Cavern Cenote Kankirixche, Abalá, Yucatan, Mexico
Our Yucatan Cenote excursion wasn’t even half way through and I thought nothing could come near the experience of climbing an actual Mayan Pyramid. If you haven’t already check out our article about exploring the Mayapan Ruins and the Overview article please check them out first. That’s when we headed towards open Cenote De Abala and the cavern Cenote Kankirixche. swimming and diving the Cavern Cenote Kankirixche in Abalá, Yucatan, Mexico was just as great.
What is a Cenote?
A cenote is a sinkhole or natural pit, filled with groundwater from a collapse of limestone bedrock. A circular alignment of cenotes are around the rim of the Chicxulub Crater which is said to be over 66 million years old and assumed the meteorite impact that is known for the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Cenotes are located all around Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Occasionally the ancient Maya had sacrificial offerings in cenotes.
Cenotes Today
Today cenotes are used for diving, swimming and exploring. Many are public attractions and stops on excursions. Some are on private land and not known to the public at all. Many cenotes attract cave divers and some have been explored up to 210 mi. The water is very clear and comes from years of rain water. We visited two cenotes on our excursion.
The Open Cenote
I told our guide i’d like to see both the cavern cenote and the open cenote. So he took us by the open cenote first to take some photos and check it out. It was beautiful clear blue and it looked so refreshing and fun. But we opted to swim and explore the cavern cenote.
The Cavern Cenote Kankirixche
The Cavern Cenote Kankirixche was by far one of the most amazing experiences we have had in our lives. I will have both 360 degree and standard footage of our experience up on our YouTube Channel. Be sure to be subscribed so you will know when the video is up. The depths of this cenote got as deep as 65 feet but there were some areas as shallow as 3ft. The tour provided life jackets and snorkeling gear for all of us, the sizes fit both Cale (age 2) and Cash (age 6) perfectly fine. We all enjoyed swimming around and jumping off the stairs into the water. We even saw some fish swimming around the cenote with us.
Bringing the kids to the Cenote
Cash (age 6) and Cale (age 2) both loved their experience swimming and jumping into the cenote. Kayla and I felt safe about them being there the entire time. Our guide Renee ensured we had our life jackets and extra flotation devices. We love traveling with our kids, many people don’t even consider traveling with younger children or taking an excursion with them, but we want to share the world with our boys.
Where is the Kankirixche Cenote?
Check out the Map below to see exactly where it is.
For more information about the other stops on the tour and an overview of the whole tour check out our articles below.
Each article includes our own story including photos, will soon have videos and even 360 degree VR Videos detailing our experiences at each place.
The Best Cruise Excursions for Yucatan Progresso, Mexico
Yucatan Tour – Archaeological Site of the Mayapan Detailed Overview
Coming soon – Yucatan Tour – Hacienda Meal and Walking Tour
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Have you ever visited a Cenote?
Please leave us a comment below letting us know what you think. Have you ever visited a cenote? What was your experience like? Is this something you would like to do and do you have any questions about our experience? We would love to hear from you.
It looks like an awesome adventure and a great pleasure to swim in a cenote. It’s also a great experience for your kids. Pictures and video are beautiful and fun to watch. Thank you for sharing.
I loved diving and swimming in a few Yucatan cenotes