INCREDIBLE CENOTE IN CHICHEN-ITZA, MEXICO

 

Photograph by JACK PAULUS

 

A cenote is a deep natural pit or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico and Central America, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. Especially associated with the Yucatán Peninsula and some nearby Caribbean islands, cenotes were sometimes used by the ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings. The term derives from a word used by the low-land Yucatec Maya to mean any location with accessible groundwater. [Source]

 

via JACK PAULUS IN NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC