VP Supply Mayan Riviera

Cenote Dip is the last post in the three part Mayan Expedition Series

photo courtesy of Ron Hay
After a 1 mile bike ride through the lush jungle, and exhilarating rides down the zip-lines its time for a relaxing dip in the crystalline waters of the Xtabay cenote.

Much of the bedrock in Riviera Maya is porous limestone, meaning any rainfall seeps through the top soil into underground passageways connected to the sea. Centoes (say-NOH-tays) are formed when the roof of a cave system collapses, exposing the warm, turquoise colored water underneath.

If you’re looking for an authentic experience while in Riviera Maya, a swim in a cenote ranks right up there. Besides, with inner tubes and snorkeling gear already in hand it will be hard to resist not jumping in.

Wrapping up your journey is a visit to a mysterious dry cenote, believed by the Mayan people to be home to magical sprites, known as Aluxes. Here you will witness a traditional Mayan purification ceremony, learning the religious and cultural importance of the cenotes to the Mayan people.

Jungle Ride is the second post in the three part, Mayan Expedition series.

photo courtesy of eeicenbice
Don’t be mislead by the title of this post. You will not be hacking your way through a muggy, mosquito infested rain forest.

Rather you’ll be traversing well tended trails by mountain bike through Chikin-Ha, a protected natural sanctuary south of Playa del Carmen. Relaxing on the saddle for the 1 mile journey, you’ll get to see up-close the indigenous fauna and flora of Mexico. Perhaps you might stumble upon an endangered Tapir, a comical animal which looks like a cross between a pig with an elephant styled snout. Or snap a picture of the kids favorite cereal character - a colorful Toucan.

The tour will then take you through the farmlands of Don Silvio. Here you’ll get a quick lesson on the ancient Maya, and the crude, yet practical subsistence farming techniques which sustained their civilization for centuries.

Afterwards you’ll be riding the zip lines mentioned in the previous article. Meanwhile, the next post will have you taking a refreshing dip in a cenote, an amazing natural attraction of the Riviera Maya.

Canopy Flight is the first post in the three part, Mayan Expedition series.

photo courtesy of alltournative
High above the canopy you admire the endless sea of waving green foliage, and the smell of the fresh jungle breeze. Exhaling one last breath you leap from the relative safety of the platform into open air.

For a moment its a nerve-wracking plummet earthward, but then the line around your waist goes taught, heralding the beginning of an exhilirating journey down 160 meters of zip-line, the longest in Southern Mexico.

Gathering momentum you burst out an excited “wee!” Soaring over a cenote, you wave to your friends relaxing on inner tubes in the calm waters below. At climax you’re speeding along in excess of 30 mph, the surrounding forest turning to a bright green-brown blur.

Then with a slight jolt, the adventure comes to an end. Unhooking yourself from the harness, your head swims with the rush of adrenaline. Turning round, you glance longingly back at the distant tower, proclaiming with a smile, “I never thought I would say this, but I want to do that again!”

In the next two editions we’ll go for a bike tour in the jungle, and for a swim in cenote Xtabay.