The Riviera Maya is famous for its archaeological legacy of impressive constructions that show us the wisdom of traditional people. There, beauty is combined with imposing nature that shows geological characteristics that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world and that have given step to the cenotes. Ghost rivers, as they are also known, are bodies of fresh water that have been filtered by limestone and have formed an important part of Mayan history. The one that stands out the most for its size and appearance is the Cenote El Pit, considered the gates to the underworld.
El Pit Cenote
The Cenote El Pit is located within the Jacinto Pat ejido, in the Xel-Ha area, 22 kilometers from the municipality of Tulum, in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is a cave cenote with a single known entrance, a hole in the ceiling approximately 10 meters in diameter through which you descend using stairs to the cavern where the cenote lives.
The hole perfectly illuminates the crystalline waters of the cenote, which is so imposing that the Mayans considered it the entrance to Xibalbá, the underworld in their worldview. Remains of two humans have been found inside, dating back 10,000 years. It is known that cenotes were used by the Mayans as a sacred ceremonial center, precisely because they considered them to be the entrance to the world of the non-living.
Has a known depth of 121 meters and only the most experienced dare to dive in its waters. However, it is only allowed to descend to 40 meters, since the dangers in its depths, which have been little explored, are not known with certainty.
What is inside Cenote El Pit?
To a decrease of 10 metersthe fresh water of the cenote begins to mix with the salty currents of the Caribbean Sea, a phenomenon known as halocline. And from here, the crystal clear waters change and little by little the visibility becomes less. After the 20 metersyou can see a slight fog formed by hydrogen sulfide But the surprising thing is that even at such depth, it is possible to admire branches of the vegetation that lives there, a reminder that life thrives regardless of the conditions.
The sulfur fog becomes denser as the descent progresses and creates the illusion of entering a completely unknown world. For safety reasons, only certified divers are allowed to descend, and they can go down to 40 meters, although it is possible for divers to cross this barrier, but only for the most experienced.
How were cenotes formed?
ago, exactly in what is known today as the Yucatán Peninsula. The collision caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, but also It left a deep mark on the geology of the place, giving way to the limestone on which the peninsula sits. Little by little, the sea water was filtered over millions of years through the mangroves and entered the limestone rock system in the subsoil, forming the ghost rivers that we know today as cenotes.
This is how the cenotes were born, named after the Mayan word ‘dzonot’ which means ‘abyss’. The Mayan people considered them sacred sites because they provided them with the vital liquid and also because of the imposing abyss in the earth that they considered as a door to the underworld.