“Sacred Blue Cenote” : Cenote Ik Kil

It’s March Break and right about now I’m really wishing I was somewhere tropical. So how about Mexico?

 

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is known for its Cenotes. There are no above ground rivers in the Yucatan – all freshwater is underground in natural caves and subterranean rivers. A Cenote (pronounced “sen-oh-tay”) is a natural sinkhole, formed when the roof of an underground water-filled cave collapses. Cenotes can be open like lakes or almost completely covered, except for a tiny hole at the top. The holes in the roofs allow natural sunlight to filter in, making for an enchanting atmosphere. “Cenote” means “sacred well,” since Cenotes were considered holy by the ancient Mayans, who believed the Cenotes were portals to the underworld and the realm of the Gods.
 





Cenote Ik Kil

 



There are thousands of Cenotes along the Peninsula, but one of the prettiest is Cenote Ik Kil. Many of the Cenotes are highly developed tourist centres, but in Mexico it’s usually wiser to stick to the well travelled paths.   

 

Cenote Ik Kil is 200 feet across and almost perfectly round. The water surface is about 85 feet below the ground above. A stairway carved into the rock leads down to a swimming platform, where visitors can swim and snorkel in the natural pool. The staircase is lit up beautifully in the evening. The water in the Cenote is very deep. Vegetation hangs in over the edges of the Cenote, including vines which reach all the way down to the surface of the water, and small waterfalls pour over the edges. Apparently there are catfish that live in the Cenote which would really be a problem for me, because I absolutely hate fish… but hopefully I could get over it and just enjoy the Cenote.

 

The Cenote is surrounded by cottages for visitors to rent, a restaurant, gift shop and changing rooms.

 

What to do? Cenote Ik Kil is part of the Ik Kil archaeological park, and is very close to Chichen Itza, a set of Mayan ruins and a very popular site for tourists. Cenote Ik Kil is also very close to Ek Balam, another set of ruins, which I would chose over Chichen Itza because it is apparently much less of a tourist trap and you can actually climb the temple.  

 



Ek Balam



Ek Balam also has its own nearby Cenote, called Cenote Maya. After you explore the Mayan ruins, you can swim and zipline in the breathtaking Cenote Maya, which is quite a different experience from Cenote Ik Kil, since the two are so different geologically.

 



Cenote Maya

 



What to eat? There is only one restaurant at Cenote Ik Kil, so not much choice there… but it is apparently excellent and buffet style, so wahoo!

 

You can also stay at one of the many resorts and take bus tours through the entire area, depending on what kind of experience you are looking for.

 

Information on the Yucatan and a brief clip about Cenote Ik Kil.

"Eldur Og ís" : Laugafell

I’m heading up North for this post, to the “Land of Fire and Ice” – Iceland. As most people know, Iceland’s name is a huge lie. Parts of Iceland are covered in snowfields and glaciers, but Iceland also has hundreds of volcanos and is known for its hot springs. So yeah, the Vikings who named Iceland were huge jokesters.

 

I’ve always loved looking at pictures of Iceland. It’s such a beautiful country – I love how wild and rugged it is, and soaking in a natural hot spring is totally my thing. One hot spring in particular, Laugafell, really caught my eye (partly because it has a name I can actually pronounce, unlike Deildartunguhver…).
 

 

 Laugafell is a mountain in the northern highlands of Iceland, sitting between the glaciers Horsjokull and Vatnajokull. Its western slope is riddled with geothermal hot springs, which are heated by the earth’s mantle. The hot springs are a bit of an oasis, since the highlands can be very barren. Plants and wildlife flourish around the hot springs, which are usually 40-50 degrees Celsius.

 

 

Laugafell has two mountain huts where visitors can stay. The oldest hut was built 1948-1950 and sleeps 15. It is open all year round and is actually heated by geothermic water from the springs. The newer hut was built in the 90’s and is open for use in the summer. It sleeps 20. Both huts have functioning kitchens with gas for cooking and utensils provided. There is a separate third hut which serves as a washroom and showerhouse. The hot spring pools are located just outside the cabins.

 

Just imagine waking up in the morning, stepping out onto the beautiful mountainside and gazing over the highlands all around you. Then you could take a dip in a pool heated by the earth’s core, right in your own backyard, surrounded by wildflowers and gorgeous mountain vistas. Sounds like bliss.

 

 

What to do? Other than soaking in warm geothermal pools (and you would have a hard time tearing me away from that), there are tons of hiking trails all around Laugafell, which lead to other mountains and glaciers and the nearby Eyjafiord Valley. There are gorgeous waterfalls and canyons to visit throughout the highlands, and apparently they raise a lot of horses here, so you could probably do some horseback riding or something.

 

What to eat? You’re pretty much on your own here. You’ve got two kitchens with stoves and “the necessary utensils” (not sure exactly what that includes). Laugafell is 85 km from the nearest town, Akureyri, so you could make a stop there and stock up on groceries before heading up to the huts for your stay.

 

I tried to find some sort of pun about Iceland or something, but they were all pretty bad… So instead, Fun Fact: many people in Iceland still believe in elves and trolls, and many roads are rerouted around places they think are inhabited by magical creatures. Probably makes for some interesting driving.

 

 

There’s not a ton of information about Laugafell, and most of it is scattered in bits and pieces over a bunch of sites, but this one covers pretty much everything.  The English is a little iffy, but I’m sure you can get past that.