Cenote Ik Kil
In the Yucatan Peninsula there is a great network of aquifers that have formed millions of years ago, when the peninsula was submerged in the sea; and when the porosity of these ancient reefs was exposed, they allowed the permeability of the rain thus creating these wonderful natural spectacles known as cenotes .
Cenote Ik Kil in Yucatan
Cenote Ik Kil in Yucatan
The word comes from the Mayan word "dzonot" which means water cave. And they were of great importance for the Mayan civilization in ceremonial rites for being considered portals of the underworld. As well as for the Mexica Mictlán, for the Mayans Xibalbá.
There are more than 10,000 cenotes registered throughout the peninsula, and the total number of all of them is still unknown because the speleological exploration necessary to cover so much immensity is not easy, since these bodies of water are interconnected by underground caves.
To know their age, just look at their geomorphology: if they are open, semi-open or closed. Those open - in which its cupola has already yielded due to the passage of time - would be the oldest. As is the case with the Ik-Kil cenote , one of the most visited by tourism.
Visit to the Ik Kil cenote
Also known as the sacred blue cenote, Ik Kil has a diameter of 60 meters and the height is 25 meters to the water, with a depth of 43 meters. Long liana-shaped tree roots descend from above, searching for the coveted water. Here there have been competitions of divers from the Red Bull tournament, who perform spectacular jumps in the cenote.
The stop at Ik-Kil is usually almost a must after having toured the archaeological ruins of Chichén Itzá under suffocating heat. Immersing yourself in the freshness of its crystalline waters gives a rest to the body and an invaluable gift to the eye. The facilities are well prepared to receive the many visitors. It has access stairs to the cenote, which is at a considerable depth, as well as showers, dressing rooms and services.
To the entrance price to the Ik Kil cenote, you have to add if you want the hiring of a left-luggage office to leave the belongings and the life jacket if you wish. Parking is free.
Schedule visit to the Ik Kil Cenote
Visiting hours to the Ik Kil Cenote are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and it remains open every day of the year.
How to get to the cenote Ik Kil by public transport
There are trucks (buses) or collectives (vans) that leaving from Piste (the closest town to Chiché Itzá), stop at the entrance of the cenote. ADO buses go to Chichén from Cancun or Playa del Carmen, and from the ruins you can take a colectivo or a taxi to Ik Kil.
Tours and excursions to Cenote Ik Kil
There are quite a few tours that combine a visit to the Chichén Itzá ruins with a stop at the Ik Kil cenote, one of the most famous in Yucatán. If they are hired in advance, they allow you to avoid the queues that form at the entrance.
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