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Waterplay in Cancun"To Truly Appreciate Her Crystal-Clear Ocean - Dive Right In!"By Jamie RossI arrived in Cancun in late evening, and drove down the flashy strip of hotels and night clubs to my resort at the north end of what is essentially an island. The air is lovely and warm, and redolent with the perfume of tropical blossoms; the hotel courtyard is full of luscious green gardens and exotic plants From my patio I listen to the sounds of the Mexican night, the murmurs of the ocean, and the gentle rustling of palm fronds moving in the wind. My bungalow sits above the white sand, and in the darkness I make out the elegant curves of palm thatched canopies, anchored sailboats, and the Caribbean Sea stretching to Isla Mujeres, (Island of Women), on the horizon.
The thick, impenetrable jungle, and limestone plateaus of the Yucatan Peninsula force most human life to the coast, while the humid heat directs you to the water. In Cancun you can go deep sea fishing, drive a speedboat on a wild ride careening down a jungle river, or charter a private yacht. At the many resorts and hotels that line the beaches there is sailing, wind surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, and water skiing. If you like a view of the ocean world, there is snorkelling, scuba diving and, my favourite, cenote diving - exploring the Yucatan's massive network of underground rivers and tunnels. Once exposed, these caves and caverns have flooded, as rain water permeates the limestone on its journey to the sea. On the second day of my Cancun trip I join a group of five divers. We are transported by van south of Cancun into the jungle, where steps carved in the limestone lead us down to a small freshwater pool backed by a sheer rock wall. This reservoir will be our magical window to the underworld. It is called Chac-Mool, (Chac being the Mayan rain god). Our guide, Alberto, takes us on two dives, floating through the subterranean maze of passages and caves with a sublime feeling of weightlessness. We use our breathing to carefully control buoyancy, adjusting in the narrow chambers to avoid scraping our tank-back on the delicate roof or to guard against sinking too low on the passage floor. Every now and then there are windows to the outside world. Beams of daylight pierce through the gin-clear water, like a spotlight from a stage show. The natural light illuminates a beautiful display of stalactites and stalagmites. At other times there is darkness; our underwater torches highlight the passage, and play a laser show on the chamber walls.
If the scuba diving or cave diving is a little too extreme, you can pay a visit to the wonderful Xel-Ha (pronounced "Sell-Ha"), meaning the place where water is born. Here you can enjoy a natural water-park, drifting down a jungle river hedged with mangrove, where crystal clear water slides smoothly over rocky outcrops and rounded boulders. You can take a break to climb a knotted rope up a rutted cliff, diving back into the deep gorge below. Snorkel with grouper, parrot fish, snapper, schools of yellowtail and jack fish, silver flashes in the sun. Returning to the beautiful main lagoon, I put a space-like helmet on my head, and take a "Sea trek," walking twelve feet deep along the ocean floor. Here, friendly and well-fed, a sting ray comes close for a visit, rubbing its velvety-smooth wings past my leg like a friendly feline. Visitors can also swim with dolphins, snuba - a combination snorkel and scuba dive, joust on a teetering, floating bridge, or swing off a rope into a deep pool. Approximately 40 minutes drive south of Cancun is another Mexican Marvel, one that enjoys an average of 2,000 visitors daily. Xcaret (pronounced "esh carett") is a Mayan word meaning "little inlet." The Mayas came to this magical spot to bathe in the clear waters, purifying both body and soul. I do the same, snorkelling down a 500 metre underground river, through limestone passageways and chambers. I paddle through dark waters and then out into the brilliant sunshine, with the jungle canopy overhead. The half hour trip had me feeling like Indiana Jones.
It is a magnificent, if dry way, to cap off my week of water play in what has been called the water sports capital of the Caribbean - the 100 kilometre long corridor of beaches south of Cancun that runs the length of the Yucatan's eastern state, Quintana Roo. Here, water is life, that magical element that attracts us to the Cancun's ocean, lagoons, inlets, cenotes, and mystical underground rivers. Contact Information:Contact the Cancun Visitor's Bureau Accommodation:Avalon Bay Resort/Avalon Reef Club Attractions:Xel-Ha Xcaret Activities:Blue Water Adventures Aqua World Images by Jamie Ross |
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This will be my morning destination, but not just
because of the name. This one time pirate haven is now famed for its
snorkelling and reef dives, and seems the perfect destination to begin my
planned week of Cancun water play. I'll head west on a catamaran to snorkel
the beautiful corral reef of Cancun-Isla Mujeres National Marine Park, and
to scuba dive deeper amongst the turtles and tropical fish off this
beautiful Island.
I twirl in the subtly lit caverns, floating on my back
like a playful otter, watching rising bubbles from my regulator caught in
the lovely glow of refracted light. In places, tree roots have grown
downward through cracks and fissures in the limestone ceiling, where their
tentacles wave in the gentle, unseen currents, or find footholds on the
chamber bottom. The water is cooler than the ocean, but crystal clear. Where
salt water meets fresh, the liquid is layered like a fruity Cancun cocktail.
As at Xel-Ha, guests can frolic with dolphins, swim in
beautiful lagoons, do some sun-worshipping, or enjoy the many water sports.
In the evening, I dry myself off to enjoy a spectacular live dinner
performance. The nightly show is an extravaganza, awe-inspiring and
unrelenting, bombarding the viewer with one fine performance after another.
The history of the Mayan people is presented in a fine theatrical display,
and then you are treated to the dances and music of historic and modern
Mexico. The colourful costumes, music, songs, and lights create images full
of energy. Two hundred and fifty performers take part, and the open-air
auditorium seats 6,000.