The recently inaugurated Parador Turistico Xtojil (Tho Bird Sanctuary) is located just before entering the town of Cuzama, at kilometer 12.5 of the Acanceh – Cuzama highway.
Like most of the inns, a group of approximately 30 ejidatarios organized themselves and formed a cooperative, which together made way, cleaned and laid rails over several hectares.
To see the 4 beautiful underground cenotes that this place has, just like in the Cuzamá parador, you will be dragged by a horse while sitting in a truck along a dirt road In the middle of the mountains, it is charming to see the horses waiting their turn in the middle of the trees and hear their neighing when they see people arrive. It seems like they are happy to see you. It goes without saying that their collaborators keep them well hydrated and cared for. .
When you board the truck the adventure begins, you can decide if you start with the closest or the furthest cenote, of any tide the experience is unique.
The first cenote we visited is called Sak Pakal, you have to be very careful when descending as you enter through a small hole that has very good wooden stairs structured, the cenote is small so it is not recommended that more than 4 people enter at a time. Its blue waters and stalagmites are something that you will not fail to see, it has a depth of approximately 20 meters and a diameter of only approximately 13 meters. In its central part it has a stalagmite that is almost on the verge of reaching the water and its cave shape that almost allows you to see the end.
The next one is located a few steps from the first cenote we visited, it is called Cenote Ayuso this in honor of the engineer who helped during the works, this is ideal for the little ones due to its shallow depth, However, descending is a bit complicated since being underground and not having the appropriate stairs forces you to crawl a little to reach the rustic stairs that lead you to the crystal clear waters. Despite being a little small, it is still beautiful, on the roof it has stalagmites and has a small cave that leads you to another internal cenote, but to reach the second it is necessary to dive, but since it has Mayan vestiges it is not allowed. .
The next Cenote is located in a grotto and you can go down some metal stairs that go down up to 12 meters. This is semi open and when you descend you will see some water that is still in its natural state, which is not yet suitable for bathing. On your left hand side there is a stone path that will take you to a bridge that leads to the small cenote with crystal clear waters and where you can see its stalactites.
Finally, we visited the San Felipe cenote, this is the largest of the 3 and has wooden stairs that go down up to 12 meters on a small island that has the cenote inside . On the island there are the roots of the trees that come down to feed on the cool waters. This is the largest of the 3 and its transparent emerald green waters are ideal for cooling off with the family and having a good time of fun. Its depth varies since on the shore it is one meter and in the deepest part about 15 meters.
Photos of Cenotes X'tojil
