We arrived into Cancun in the early evening and took a very comfortable bus ride south to Tulum where we stayed in an apartment, a little out of town, for four nights. The accommodation provided bikes so we cycled around to explore the town. Tulum itself is undergoing lots of construction and parts were more built up than we expected but still has a relaxed backpacker feel.

We set out in search of one of the ‘Cenotes’ in the area which are underwater caves filled with tiny fish and terrapins.

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A cenote (Mayan dzonot, “well”) is the word used to describe a natural pit made with limerock that has groundwater underneath. They were formed by naturally-acidic rain filtering down over thousands of years and dissolving away the limestone. Mayans believed that cenotes were an entrance to the underworld, so they were often used for sacrifices, both human and material ones. 

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While cycling along the beach road we spotted a flock of pelicans on the shoreline diving for fish, we stopped a while to watch before heading back to cook some dinner for ourselves. The next day we peddled up to an ancient Mayan Temple complex overlooking the sea a must see of Tulum. 

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We spent Valentines day visiting ‘Gran Cenote’ which is the largest cenote in Mexico. The water there is crystal clear and you can see deep down into the caves even without diving.