The great Yucatán escape

Tulum and the underworld
There is a hidden river that connects all of the people of the Yucatán. Imagine the veins beneath the skin of a giant, and you have an idea of the extent and interconnectedness of the myriad underground streams of the Yucatán. All throughout this peninsula you’ll find tiny glimpses into this vast underworld through cenotes — apertures that, in many cases, look like nothing more than small ponds.

The draw of these entryways is timeless. Archeologists have unearthed the signs of human habitation around almost every known cenote in the Yucatán. So while we’re in Puerto Aventuras, we connect with PADI Gold Palm Dive Aventuras to explore the Dos Ojos and Temple of Doom cenotes.

The entrance to most of the cenotes is nondescript. A path leads to a small opening in the ground, which leads, in turn, to caverns, rivers and places that, in many cases, have yet to see the gaze of man. Happily, for the most part, if you want to experience this environment, you don’t need to be cave certified. You’ll always see some light in the darkness.

Not a certified cave diver myself, I set out to get a taste of the Maya god Xbalba’s realm. We connect with Dive Aventuras at the Omni Hotel in Puerto Aventuras, and soon enough, we’re immersed and descending in truly crystalline water at the Cenote Taj Mahal. We see the sign of the skull and crossbones at the entrance to one of the deeper, darker tunnels, warning off everyone not suitably trained, and we head in the other direction. 

The water we swim through is cooler than the sea — around 72°F — and we slip in and out of darkness, passing from one chamber to another. We descend through a halocline, where fresh and salt water mix. For a brief moment, everything we view is blurred, as if seen through syrup. There aren’t too many fish here, but even just exploring among the caverns, you can feel the immensity of this underground realm.

“Cavern” sounds dark, but the real reason to come to places like this is to experience the light. Everywhere that a sunbeam can sneak through becomes a mesmerizing show in these dark realms. In some places, the caverns open to the jungle, and a thousand shafts of light — auroralike curtains of light — pierce the darkness and dance and move through the water. Some light beams pry their way through a small crack and slice like a laser, straight and sharp, into the darkness. Venture from one light show to another, and soon you’ll forget any worries about diving in the dark.

Not too far from the kingdom of Xbalba, there’s a palace built to celebrate the god of the sun, Kinich Ahau. Here, perched right on the coast, is perhaps the  most photographed of all the Maya ruins: Tulum. Just like modern tourists, the Maya (and in this case, the Maya rulers), liked to head to the beach for some sand, sea and sun. This temple and the surrounding buildings were built on one of the Yucatán’s best beaches. It’s a bit like going to a circus; so much has been built up around Tulum, but it’s worth joining the flow of tourists to experience this ruin — and take a few photos, too.

Lights, action, surprise!
It doesn’t take long to travel from Tulum to Cancún. And as we arrive in this city of glitter, built for the simple pursuit of pleasure, I think of where we started on this grand escape.

We’ve come from the jungle, where life still runs on a clock determined by the sun and the moon, a place where instincts to love, flee, hunt and eat still rule our resolve. And the sounds you hear emanate from the unchanged language and life of nature.

Amos Nachoum / Sport Diver A traditional ceremonial Maya costumed performer, Tulum.

As I check into my room at the Beach Palace in Cancún, I find a family-size Jacuzzi in my room and a small refrigerator filled with cold drinks. On my balcony, I look down on a pool and a long expanse of beachfront, with hotel after hotel. I know that in the streets below, I will be able to find just about anything I want 24 hours a day.

For now, I call down and order breakfast. They tell me it will arrive in 20 minutes. When it comes, I enjoy huevos rancheros on the balcony, looking out over the water, wondering how a life of eat-or-get-eaten plays out right next to one of bright lights, big city.

We take a taxi to the harbor from where PADI Gold Palm Scuba Cancún leaves, and soon we’re passing people parasailing, riding jet skis, sailing catamarans and filling the beaches. Above them looms a giant forest of hotels, some shaped like Mayan temples, some with rounded edges and some angled so that all the rooms overlook the beach.

The dive site seems almost close enough to swim to from our hotel. We descend and let the current sweep us toward the 80-foot wreck of C-58, an ex-Navy minesweeper, which has been broken in two by storms. We head to the bow section and duck out of the current, quickly entering the space protected by the pilothouse.

Slide show   Cancún caliente Beaches, water sports, fine dining, nightlife, culture and more – you’ll find your adventure here. more photos

We’re not the only creatures in the sea with this idea. Snapper, grunts, parrotfish and probably every other fish that happens upon this wreck has settled into this quiet spot. But not the spotted eagle rays. They love current. Gazing through the wreck’s openings to the current-swept side of the wreck, we see about 40 of these graceful rays hovering in the blue wind, their long tails trailing behind. They swoop in and away from the wreck, and the whole time I’m thinking, Geez, who knew what was here, within shouting distance of Cancún? But it’s here, thanks to the protected marine park just outside of Cancún. We never make it to the second section of the ship; with a show like this there is just no need.

Back above water, we warm up under the Mexican sun, and I’m still in that state of diver euphoria and still a bit surprised that I’m so near to the resort-studded beach. The boat moves to a second site, El Tunel. We barely arrive at the seafloor when a hawksbill settles in next to us, paralleling us as we slip over a quick dip in the reef right into a huge aggregation of snapper. They polarize around us, gliding around the reef like a slow, yellow-and-blue river. The turtle disappears into the wall of fish.

Amos Nachoum / Sport Diver Aerial view of the ancient city of Tulum

We follow the reef through arches, swim-throughs and in and around coral gullies and alleyways, all of them packed with snappers, grunts and big-eyes. Every few minutes, more turtles, mostly juveniles, join the excursion. I can think of many places in the world that would brag about this much marine life. But Cancún seems hushed about the whole affair, even though this city — devoted to amusement, delight and desire — seems to be sitting atop some of the region’s best diving.

I’m fine with keeping the secret. Cancún is only an hour-and-a-half flight from my Orlando home.

We’re still talking about the dives when the shrimp tacos arrive at our table at Restaurante Oasis, an authentic gem hidden away from the hotel zone. 

That night, I sit in my Jacuzzi with a drink, the doors to the balcony open, listening to the Aztec music and dance show that’s playing 12 stories below by the pool. As the heat and bubbles relax my body, I hear the words spoken by one of the dancers: Our dance is a story and celebration of Peace, Purity, Joy and the honor of the Dead. It’s a tradition that has been passed down from father to son and now to you. I pull myself up and walk to the balcony. As I look down from above, I see one costumed warrior standing in a pool of light. His headdress of quetzal feathers quivers slightly in the breeze, the same breeze that cooled his ancestors. Take the honor of our story and our way of life with you. The headdress swirls in a quickening breeze, then the light fades, leaving only his words lingering on the warm Mexican night.

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