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Cenote Azul is nothing less than an amazing body of water – azure, clear water that goes immediately into abyss, right off the edge of its shore.

We’ve already described quite a few cenotes in the vicinity of Tulum and Merida, Yucatan. Each cenote is different, but this one is very special. For once, it’s really huge, for a sinkhole, which it essentially is, and it’s right next the world famous resort at the lake Bacalar.

So, I was very skeptical of a possibility to enjoy this nature’s wonder au naturel, but luckily I had my local CouchSurfing host George to show me around – and he knew where to go. Most of the shore is covered in vegetation, and there is a “hidden” access across from the tourist area with a restaurant.

They wouldn’t see what you wear not wear under water anyway

– or above water for that matter either 😉

And is this how fish see us from below?

Not such a pretty picture, unless they are into impressionist art…

We, however, could see the fish very well in that clear water, and plenty of it:

some swimming freely, and others attached to the underwater tree trunks.

So were we – soaring above the blue abyss,

with occasional rest at the underwater trees…

Nowhere else did swimming feel so much like flying, with the boundary between air and water seemingly imaginary…

We felt like birds! … or bats?

As we climbed the trees, we actually awakened some bats, quite a lot of them!

We would never have noticed them sleeping on the trunks otherwise.

And they were quite an inspiration:

we took off the tree branches

and flew back into the blue abyss!

As you can tell by this story, Cenote Azul felt magical.

It’s impossible to really express it with words and photography, but perhaps this video will do a better job.