Image by Tony Hisgett
These are cenotes, wells of crystal clear water lying pristine and untouched. They’re formed when groundwater slowly trickles into natural sinkholes.
Image by H. Michael Miley
Image by Flickr user webponce
The water is naturally filtered as it seeps through the earth, so these pools are clean, sparkling, and incredibly photogenic.
Image by Flickr user vokeron7
Cenotes were sacred to the Mayans and other native tribes, and it’s really no surprise. There aren’t many other clean, reliable water sources in the area, so a huge lake of cool, fresh water must have seemed like a gift from the gods.
Image by Flickr user mtchm
Image by Christian and Sergio Velasco
Most ancient cities were built around these life-giving wells, including the famous Chichen Itza.
Image by Ben Geach
Cenote Dos Ojos. Image by Flickr user InnerSpirit
There are cenotes all over the world, from Belize to Australia to the US. There’s even one in Canada, but apparently it’s not quite as sacred–it’s called the Devil’s Bath.
Image by Emil Kehnel.
Cenote de los Sacrificios in Mexico. Image by Commons user Salhedine.
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