Dos Ojos Cenote

We almost didn't make it to Dos Ojos, mostly due to transportation and the confusion of how to get there. Thank goodness the Man convinced me! He's more of the "go with the flow" kind of guy. I'm glad he's my partner in life because if it weren't for him, I don't think I would be as adventurous. The Man loved this place. In fact, he probably wanted to come here again. Actually, what he really wanted to do was go diving in the Cenotes. We only got to snorkel at Dos Ojos, but next time I think the Man's going full blown Cenote Diving!

We took the collectivo (a van that locals take, which is really cheap ($30 pesos) and runs along Hwy 370) from Tulum to Dos Ojos. We were pretty nervous about the collectivo, but it worked out just fine and dropped us off at the entrance. We didn't have a car so we needed transportation to the Cenotes. Admission plus transportation cost $400 Pesos ($300 for both of us, $50 one way transportation). I expected a car to take us to the Cenotes. Nope, this is Mexico. Basically a piece of crap bicycle/motorcycle/rickshaw/whoknows took us to the Cenotes (about 4km/2miles) and let me just tell you, it was a scary, bumpy (when I say bumpy, I mean hold on to dear life!) ride!!!

(Entrance to Dos Ojos off Hwy 370, about 20 minutes from Tulum)

(a rusty makeshift rickshaw-looking ride, super ghetto!!)

Once we got to the first Ojo, we were mesmerized and forgot all about the ride in. Crystal clear blue fresh water. A natural cave, full of clean cool water! Gorgeous! Go early because it really does get crowded quick. It's not a very big pool, we spent maybe an hour to hour and half there. The Man wished he went scuba diving there. It was awesome to see the divers descend into the water then make their way into the caves with their flashlights. Really awesome. It was almost like they were explorers going into a dark abyss. Pretty amazing stuff here.

The second Ojo is much bigger and longer, but a little darker. Not as much sunlight in this cave, due to it's smaller opening. Lots of people here too. Because the second Ojo is in a round formation, there's a nice little courtyard area, which is kind of jungly. The Man spent a lot of time in this one, went far into the darker back areas, went all the way to the end, which is the Seco (dry) Ojo. The formations of the limestone underwater are the most amazing thing ever. They are all sorts of shapes and sizes, some smooth, some bumpy, some sharp. There were numerous stalactites growing from the cave ceiling, some hung low, some were huge! You kind of had to be careful when you surfaced from a snorkel to make sure not to hit a stalactite because that could do some real damage to your head.

Being underwater in a Cenote and look at all the limestone formations and stalacitite made me realize, what we see with our eyes is only a small percentage of what is really available to see. There is a whole different world, whole different scenery and experience down below the caves than what is up above the water. It truly was mystifying and sort of spiritual and spooky at the same time.

(First Ojo)

(First Ojo, clear blue water)

(First Ojo, cool fresh water, gets crowded quickly!)

(First Ojo)

(The Man freediving in the Cenote)

(Sign underwater that states "forbidden to cross with snorkeling, diving only. 80 minutes long cave")

(Scuba divers getting ready to go into the caves)

We realized it was about close to 5pm when we were done with the 2nd Ojo. We walked back to the entrance gate of the Cenotes to find that the guy at the station/kiosk was gone already!!! We were supposed to call for a ride back to the entrance entrance. Now we were stuck!! And I sure as hell was not going to walk that dirt road, 2 miles back in wet clothes!!

Thankfully, a nice lady who rented out snorkel gear was still there, and she manage to call the front desk for pick up.....she then tells us in broken English (but very nice), they will be here in 10 minutes in a white car.........10 minutes rolls by, 20 minutes rolls by, 30 minutes rolls by, 40 minutes rolls by. Now she is even getting anxious, packing up her stuff to leave for the day. Thankfully, she calls the front desk again and probably ask what the heck?! They said they'll be there soon....she kept saying "andale" which means hurry, which is all I caught. She then leaves us to go home for the day. Now we are really abandoned with no phone or transportation.......fantastic!!!We waited for another 10 minutes, no one came for us. Thankfully, a taxi happened to show up!!! We didn't risk it, paid 50 pesos and got the hell out of there! We didn't care about getting a refund for our transportation, not that anyone was there anyway.....

Other than the customer service hiccup with transportation, all in all, this was a fantastic day and experience. I would highly recommend the Cenotes to anyone adventurous. 

Adventurously, 

The Lady

(The Man and the Lady, a funny selfie of us where you can't even tell we're underwater)