A Pet Friendly Cenote on the Yucatan Peninsula – An adventure to share with your four-legged friend

Hola friends! Senorito Beauregard here. Ambassador for all things pet friendly in Yucatan. I usually write about Yucatan state, but we share this beautiful peninsula with two other states; Campeche and Quintana Roo, so when something pet friendly in our neghbouring states piques my curiosity, I have to sniff out the information for my favourite people. That would be you!

What is a cenote?

If you live in Yucatan, you know what a cenote is, but recently, I’ve discovered that people are reading my articles from all over the world, so allow me to explain. I’m a dog, so I’ll keep it simple. It’s a sinkhole, or cave, permanently filled with water. Most are underground, but some look like pretty little ponds on the surface. The Yucatan Peninsula has hundreds, maybe thousands of these cenotes. Some have collapsed and dried up, but there are many you can visit and enjoy and far more that have yet to be discovered.

Luckily for pet lovers, one was discovered by the father of Roberto Matute Marcor when he bought some land 20 years ago, not too far from Akumal, Quintana Roo. If you have visited cenotes in Yucatan, you know they range from a tiny hole in the ground with a ladder taking you into the water-filled cave to highly developed tourist attractions where dozens of people in neon orange life jackets arrive in buses to cool off daily.

Tell us about this cenote

Roberto is now the caretaker for this cenote. Because of his love of nature and desire to protect the native flora and fauna on the surrounding land, he has taken a unique approach to making it accessible to the public. Only very small groups can visit the cenote once or twice a day. He keeps them from leaving plastic, using sunscreen or other topical creams to ensure the integrity and health of the delicate ecosystem.

Roberto explained why he believes this is so important. “In the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, it is ‘easy’ to be able to buy land with cenotes. From my point of view, these two states should be nature reserves due to their great diversity of flora, fauna, and underground rivers in the area. However, this is not the case, and all these natural areas remain at the mercy of the people who acquire them.”

Roberto has been allowing very limited and personalised visits for nine years. He feels this is the best way to protect the cenote while giving visitors the best experience possible. Because it is such a private setting, he can offer recreational, educational, and spiritual activities such as small weddings, retreats, meditations, sound baths, proposals, and romantic dinners.

Why is this a pet friendly cenote?

Roberto decided to allow pets to enjoy the cenote with their people during the pandemic. He realised that many companion animals struggled during the lockdown and were developing behavioural problems. So, he wanted to provide a place where they could relax, unwind, and experience some freedom in a natural setting. Luckily Roberto happened to have just the spot.

He has his own dog and cat, Mila, the chihuahua, and Amor, the cat, and has a strong connection with animals. After seeing the joy of blind dogs that had visited his cenote, he became convinced that nature is an essential therapy for animal companions that have suffered trauma. He hopes to organise healing workshops for families and their pets and even veterinary services on the property in the future.

There may be some people who are concerned about having dogs in cenotes. It is important to remember that animals have been present and using cenotes for far longer than humans have. If anyone is going to pollute cenotes, it will be humans. A well-run cenote with few visitors, and loving guardians, who protect it from the negative impacts of overuse, will likely stay healthy for a very long time.

How can I visit this pet friendly cenote?

My humans have yet to arrange a visit for me, but they plan to. If you want to take your best furry friend with you to have this very extraordinary experience, you can book directly through the Pet Friendly Cenotes Facebook page. If you do, let us know and send some photos!

All photos courtesy of Pet Friendly Cenotes