Mexico - Cenote Dos Ojos

This post was supposed to be called 'Chichen Itza'. We had saved the visit to one of the world wonders for our last trip of our vacation. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be different from what we had planned...

The day before, we had rented a car so we could drive to Chichen Itza on our own the next day. It was much cheaper than an organized tour, and we could also avoid the tourist crowds and follow our own schedule. Unfortunately, my health took a toll on us. I wasn't feeling well the night before our trip, so neither of us had slept much. When the alarm went off at 5 a.m., we were so exhausted that we reluctantly decided it wouldn't be a good idea to drive to Chichen Itza in the heat given my condition. So we went back to bed and slept for a while longer.

After breakfast, I started feeling a little better. And since we didn't want to waste the rental car, we decided to at least visit the Cenote Dos Ojos, which was about a 45-minute drive away. We had some concerns about driving in Mexico. We had heard stories about corrupt police officers who liked to pull over tourists for alleged violations just to collect money. However, Christine from Aledia Tours eased our fears a bit by confirming that such incidents didn't happen very often and that we should just adapt to the traffic. So, we drove neither too fast nor too slow, trying not to stand out as tourists. And it worked well. We weren't stopped by anyone, and the traffic conditions were fine.

We found the Cenote without any problems, and after paying the hefty entrance fee of 350 pesos, we had to drive a few miles on a bumpy road at a snail's pace. By the way, at the entrance, you can choose between several options. They offer guided tours through the Cenote, where you can visit places that can only be accessed with a guide. There are also several other Cenotes there, for which you can buy a combination ticket. We opted for the regular admission to Dos Ojos. And even though the entrance fee was quite expensive, it was definitely worth it! Dos Ojos is a semi-open Cenote that consists of two "eyes," meaning it has two different entry points, each offering something different. Dos Ojos is mainly used by divers, but it is also worth snorkeling. It feels like cave diving even when snorkeling! The water is crystal clear, allowing you to admire the fascinating rock formations underwater. But be careful: the water is super cold! The second eye goes around in a circle, so we can swim around it completely. We even see some divers below us, exploring the cave systems of the Cenote. There are also hammocks and lounge chairs for relaxing after exploring the underwater world.

In my opinion, Dos Ojos was the most interesting Cenote we visited during our stay, and I would go back there anytime. The entrance fee was worth it, and I'm really impressed by the Cenotes in Yucatan! Visiting Cenotes is a must during a vacation there.

Fortunately, even with the change of plans, we still had a nice day. However, it's still very annoying that we didn't visit Chichen Itza. Unfortunately, it was the second to last day of our stay, so we didn't have time to reschedule the visit. Definitely a reason to go back to Mexico ;)