Cenote Angelita

In the Mexican jungle just outside the ruins of the Mayan city of Tulum, a series of sinkholes and jungle caves lead to an amazing underwater world. One such opening is Angelita Cenote: a 200-foot-wide chasm that opens abruptly from the surrounding jungle. The cave was created by the crumbling of porous limestone as water crept in and hollowed out the space. The open-pit was even worshiped as a holy site by ancient Mayan cultures, hence its name; "Cenote" is a derivative of a Mayan word meaning "sacred well".

In addition to the natural beauty of the surrounding lush jungle setting, the flooded Angelita Cave also has a unique quality: there seems to be a separate river running near the bottom of the hole filled with water. This illusion is a chemical product of water. Different parts of the water in the caves have different salinities, causing the denser water to sink to the bottom, where it looks like a misty river.

Angelita Cenote is a popular dive spot despite the difficulty of scuba diving due to the remote location of the entrance and the underground nature of the diving operation. However, adventurers are rewarded with a one-of-a-kind view of the underwater “river”.

Location: Yucatan Peninsula