65 million years ago, a meteor that struck the Yucatan peninsula was one of the primordial reasons for the extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous. The center of impact appears to have been near the modern town of Chicxulub, at the northern tip of the peninsula, though the shock-waves caused disruptions throughout the geological structure of the region.

The peninsula’s surface is mostly made up of limestone, which eroded through the ages to form the immense network of caves and underground waterways that lend Yucatan an extraordinary geology.

Cenotes are the superficial exhibitions of these waterways, sinkholes of freshwater filtered through their underground passages. Xel-Há has outlets of several subterranean rivers within its boundaries, and two of the most important can be reached through the jungle paths towards the river.