Chooj-Ha Cenote: A Grotto You Won’t Soon Forget
Cenotes are all shapes and sizes, and the one at Chooj-Ha is simply impressive. When you factor in a couple of extra activities this place offers, it makes it an unskippable stop.
The facilities around Chooj-Ha Cenote
The Chooj-Ha cenote has pretty basic facilities, but they’re everything you need: changing rooms, bathrooms, and showers.
There’s no restaurant yet (though they plan on having one in the future), but there is an eating area. Bring your own food—they recommend a cooler, considering the hot weather—and eat at your leisure. No need to remind you that food is not allowed inside the cenote, of course. The local community has set up a stall with a few souvenirs for sale, too.
Inside the Chooj-Ha Cenote
Walking into this cenote is quite something. The sheer size of Chooj-Ha is mesmerizing, and the whole stalactite-filled dome opens right in front of you as soon as you reach the bottom of the stairs. You’re 50 feet underground now. The lighting is not the best, but it’s enough to let you take in the view and see where you’re going. Conventional shoes are not allowed. Most likely, you’ll be barefoot or wearing water shoes—be careful. To keep the naturalness of the cave, there are no wooden paths and you’ll be walking on rocks that can get really slippery.
The “coast” offers many points from where you can enter the water. A shallow area lets you walk around the pool for a few feet and either jump in or just sit there, jacuzzi-style. This is quite a deep cenote—over 150 ft. deep—, so bring your snorkel or diving equipment to have a closer look under the surface. There are also a couple of kayaks floating around to row around the place, looking at every nook and cranny.
Other activities at the Chooj-Ha Cenote
Besides swimming at this stunning cenote, there are a couple of extra things you can do—and both involve caves. There’s a guided tour through a small grotto in which a guide points out interesting rock shapes. Finally, you can rappel down into another cave close by.
