Boca del Puma is a fun eco-park where you can spend a day swimming in the cenotes, play with spider monkeys, zip-line and participate in many activities.
The world’s largest number of underground caves and sinkholes called cenotes are located in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. There are more than 6000 cenotes but not all of them are exposed.
First off, what is a “Cenote”?
The word, “Cenote” ( pronounced say-NOH-teh) comes from Mayan dzonot, meaning “well” a natural sinkhole or pit that has been forming for thousands of years. It was once sacred to the Mayans who used them as spiritual sites for sacrifices and ceremonies.
Today they are tourist attractions and less for the veneration of the ancient Maya.
Despite the touristic exploitation, I see that they manage to conserve the beauty of these cenotes and visitors can pay a fee to enter and enjoy them.
I have been to a couple of cenotes many years ago but recently visited Boca del Puma and wanted to share this particular cenote with you.
Some of Mexico’s cenotes are open like a lake, others are almost completely underground with only a small opening. And this one has both including a chance to see spider monkeys!
Location of Boca del Puma
Located in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It is next to the highway that connects with the small town of Leona Vicario; the well-known “Ruta de los Cenotes” meaning Cenotes Route are home to several cenotes.
Activities: swimming in Cenotes, ATV, zip-lining, rappelling, cycling, chicle village (natural rubber) and wall climbing.
How to Get there
The Route of the Cenotes is 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from Puerto Morelos and 40 kilometers (24 miles) away from Cancun. There are several ways to get here.
You can get here by car. You can rent a car or hire a taxi but make sure the service is round trip. Taxi costs about 400 pesos one way ( approx $21 USD). There’s also many tours online that includes round transportation.
We took the local bus called collectivo that is a mini-van. It costs 30 pesos each way. My friends and I met at the park on the intersection of Caoba and Chechen. Type in Paradero Puerto Morelos in google map.
Currently the collectivo runs every hour and 17 km away. We got on the 9.05am and got there in about 20 mins. The time to arrive there is depending on how many people gets on and off the collectivo.
Since we got there early, we had the cenotes all to ourselves. “Early birds gets the worm!” They are open 9am to 5pm everyday. Things could change so I would check again just to be sure the hours and if they are open. Also not all the activities are open, you will need to check with the staff.
What To take
I recommend you to bring or wear your bathing suit, carry a small backpack and take with you a towel, sunglasses, a hat or cap, a change of clothes if you wish, snacks and water. We also took our swimming goggles. Also there will be some walking so wear tennis shoes or water shoes that is made for walking as well.
IMPORTANT: If you wear sunblock or insect repellent, please make sure they are environmentally friendly. This is to protect the cenotes and the wildlife. Otherwise, please put it on after swimming.
At The Park ( March 17th 2021)
As we entered the park, we saw a spider monkey up on a tree and that made my day!The staff welcomed us. We paid for 2 cenotes, 300 Pesos ( approx $16 USD) per person. They initially wanted 400 pesos but gave us a discount. There are other activities such as ATV, Zipline etc they tried to sell but we weren’t interested in those. We were then introduced to a kid who is our Tour Guide and who didn’t speak English. When he was introduced I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. By the end of the day, the 14 year old Tour Guide did a great job guiding us.
Facilities and what they provide
They provide life jackets for free. They have restrooms. Their restaurant were open. They have 4 cheese empanadas for 150 pesos. They have chicken wings and nuggets.
Underground Cave Cenote
This cenote is quite small but nonetheless a fun one. You are led inside after a few series of steps. It’s 20 meters deep and the water was pretty crystal clear. We followed our guide as we wind through the cave system. The water was a little cold but it helped as we kept moving.
Open CenoteThis open cenote is beautiful and large. It has a jumping platform with a rope swing where visitors can launch themselves into the bright green-blue waters below. This cenote is sunken far into the ground, with cliffs all the way around.
Along these cliffs are wooden seats and changing rooms.
You can make your way down to the crystal clear water using the purpose built wooden steps, or you can jump right in from the marked cliff jump areas.
Once in the refreshing water, there’s still so much to see, the rock formations there are so very impressive and when you look up, nature abounds.
Overall, a memorable trip that I would want to visit again and spent more time with the monkeys.
Note
It is important to know that cenotes are ancient water bodies that are very fragile and are the habitat of many varieties of flora and fauna species. Please take a bath before diving into any of the cenotes to remove any chemicals from your body (body lotions, sunblock, deodorants, makeup, etc.) Please do not touch the stalactites and stalagmites because the oils on our hands will stop the growth and kill them. Also do not hang yourself from the roots of the trees. It would be great to preserve it for the next generations.
( Have you been to a cenote? What are your experiences? )
bigworldawaits 