Exploring Rio Secreto
Hello! We're back from Frankenstein's birthday cruise to the Western Caribbean. Our first stop was Cozumel, Mexico. After going back and forth with what we were going to do while we were in port, we finally agreed on spending the day exploring Rio Secreto.
In 2005 a Maya farmer was chasing an iguana when he came upon a hole in the ground. Curious, the farmer began inspecting the hole and discovered that it was much deeper than he imagined. The farmer stumbled upon a cenote, which represented a sacred doorway to the underworld in the Maya culture. After further exploration he realized he discovered something much greater than a cenote, he had discovered an underground river of incomparable beauty. This river connected a system of caves and geological formations that date back 2000 years.
The farmer allowed only 10% of the system to be explored by visitors. The funds raised from these tours are used to preserve the remaining 90% of the caves.
In order to get to Rio Secreto, we had to catch the ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen and then catch a ride to the ecopark. The ride to the mainland was dreadful. The seas were rather rough and the captain didn't decrease his speed. Waves crashed against the boat covering the windows the surrounded us. The constant rocking caused many of the passengers to get sick, about 50% of the people sitting around us lost their breakfast that morning. It was horrific.
Our experience only got better from there. Once we were on site, we were outfitted with wet suits, head lamps and life vests. Our guide, Carine, shared with us the history of the caves and explained some of the things we'd be seeing inside of the caves.
Once we were in the cave, it was was magical! The only light in the cave came from our head lamps. The sound of water trickling from the limestone roof into the serene river surrounded us. Carine expertly led us around the columns, stalactites and stalagmites.
Rio Secreto exceeded our expectations. We were in awe of the sheer, untouched beauty of the cave. We had an amazing time exploring the Mayan Underworld.
After we exited the cave, we enjoyed a celebratory shot and a scrumptious lunch. We relaxed in hammocks as we waited for our ride to take us back to Playa del Carmen.
We did a bit of shopping in Playa del Carmen, popping in and out of stores and taking in the colorful sights and sounds of the Mexican mainland. We caught the very last ferry back to the island of Cozumel.
We enjoyed our time in Mexico and will definitely be back in the next few years. Xcaret, we're going for you soon!
