The Surprises of Homun

It was 11 am and we decided to go to Cuzamá, but after consulting the map we continued on to Homún, 6 km. past Cuzamá. Thus began the adventure.

From Mérida we took a “colectivo” to Homún ($18 pesos) from Calle 67 x 52 y 50. During the one-hour trip, Marina, my friend and traveling companion, took a nap while I talked to Don Carlos, my seatmate, who told me that there was a cenote at the entrance to Homún opposite the cemetery, and some caves just 3 blocks away.

Cenote Sahuncat: It was a surprise to see a hole in the ground in the middle of a field. Approaching the cave, a few meters away, is the entrance ($5 pesos) where we met Marco, a local guide who later led us to the caves. The cenote is beautiful, impressing us with its size and beauty. Marco explained that the right-hand side is the shallowest area for swimming, and left-hand side is the deep area. It was a delight to swim among the natural columns and see the column of light that illuminates the cavern. After an hour and a half of snorkeling we went to the caves.

Santa Maria Suchul Caves: We walked 3 blocks. Marco called the neighbor who is the caretaker of the cave, and we paid $10 pesos each for maintenance (it has artificial light in some of the galleries.) A tree marks the entrance, and at the bottom is a Mayan-style house (a photo “must”). Going down into the darkness of the cave we were received by several bats, and it was a challenge to convince Marina to go ahead! After overcoming her fear, we went down to the first gallery where we left our things, taking only what we could take into the water. This visit is only done with a guide.

I would describe it like this: beautiful, extreme, unique, claustrophobic and energetic. The tour lasted about 2 hours; we saw galleries full of stalactites and stalagmites, rock formations, we constantly went in and out of the water, we went through the “chest” tunnel  to reach a pool where we refreshed ourselves, and went down through tiny cracks and spaces. When we returned to the starting point, we took a shortcut to the cool waters of the cenote. Incredible!

You should bring a backpack, bottled water, waterproof flashlight, sandals fastened with a strap, bathing suit, visor, and a snack. It is a “must” to go with a local guide. Their fee is up to you, but you will see how valuable their service is. Don’t be afraid to get dirty! The mud is just clean earth and water. Bon voyage!

Text and photos: Homero García Salazar
Email: ingenioh@hotmail.com