’t have to worry about irritated eyes or salinized hair or swimwear.

Selvatica’s Farewell Gift

Now that you have a better understanding of what a cenote is, I want you to picture this. You’ve soared through the air like superman on our ziplines. You’ve boldly jumped on our bungee swing. You’ve tested your agility on our wobbly hanging aerial bridges. And finally, you’ve flung mud in every direction with our fearsome Polaris ATV.

You’re sweaty. You’re muddy. You’re tired. Is this how you want to enter the bus?

Of course not. Allow us to present the perfect solution: Selvatica’s cenote. Jump in our very own fountain of youth, and become reborn. Swim in crystal clear water and connect with a reinvigorating force of nature. Words can’t describe how amazingly refreshed you’ll feel when you come out of the water. There’s no better climax to a wild day of adventure.

Go Wild. Get Dirty. Have Fun…then

Jump in. Get Wet. Be Reborn.

This is the Selvatica Experience.

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