Tracking Playa del Carmen’s Hidden Cenotes: A Tough Task

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — Due to the vast number of caves, caverns, and cenotes located within the urban area, Fernando Muñoz Calero, councilman and president of the Ecology, Environment, and Animal Protection Commission, stated that maintaining an accurate registry of these water bodies is extremely difficult.

In a brief interview, the councilman explained that new cenotes and caverns are continually being discovered, making it challenging to determine their exact number and locations.

“We have a great many, and we will keep finding more—both open and subterranean. I encourage people to take care of these natural features, as our municipality is full of cenotes,” he said.

Muñoz Calero emphasized that developers will face severe penalties if they fail to report the presence of a cenote on land where construction is underway.

Environmental Group’s Mapping Efforts

The environmental organization Cenotes Urbanos has mapped over 130 caves, caverns, and cenotes within Playa del Carmen’s urban sprawl to date. The group has repeatedly urged authorities to incorporate these maps and surveys into sustainable urban planning efforts.