DESTINATIONS MEXICO | WINTER SUN
for keeps Playa
A relaunched flight route means the white shores and cool caves of Cancun are within easier reach, writes Ben Ireland
b
travelweekly.co.uk
obbing my head in and out of an underground freshwater pool in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, I’m drifting, awestruck
by both stalagmites and stalactites. I ponder which is which, entranced by these eerie but beautiful formations of solidified limestone and calcium-rich water, formed over tens of thousands of years. A beam of sunlight illuminates the cave in a single underwater spot, offering a sense of the sublime. It’s easy to see why the 10,000-plus cenotes
dotted across the Yucatán Peninsula hold such spiritual significance for the Maya people, who use them for drinking water, agriculture and religious rituals. And thanks to Virgin Atlantic’s new service from
Heathrow to nearby Cancun, even more British travellers can now experience this marvel of nature for themselves.
WATERING HOLES We set about exploring the Cancun area by water with local operator Ocean Tours, which combines cenote swimming with snorkelling alongside turtles in a half-day tour. First comes Akumal Bay, a known turtle-spotting site due to the abundance of seagrass they feed on. Taken out on a small boat, we jump into the warm water and duck our heads below the surface to see an array of
wildlife, including catfish, squid and stingrays, on our way to meet the turtles.
As we float along in our lifejackets, we see the
endangered green turtles and their white turtle cousins nibbling at the seagrass and swimming within inches of
The water in the cenote is so clear that visitors are asked not to use sun cream, to protect the delicate ecosystem
us as they come up for air. They don’t seem bothered by their human visitors, who are asked not to touch the reptiles and to keep a respectful distance. Next, it is on to the Sistema Sac Actun – a
subterranean cave network which, at 229 miles, is the world’s longest underground river. We visit the Yax-Muul cenote, where the water is unbelievably clear, so much so that visitors are asked not to use sun cream, to protect the delicate ecosystem. It’s not a problem given it is mostly hidden from the fierce Mexican sun – a cool, restorative experience on a 30C day. We
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