Tekax - a boost of adrenaline in Yucatán
Around 66 million years ago, a massive meteorite struck the Earth, bringing about the end of the dinosaurs. This impact shaped Yucatán as we know it today. The rim of the Chicxulub crater forms a hilly range amidst the otherwise flat landscape of Yucatán. At the foot of this hilly terrain lies the picturesque village of Tekax. Since the summer of 2023, it has been designated a Pueblo Mágico, with its historic church and colourful houses.
Grutas Chocantes
This time, however, I’m not here to explore the town itself, but to discover the stunning surrounding countryside. The hilly crater rim creates a varied and densely wooded landscape. We’re going to explore this on quad bikes, the only suitable means of transport in this rugged terrain.
Once we’ve settled onto the quad bikes, we leave the village. We follow a dirt track through farmland. This stretch is less hilly, so we can get used to our new vehicles.
Once we’ve got the hang of our quad bikes, we get down to the real business. We follow a rugged track with plenty of elevation changes, strewn with boulders both large and small. Every now and then we have to cross a waterhole. Eventually, we arrive at the Grutas Chocantes, a private estate with several caves. We enjoy the spectacular ride and race through the mud, accepting that we’ll end up completely covered in it.
The underworld of Mayan culture
On arrival, we park our quad bikes and learn more about the cave systems, formed by the meteorite impact. Before the impact, this area was the seabed. This is evident from the fossils of marine animals found in the caves. The stalactite caves were also important to the Maya. The guide explains that the caves represent the underworld in Mayan culture, which for them symbolised the afterlife.
“ We lower ourselves into the cave through a small hole. Into the darkness! ”
Balam
Before we enter the cave, the guide asks for a moment’s silence to seek the gods’ permission to enter this sacred place. We lower ourselves into the cave through a small opening. In the darkness, we switch on the lights on our helmets. We wriggle through twists and turns to make our way through. After the first 25 metres, the space opens up and we can walk upright. We find ourselves amongst numerous stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The guide asks us not to touch these natural formations, as this disrupts the pH balance and hinders the development of these natural structures.
The cave was also significant to the Maya people, as evidenced by the large quantity of pottery found here. We see places where ceremonies took place and even human remains. The guide tells us a great deal about the Maya’s world view. He points to a natural rock formation that clearly resembles a jaguar. For the Maya, the jaguar – known as ‘Balam’ in the Maya language – is a sacred animal, which means this place must have been of great importance in their cosmogony.
Zipline
After the cave, we return to the surface and move on to the next adrenaline-fuelled activity. We climb a tower and look out over the vast landscape of Tekax. We can clearly see that we are standing on the rim of a crater that rises high above the endlessly flat landscape of Yucatán. We enjoy the view and get ready to whizz from one tower to the next via a zipline.
A unique experience in Tekax
In the afternoon, we return to our quad bikes and ride back to the village. There, we enjoy a delicious meal in a small restaurant and reflect on this fantastic day over a cold beer. Today’s programme lasted around 5 hours, excluding the journeys to and from Mérida. There are various possible ATV routes and several caves to explore.
This is undoubtedly an original and active way to explore this beautiful region and learn more about the world of the Maya.
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