Yucatan Today: sacred places

The Yucatan Peninsula is a porous limestone shelf with no above-ground rivers or lakes. Instead there are underground rivers, lakes, sinkholes and caves. The caves of the Yucatan were sacred places for the Mayan and are impressive places to visit. When visiting the caves it is important to ALWAYS enter with a guide.

Loltun Caves This name is derived from two Mayan words, LOL (flower) and TUN (stone). Located in the hilly Puuc region, 66 miles from Merida, these are the largest caves on the peninsula. They are also the ones that are the most studied. Evidence has been found here of human contact going back 7,000 years. Mammoth bones have been found in the caves, along with fresco paintings on the walls, "hands in negative", faces, animals, grecos and decorative figures.
Published in Yucatan Today