08/28/2025
These sacred caves and cenotes of the Yucatán Peninsula are far more than natural wonders, they are living archives of Maya civilisation. For centuries, they have held offerings, artifacts, and even human remains, placed there with deep spiritual significance. Within their submerged chambers, explorers and archaeologists have uncovered pottery, jewelry, canoes, and ceremonial items carefully preserved in the still waters. Each discovery tells the story of an ancient people who saw these cenotes as portals to the underworld, sacred spaces that connected the living with their gods and ancestors.
Yet today, these irreplaceable cultural treasures are under grave threat. The construction of the Tren Maya risks collapsing delicate cave systems, contaminating the groundwater, and permanently destroying archaeological sites that have survived for millennia. Once lost, these artifacts, and the stories they carry, can never be replaced.
Here, ‘Cenotes Urbanos’ () member Alejandra Flores sits with a Maya pot she discovered in a cave near Playa del Carmen, a reminder of what is at stake. Each object hidden in these cenotes is not just an artifact, but a sacred testament to Maya heritage, one that deserves protection, not destruction!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing one photo a day from this journey, each image peeling back another layer of this environmental disaster, and the cultural legacy at risk of being buried beneath steel and concrete. This is not just a story about an illegal train. It’s about what we choose to preserve and what we’re willing to sacrifice.
🔗Link to the Nat Geo article here:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/saving-mexico-cenotes-tren-maya
