Cancun To Begin Regulating Cenote Tours

To ensure the safety of visitors, Mexico’s Cancun Area Cenote Route will be strictly regulated starting in 2023.

According to the local authorities, the goal is to identify the establishments on the Cenote Route (about 25 miles from Cancun) and integrate them into the state’s tourism services system. “The purpose is to give certainty as many establishments lack operating licenses and do not have civil protection permits,” said Miguel Cámara Ruíz, director of Tourism at Puerto Morelos.

The Cenote Route is considered one of Quintana Roo’s most attractive eco-tourist destinations. There are lots of different types of these natural wonders, including outdoor cenotes, caves, and the famous sacred cenotes of Maya culture that were considered sources of life because, in addition to providing water to the population, they were believed to be gateways for entry into another world and the center of communion with the gods.

Due to the geological composition, the Yucatan Peninsula’s soil absorbs the rain’s humidity by filtering the water, generating flooded caves.

Therefore, in addition to the regulations required of the establishments that administer them, the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico created a code for the protection and conservation of this archeological, historical, and paleontological cultural heritage so that owners and users know what actions should be taken to care for the cenotes properly.