Secret swims: the cenotes of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
- At these hidden locations, you can swim in crisp mineral-rich waters in magical caves or under a jungle-framed sky.
- Cenotes are natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock, which has revealed a secret subterranean world of groundwater pools.
- Most cave cenotes have fresh water that has been meticulously filtered by the earth, making them so clear and pure that you can see straight through to small fish frolicking in the plant life below.
- The Mayans revered cenotes because they were a water source in dry times; the name cenote means ‘sacred well’. Mayans settled villages around these spiritual wells and believed that they were a portal to speak with the gods.
Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun: Social Responsibility
- Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun earned this designation for its commitment to reducing its environmental impact within the resort and the surrounding community. This mark is awarded to tourism businesses that adopt best management practices and meet specific criteria developed and/or endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance.
- Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun was recently recognized by the Rainforest Alliance in its Exemplary Practices for Sustainable Tourism publication for being a guardian of the reef.
- The thriving crocodile population in the nearby New River lagoon gave Lamanai his Name. Many of Lamanai’s main structures and excavated artifacts exhibits represented the famed reptile. Lamanai is the Spanish historic name for Lama’ an/ayin, which means “submerged crocodile.”
- Some of Lamanai’s ruins are some of the oldest in Belize. Archaeologists believe the Mayan site was of moderate size as early as 1500 BC. However, some of its later structures were occupied as recently as the 18th century AD, signifying over 3200 years of occupation.
- In the long-lasting occupation of Lamanai, the [Jaguar] Temple was redesigned in the thirteenth century. It was an ongoing process of modification, the last one where tiny shrines made around the Year 1400.
- The Maya civilization was one of the most sophisticated, complex, and artistic cultures of the ancient Americas. During its height, the Maya flouished in an area that covers the highlands and the lowlands of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and northern Honduras and El Salvador.
- The Caracol Archaeological Project investigations began with a series of preliminary trips into the site during 1983 and 1984. Fieldwork has been undertaken on a yearly basis since the first full field season in 1985.
- Caana, Maya for “Sky Place,” rises some 43.5 meters above the B Group plaza. This architectural complex, consisting of 4 palace complexes and 3 temples, is one of the most elaborate constructions known from the Classic era Southern Maya lowlands.
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