Cenote Mani Chan is one of the special cenotes that has remained stuck in the backpack of my heart. There are more than a hundred cenotes that I have visited, and they never cease to amaze me.
There are cenotes that for one reason or another you connect more, that's how it is. It doesn't have to be the most beautiful or impressive, there are places that go deep. That happened to me at Mani Chan, an unforgettable place.
I went on cenote adventures again with my dear friend and partner Isa, with whom we enjoyed sharing the blog mexicocenotesandruins, and with the great Dani, a gift from a dear friend.
Three women wanting to have a good time and celebrate life. Nothing can go wrong with that attitude, great understanding.
At 3 o'clock we were captivated by the Mani Chan cenote, especially due to the human quality of the owners. Felipe and his wife welcomed us and transmitted their passion for the place as happens in few places.
They started their dream of opening this small cenote to the public. They have created a wonderful place, with a lot of work and effort, and now they are seeing their reward. They explained to us how they almost cried when they saw the first tourist arrive after so much work.
I better not explain more about them, I encourage you to know the place by the hand of the family of Felipe and Karina.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CENOTE MANI CHAN AND CLEOTILDE
From the Mani Chan cenote you can also go to the Cleotilde cenote and the Caliskutz cenote. From the Mani Chan they accompany you by motorcycle taxi to the other cenotes. Felipe and Karina are the owners of Mani Chan, the other two cenotes are owned by different owners, but they accompany you there.
The facilities of the Mani Chan cenote are very nice, you can see the love and work dedicated to their home.
Each one costs 70 pesos. It is worth going to all of them, do not miss them. It is a very fun way to visit them on local transport.
We went by own car. First we visited the Caliskutz cenote on our own, and then we went to Mani Chan and Cleotilde.
Keep in mind that the motorcycle taxi service between the three cenotes is only offered from the Mani Chan cenote.
Another way to get there is to rent a bike from the town, or go by motorcycle taxi from the town of Homún. Below I give you the complete information.
By the way, on the route between the two cenotes, you do a section through a sacbé (sacbé is a Mayan word that means white road. They are the roads built by the ancient Maya). This sacbé connects with Mayapán, one of the ancient Mayan cities that I highly recommend you visit. How much I like Mayapan
Felipe, who is a great guide, made us understand in a simple way that water is and will always be a treasure, it is what we eat to a large extent. On this trade road between ancient Mayan cities from the interior to the Caribbean coast, this spring of pure water was a perfect place to recharge your batteries and be.
The will of Felipe and his family is to convey the importance of this cenote and preserve it.
CENOTE MANI CHAN
The Mani Chan cenote is a small cenote inside a cave. Its waters are so crystalline that you think that the water is totally pure. The local white clay gives this tone of purity.
That gives you the feeling of a sacred place, and that is how Felipe explained it to us. There the ancient Maya kept the water as a treasure. This place is very close to the sacbé that goes to Mayapán, it was a busy place. Water was a treasure on this trail.
The Mani Chan cenote is small but the journey between its walls is something so slow and beautiful that it makes this place enormous. You will be able to observe fossils on the walls of the cenote tunnel, the wrinkles of the Planet.
There is a very softly lit tunnel
We were lucky to be alone in the cenote and it was an experience that I know each one of us will always remember. We greatly enjoyed the place, just as it is.
- ABOUT HIS NAME: his name means small steps
- CHARACTERISTICS CENOTE MANI CHAN: it is located inside a cave. Access is easy. It has a depth of 15 meters and a cave of 1 kilometer and a half.
- WHAT I LIKE THE MOST: I felt like a magical place, I loved it.
- WHAT I LIKE LEAST: nothing
- A LITTLE SECRET: there is ancient ceramics in the Mani Chan cenote grotto, another indicator that this place was occupied and kept secret.
CENOTE CLEOTILDE:
The Cleotilde cenote is an open cenote of small dimensions, walls of beautiful rock formations, crystal clear water and poplar roots that decorate the cenote with great beauty.
I loved swimming in this place. We chose to go to the Cleotilde cenote first and it was a good idea to do so. But about tastes there are no colors, each one chooses according to the moment.
- CHARACTERISTICS CENOTE CLEOTILDE: it is an open cenote with beautiful roots looking for the fresh water of the cenote and walls of wonderful formations.
- WHAT I LIKE THE MOST: The roots and walls of the cenote are very beautiful, beauty is tangled.
- WHAT I LIKE LEAST: the access platform to the water is too cemented. I like more natural materials within these spaces. The access staircase is made of iron and the environment is much colder.
HOW TO GO TO CENOTE MANI CHAN AND CLEOTILDE
Within the Homún cenotes there are some that are further away from the town. Normally, for convenience, the closest ones are visited.
You arrive at the Mani Chan cenote by a dirt road of about 4 kilometers. It is the same path that takes you to the cenotes of Santa Bárbara, but it is much further away.
- HOW TO GO TO THE CENOTE mani chan BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT: from Mérida the bus leaves (medium van) from the central neighborhood (calle 52 x 65 y 67). Schedules from Mérida to Homún starting at 6 in the morning, last departure at 5:30 pm. From Homún to Mérida, the first departure is at 5:30 in the morning and the last between 5 and 6 in the afternoon. Price: 34 pesos per person. The schedules of the buses are not very exact, they leave when they are full. It is a very busy route, so it is easy for the bus to fill up quickly. The tour is approximately 1 hour.
- HOW TO GO TO THE CENOTE mani chan BY CAR: From Mérida take Calle 59 to the city's peripheral, and follow the sign to Chichén Itzá. Continue on the road for almost 30 kilometers until the detour to Tahmek. Hocabá continues from here and then Homún.
- HOW TO GO TO THE CENOTE mani chan BY MOTOTAXI FROM HOMÚN: prices are over 300 pesos for a tour of the cenotes by motorcycle taxi. You can see from 3 to 5 cenotes depending on the time you spend. You can agree on another price to stay longer and go to more remote cenotes.
- HOW TO GO TO THE CENOTE mani chan BY BIKE: they rent bicycles in Homún to do the tour to the cenotes. Protect yourself from the heat and the sun, always wear cool clothes, a hat and water.
INFORMATION TO VISIT CENOTE MANI CHAN AND CLEOTILDE:
The services are located in the Mani Chan cenote.
Mani Chan Cenote Hours
From 8 to 6 in the afternoon every day.
Mani Chan cenote services
- Bathrooms
- Watering cans
- Changers
- Palapas where to eat or rest
- offer food
- Camping area and services for motorhomes. The price is 200 pesos per person, includes the entrance to the two cenotes: Mani Chan and Cleotilde
Mani Chan cenote price
210 pesos for the 3 cenotes: Mani Chan, Cleotilde and Caliskutz, 70 pesos per cenote.
Includes motorcycle taxi between one cenote and another.
Contact cenote Mani Chan
WhatsApp contact: +52 1 999 420 4852
TIPS FOR VISITING CENOTES
- BRING A VISOR: if you go to the cenotes, wear a mask or a visor to see underwater, I assure you that it gives you a different and beautiful view of the cenotes. If you have a water lamp I recommend that you take it.
- COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR: access to the cenotes is very varied: dirt roads, sometimes slippery stairs, some enter the water stepping on stone. Go with a closed shoe that fits, if it can get wet better.
- CASH: only pay in cash, if you have a small bill better.
- INSECT REPELLENT: bring biodegradable repellent, use it after bathing. It is very likely that you will not need the repellent at many times of the year.
- GO THROUGH THE SHOWER / SHOWER: a good shower before entering the cenotes is essential to avoid contaminating them with chemicals from our body, such as creams, deodorants, soaps, even our sweat.
- THE SWIMSUIT: of course the swimsuit, and also a towel or pareo to dry yourself. Do not forget a change of clothes to dry after bathing.
- RESPECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: do not hang from the roots of the trees, do not scratch the walls, do not touch the stalactites or do any other idiocy that damages the place. Pick up all your garbage, do not eat or drink in the cenotes, do not touch or remove flora or fauna. It is a federal crime, it is punishable.
CENOTES HOMÚN MAP
I leave you to make the map with the cenotes of Homún easier. You can open the map and organize your visit to your liking. Any information leave me a comment and I will gladly help you.
Thank you very much Felipe and Karina for your illusion, for your vision, for your dream. You have created such a wonderful place that only a few knew about it. That's how nice I felt.
Good way,
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