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The cenotes, natural wells full of water which are connected to each other under the earth?s surface, are one of the principal tourist attractions in the peninsula of Yucatan. Some of these natural formations conceal numerous stories and legends under their clear water.

The Peninsula of Yucatán is notorious for its rocky terrain and its calcareous soil upon which there are no rivers, hills or plains. Therefore the river channels that meander across the region continue hiding underground, forming an immense network of subterranean channels and water deposits. These become exposed to the exterior as the walls sustaining the underground tunnels collapse, thus forming circular openings commonly known as "cenotes".

These beautiful mirrors of water which form extensive interconnected tunnels that contain great amounts of water, have different kinds of characteristics. Some of them are surrounded by vegetation whereas others are half-hidden under a dome. The most famous and known ones are Cenote Sagrado de Chichén Itzá and the Cenote de Dzitnup. The former is 35 m deep and has a diameter of 60 m. The ancient Mayas used to perform human sacrifices there and numerous archeological items have been found in its depths. The latter is very close to Valladolid. It is covered by a vault with a small orifice through which light can penetrate the darkness inside, and thus the water has a beautiful and enchanting turquoise blue tone.