While in the Riviera Maya, the FamTrav Grammy and I visited the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary & Rescued Animals. The excursion included an ATV ride to a cenote. Let me just say, this was the perfect excursion for us!
The day started with a safety briefing, followed by an ATV ride through he jungle. FamTrav Grammy started out with me, but quickly switched to riding shotgun with Oscar (one of the guides) as I was, “going too fast.” Ha!
A cenote – pronounced “see-now-tay” – is a natural pit or sinkhole caused by the limestone bedrock collapsing. Originally used by the ancient Maya as their fresh water supply, cenotes are now major tourist attractions, particularly in the Yucatan. There are over 6,000 in the region.
Our guide explained how the cenote was formed, talked about the stalactites and stalagmites which you should never touch, and told us that some people still use the cenotes for fresh water.
The water was so clear we could see fish swimming in it. It was also very chilly. I’m not a fax of cold water, but I did wander in to have the full experience. It was also nice to cool off as it was particularly hot!
Pro-tip: Wear water shows as there are sharp rocks embedded in the ground.
After the visit, we headed back to the sanctuary where that tour started. The Akumal Monkey Sanctuary rescues animals of all kinds. Many of them are exotic pets that have been surrendered or abandoned. Most cannot be reintroduced back into the wild as they have been domesticated. To date, the sanctuary has rescued more than 200 animals from 55 different species.
During the tour, we participated in several animal encounters.
Don’t tell the other animals, but the squirrel monkey was my favorite!
Remember Oscar? He is actually an employee of the sanctuary not the tour company (though he assists them when needed) and we enjoyed hearing about how passionate he is about the sanctuary’s mission. Like many of the people I meet on my travels, he is patient and kind, and was so happy we visited that day.
If you’re in the area, I highly recommend this tour! We booked directly as can you, but you can also book through a tour operator here. If you’d like to donate to the sanctuary, you can do so via PayPal.
This wraps a fantastic weekend with the FamTrav Grammy. Hope to do it again soon!
The Riviera Maya / Hilton Tulum and Hilton Cancun / Akumal Monkey Sanctuary & Rescued Animals
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