Are you an adventure seeker? Do you like diving, snorkeling, or kayaking? The Yucatan Peninsula has a variety of water features around its location and offers its visitors so many opportunities to cool down in its waters.
The following are some beaches you must visit while you are on your Yucatan vacation!
Akumal Beach
If you're fascinated with sea turtles, make your way to Akumal Beach to swim in the shallow waters where three different varieties of sea turtles live. A lifejacket is required, and lifeguards are always on duty since the waters have recently turned into a preserved area to protect the turtles.
Isla Holbox
We are all dependent on our digital devices, aren't we? How would you like a vacation where you can unplug yourself from the digital world? You can quickly recharge at CasaSandra, set on Holbox, a Mexican island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula that's known for its fantastic nature, endless sun and barefoot sensibility. The island is separated by a shallow lagoon from the mainland. It's also home to thousands of flamingos, pelicans, and other exotic bird species. If sharks don’t scare you, Isla Holbox is the place to see the lightly speckled whale sharks. Beware, these whale sharks are named appropriately, weighing up to 20,000lbs and reaching almost 30ft long!
whale shark
Bacalar Lagoon
Bacalar Lagoon (Laguna Bacalar) is exquisitely lovely with near-pristine waters and has become a favorite destination. Grab your sunscreen and rent an inflatable kayak and head out on the Bacalar Lagoon to feel like the pirates of the 17th Century.
If you need a break from the salt water, go visit a cenote!
Cenotes
When a porous limestone bedrock collapses it forms Cenotes, these are natural swimming holes which reveals a secret subterranean world of groundwater pools. A lot of cave cenotes contain fresh water that has been carefully filtered by the earth, making them so clear and pure that you can see the marine life below. Open-air cenotes also have clear water, and often are home to vitamin- and mineral-rich algae that nourish and protect your skin. The Mayan villages surrounded these spiritual wells and believed that they can speak with the gods through them. Getting immersed in the clear waters with giant tropical trees hovering above will transport you back into prehistory.
Dzitnup Cenote- For a quick dip to cool off, visit the Dzitnup cenote outside of Valladolid. This cavernous pool of freshwater is majestic and perhaps the purest water you will ever see since the limestone helps filter it through the underground rivers.
The Yucatán Peninsula is such a haven for divers because it offers cenotes to high-speed drift diving. Most of the dive sites are found off Riviera Maya and Cancún in the Caribbean Sea, but there are also unexplored reefs along the northern coast of the peninsula. One can find mesmerizing caverns off Riviera Maya and several healthy reeds near Cancún including a gorgeous underwater museum called MUSA as well. The offshore islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are famous among divers for their pelagic migrations and open ocean drifts. You do not want to miss this opportunity to dive in the glassy cenotes located around the Yucatan. Diving in the Yucatan is a combination of boat dives and shore dives.
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