The Mayans inhabited and dominated this region for many years, leaving traces of their walk throughout their lives in this world, whether in large temples or under the earth, and after years of study, we can say that the cavities open Natural are the underground door to the history of Yucatan. Inside, hundreds of evidence of the passage of their ancestors have been found that help us to know what life was like in the region dominated by the Mayans. These are one of the caves that best tell their story and are not to be missed on a visit to Yucatán.
Grutas de Lol Tun
The Lol tun caves are located in Oxkutzcab and are the largest and best known in southern Yucatan. In the Mayan language, Loltún means stone flower. Inside, you can take a guided tour of 1000 meters long to 60 meters deep, its trails are illuminated, and you can appreciate the natural history and Mayan culture. On the guided tour, various “rooms” or “galleries” of different sizes are discovered, in them we can find ceramics, archaeological pieces, artifacts and hieroglyphs that tell the story of its ancient Mayan inhabitants in their different stages of development. Remains of fauna such as mammoth bones, bison and cats have been found inside. Many of these rooms have unique formations that over time have been named or nicknamed for their shapes, The Cathedral, The Canyon Gallery, The Corn Cob, The Stalactite Room, etc. are some examples of the formations that are inside. In the room of musical columns, we can find the union of two stalactites with stalagmites, which, when hitting them, produce characteristic sounds, as the guides say, you can hear the word “Lol Tún”.
Grutas de Calcehtok
The Calcehtok caves are one of the best adventures in Yucatan. Located in the municipality of Opichén, very close to the Oxkintok archaeological site. In the Mayan language, its name means “deer neck stone”, they served as a refuge for the Mayans during the rebellion known as the caste war, and inside they found several vestiges of ceramics, fire marks on their ceilings and art rock.
The tour is divided into 3 difficulties and each tour has a different duration. The first option is the family walk, a simple tour of the flattest area of the grotto, an ideal option for family travelers with older adults or children. The second option is a slightly more adventurous tour, in this option, sections are passed through the earth, on a rope and you can get to a part where you enjoy putting mud full of minerals on your face. The third level is an extreme adventure, where the grotto is traveled through areas of difficult access, it slides down slopes and walls are passed by means of a rope, and it is the journey that takes the longest to complete. All these tours are guided by expert connoisseurs of the caves since it is very easy to get lost inside.
Grutas Chocantes
Located in the town of Tekax, in the south of the state, the shocking caves are one of the most attractive in the region. When descending a total of 50 meters from the ground, you reach 3 large main vaults and, later, crossing a 300-meter stretch of land, you will find waterfalls of calcium carbonate, minerals that resemble snow on its walls, its huge curtains, its formations. peculiar to stalactites and stalagmites that take up to 100 years to grow 1 or 2 centimeters, stalagmites, and columns. Its large stones, narrow paths and deceptive terrain make the grotto an extreme place, not suitable for people suffering from claustrophobia, and the route can go up to 7,800 meters. There are 2 types of tours, the first where you can meet approximately 600 meters from the cavern, with easy access for the whole family, with an approximate duration of 2 hours. The second is a more extreme route, where the 7 km distance from the idea grotto and back are covered. There are parts where you have to make chest ground, and you reach vaults with petrified waterfalls and spaces that are filled with crystalline water.
Grutas de Balankanché
It is one of the most important underground complexes in the region, located a few kilometers from the Chichen Itzá pyramid, they are recognized for being used as a ceremonial center for ancient Mayan settlers. They are a set of large corridors and chambers, 10 meters high and 25 meters wide. Two hundred meters from the entrance you can see in this grotto is the throne of Balam, the name by which these grottos were baptized, where they performed ancient ceremonies. It is a kind of altar where ancient ceremonies and rituals were held.
Further on, there is a semi-dry lake where you can see various Mayan offerings such as ceramics, shells, vessels, and pieces of jade, as well as various figures of chaac, jewelry, metals, jade jaguars and hand marks can be seen throughout the route. on its walls. in one of its chambers, you can see a stalactite that touches the ground, like a Great Ceiba, and is known as “The sacred Ceiba that grows inside the earth” This grotto has a light and sound show that tells its history, as well as a small museum with photographs that tells a little of the history of life and ceremonies that took place in the grotto.
Grutas de San Ignacio
The caves of San Ignacio are located 21 kilometers southwest of the city of Mérida, on the road to Campeche, reaching the town of Chocholá. This grotto is different from the others, since it has its own cenote, named the same as the grotto, but also known as Tunich Ha (water in the stone in the Mayan language). Inside you can see the stalactite formations that have surrounded the formed vault for years. A small flash of light crosses its waters to enhance its turquoise blue color, reflecting the 38 meters long by 20 meters wide of this majestic cenote, with a depth of 6 meters, making it ideal for snorkeling and enjoying of the marine life that inhabits it. Inside the grotto there is a thermal effect, since its stones temper the temperatures, maintaining a climate of 26 degrees in most of the year, and can reach 16 degrees in winter times, making it an ideal refuge for high temperatures region of.
