Neonconflagrations Explorer

Cenote Cristalino is about 25km south of Playa Del Carmen, and is built up to handle crowds. The cenote is surface level, although a portion of it leaves the mangrove jungle and heads beneath the limestone shelf, a nice contrast between open swimming and feeling as if you are in a cave. There is a 3 meter tall jumping platform, and benches around and half-submerged in the water for spectators. ...

The lagoon, reachable from a short walk along dirt and plank walkways from the parking area, consists of a couple wooden decks with docks stretching into the colorful waters. In the center of the lagoon contains an underwater cave that sinks to a depth believed to be about 80 meters. This gives the lagoon a dark blue color, while the fringes are a light emerald tone. While the shallow parts sin...

With the shallow depth and the clarity of the water, this cenote is popular for snorkeling and is a location for easy dives, with the depth extending to about 8 meters. There is a jumping platform at the edge of the limestone shelf, along with benches and chairs set out on the terraces that surround the cenote. Life jackets are available at no cost at the cenote. Snorkel equipment is available ...

While there is not much development to the cenote beyond an entrance booth and a short tiled path leading to the cenote, it's a great visit for the more adventurous crowd. Cenote Calavera consists of three holes that visitors can jump into: the large opening, and two smaller holes. About 3m below the limestone shelf is a pool of magnificent blue water. This is also a popular dive spot, and the ...

First found and mapped in the 1980s, the 2.5-square-kilometer area that has been uncovered and preserved is only a small part of what is thought to be around 12 square kilometers. As such, the main plazas of the site are open, along with its most spectacular structures. However, a walk on the trails beyond these areas will lead to more surrounding mounds that have yet to be uncovered. Several s...

The cenote requires climbing down wooden stairs to the water level. Platforms for jumping and equipment such as life jackets for rent are also available, as is a short zip line, where you can glide over the water before dropping in from about 10 feet up. Lockers are available for those bringing their own lock. The area also has a small restaurant, a shaded hammock area, several palapas where gu...

Nevertheless, Harmony Glamping Tulum appeals to all, combining large furnished tent glamping options with suites for those who prefer a more comfortably luxurious lodging arrangement. The accommodations also include a restaurant and yoga classes, which are open to the public as well as hotel guests. Lying about a block off of the main street, Harmony Glamping benefits from being a short walk or...

The cenote is set in a limestone cave depression, with the water surrounding a central island 'eye'. The water is clear blue, and as this cenote tends not to be crowded, you'll have a chance of seeing and swimming with the freshwater turtles that make their home here. The rounded limstone cave takes on a 'subway' like feel, as it's possible to swim along the rounded walls.  Hammocks and tables ...

BEES - Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary - is a sanctuary offering care for retired elephants, open for guests to visit, see their operation, and spend a day or longer observing elephants in their natural habitat with the help of knowledgable guides.  While Thailand, particularly the northern areas of the country, are known for their elephant experiences, there is a wide variance between busi...

The site (also spelled Xelha or Xelhá) lies 18km north of central Tulum, and sits on the opposite side of the highway from the commercial outdoor adventure park that shares its name. There are three main groupings of structures inside the site. The Palace Site contains stelae and two large buildings, both dating from around 1200AD. The next group includes the Pyramid of the Birds, and has the s...

This, however, also tends to be the downside of this cenote: The water is relatively shallow, about 5 meters at its deepest point, and somewhat cloudy, so those visiting typically line up to have their picture taken and make a short visit of the place otherwise. There is a much more commercial feel to this cenote than others in the area, with a cluster of cabañas that rent for the night adjacen...

With a central location, Wachirathan Waterfall has a large parking lot surrounded by restaurants and vendors. Visitors can walk up a short paved trail to see the towering falls. Standing about 40 meters in height, Wachirathan rushes into the river below, throwing out a thick sheet of mist into the jungle surrounding it. There is a main viewing area which most visitors stick to, though there is ...

The cenote is part of the Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman complex, a center that as of now is still relatively small but clearly aiming for growth in the near future, with bars, a pool lounge area, and campground all present and active construction going on. However, until the tour busses come flooding in, Cenote Oxman is surreally beautiful, large, and has a jumping platform with a rope swing where...

Cenote Car Wash, known locally as Cenote Aktun-Ha, received its name for a time when area cab drivers would park adjacent to the pool to wash their cars. Those times are past, and the cenote today remains under the ownership of a friendly family.  Cenote Car Wash is probably the most reasonably-priced in the area, and certified divers often visit to descend to its 16 meter depths to check out t...

The first detail visitors should know are that there are multiple similar spellings of Haui Sai Lueang Falls, even on the signs standing at the falls. However they are accessed from an isolated parking area where Haui Sai Lueang and Mae Pan waterfalls are the only nearby areas of interest. Lying about .33km walk up an easy stone trail, Huai Sai Lueang falls is a tall dramatic fall over a cliff ...

Visitors park at the trailhead, then walk .5km down a single track trail that climbs and drops constantly before eventually scrambling over a few boulders to reach the viewpoint of the falls. With the humid and wet conditions of the area, much of the trail can be muddy, while the scrambling can be slippery. The falls themselves sit beside a grassy hillside where visitors can stare in awe at the...

Located between Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon National Park, about a 1 hour 15 minute drive from both, Spicy Villa Eco-Lodge offers lodging in private or family-bungalows; private bungalows have a private deck while family bungalows share a porch and balcony. All bungalows have solar power with outlets in the room, mosquito net-covered beds, and an adjoined indoor bathroom with shower and flush t...

Although falling under national park jurisdiction, the entrance is just outside of the park gate, and so Mae Klang has its own small gate where visitors can show their park entrance pass or purchase one (tickets purchased here are good for entry to all other Doi Inthanon National Park areas as well). There are scenic areas and picnic benches covered by shade trees along the riverbank below, but...

Sirithan Waterfall consists of a small undeveloped parking area with a 150 meter plank walkway leading to a platform that looks out at the falls from a short distance. The only amenities available at the falls are a picnic table and trash can at the parking lot and a couple benches along the path.  The falls drop a total of about 40 meters into the river below. There is no actual access to the ...

Reaching Mae Ya Waterfall requires a drive. There is a separate national park entrance gate along the road where visitors can show their park tickets or purchase tickets that also grant entrance to the rest of the park. A parking lot at the road's end has a few snack and food vendors. From here, visitors hike 600 meters up a paved road, before following a dirt track to the bottom of the falls. ...

Lake Tahoe's East Shore Trail is a wide paved walking and cycling path running between Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park. Opened in 2019, the path lies completely separate from the road, sometimes hovering well above it on the mountainside, and other times running parallel to it on a bridge platform that looks down upon the lake's emerald eastern shore. Spanning 2.75 miles point to poi...

Access points to the cenote are limited to a couple lodging establishments along its banks, and each operates in a similar fashion of charging a small admission fee while offering free access to guests. Mangroves line the edges, and visitors can rent canoes or kayaks and head out onto the water. With the dense jungle environment here, there is not really room to lay out anywhere beside the ceno...

Reaching the cave and cenote requires a 1-kilometer walk down a level path into the jungle, and guides provide helmets and lights before descending a set of stairs into the cave. Accessing the cenote requires heading down a set of wooden steps. The cenote contains a wide circular opening in the limestone ceiling, and over time an island has formed in the cenote’s center, leaving the swimming ar...

Despite lying away from the more popular tourist clusters of Tulum-area cenotes, Corazon del Paraiso has modern facilities, a photogenic setting, and seems to be a favorite amongst locals. There are multiple decks, shaded chairs, and platforms for laying out on, as well as drinks and snack for sale.  The water is clear blue, and lined with swimmers and sunbathers. A jumping platform lets guests...