Cenote

geology · ancient Maya · underground water · Mexico

Underground collapse creates it. A cenote forms when the roof of a limestone cave falls in, suddenly opening a hole in the ground and exposing the water beneath. The collapse happens naturally over time as water wears away the soft limestone from inside.

Precious water source. In the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, cenotes were incredibly important to the ancient Maya because they provided fresh water in an area with almost no rivers or streams above ground. The Maya built their cities around cenotes to make sure they always had water nearby.

Sacred to the Maya. The ancient Maya didn't just use cenotes for drinking water; they also considered them sacred and sometimes made offerings there, treating them as special, holy places. The word cenote comes from the Maya language and means a place where you can reach groundwater.

Made of limestone. Cenotes exist in areas where the ground is made of limestone, a soft rock that water can dissolve and carve holes through over thousands of years. This is why cenotes are so common on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula but rare in other parts of the world.