Exploring Rio Secreto – The Riviera Maya’s Amazing Underground River

Exploring Rio Secreto – The Riviera Maya's Amazing Underground River

Wondering where to spend your next holiday? Riviera Maya in the Caribbean Island is the destination you may want to do some research and make a visit. The pure white sugar sand beaches fringed with palm trees, the translucent turquoise water which seems to sparkle like diamonds, the mysteries of an ancient civilization that drift on the wind; it is really one of those places you could describe as paradise on earth.

This beautiful slice of Mexico really does have something for everyone. For the active, there’s no shortage of adrenaline-pumping activities from kayaking to parasailing, horse riding to quad riding and biking. With thousands of years’ worth of Mayan temples to explore, history lovers will also have an amazing time exploring this beautiful destination. If relaxation is more your cup of tea, you’re not going to be disappointed either; choose a boat rental in Riviera Maya</b that will take you on a sailing tour to the beautiful coastline of the Riviera Maya.exploring-rio-secreto

Riviera Maya is also home to an incredible underground nature reserve – Rio Secreto. Explore the natural wonders of the Rio Secreto underground river, which is the Yucatan Peninsula's hidden gem. Swim amid thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, and learn about the river's geology.

LOCATION – Located in the Riviera Maya 3 miles south-west of Playa del Carmen, Rio Secreto is a system of caves carved out over the course of several centuries by an underground river. Stretching approximately 8 miles, with 15 natural outlets, it’s the longest partially flooded cave on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. But what makes Rio Secreto unique is the fact that it’s semi-sunken, which means that you can hike or float through most of it.

GOING UNDERGROUND AT RIO SECRETO

After a short orientation, wear your full wet-suit, booties, life jackets, helmet and switch ON the headlamps. Under the guidance of an expert embark into the underworld journey, deep into the Yucatan jungle to find one of many hidden entrances of Rio Secreto. It is here you can see and experience pure natural beauty that you will very possibly never see anywhere else you visit.

Walk, swim and float down the river system for about a kilometer, take a stop along the way to learn about the various stalagmites, stalactites and animals which inhabit this cave. Descending below the earth’s surface, the world goes silent. Enjoy the dramatic scenery in total peace. A mere whisper can carry for hundreds of yards
Every now and again, you will hear water drops.. slowly filtering through from above – filling the giant chamber with their gentle echoes. Almost magically, nature does his work slowly of growing the formations. These formations are alive which will give you the feeling of real life explorers, freshly discovering one of Earth’s true hidden gems.

These stalactites begin with a single drop of water. Rainwater filters down through the limestone creating a calcium bicarbonate solution. Once this solution reaches the roof of a cave, it forms a drop of water, which deposits a thin ring of calcite. Eventually, stalactites form from these mineral-laden drops of water. Everywhere you will look, you'll find yourself surrounded by literally thousands of breathtaking formations. Every step you will take, you will find something new. A new shape, a new formation, another opening, another cave, another crystal clear pool…

When the path narrows down to a tight point… a small crawl hole to the next chamber – a ‘constriction,’ some people get a little squeemish. While crawling to explore the cenotes, you will be left awestruck by this natural beauty. Such is the spell of this place. While crawling, walking, climbing, swimming, snorkeling and floating through these mazes of chambers, you will witness that each of them is richly decorated with the finest of formations. The beauty of an immense cavern full of countless stalactites stretching down from the roof… and with countless stalagmites reaching up from the floor to meet them cannot be described in any amount of words.

Of course, eventually, you will have to make your way out of the caves. There will be a weird mixture of regret and relief when you get your first glimpse of sun streaming through the skylight of your exit, emerging back into the crisp daylight.

The cool air, the darkness, the alien, the almost otherworldly landscape will make your vacation in the Riviera Maya a memorable one that you can cherish until your next visit. Boat rental in Riviera Maya provides vessels that will take you to these great DESTINATION LOCATIONS.

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