Grutas de Calcehtok: the entrance to “Xibalbá”

Live an intrepid adventure in the Calcehtok caves, ideal for Adventure Tourism.

Xibalba, roughly translated as “place of fright”, is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave somewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula, could this entrance be in Calcehtok?

The caves of Calcehtok are located in the municipality of Opichén, Yucatán, and nearby is the archaeological site of Oxkintok. Its name means in Maya: deer neck stone (cal, neck; ceh, deer; tok, stone or flint). The name Calcehtok was attributed by the locals because of a stone carved with the representation of a deer’s neck, which was found at the site.

This tour is recommended for all those who like to spend time climbing and exploring passages under the ground, because the Calcehtok caves have a very wide extension and there are several types of tours, for experts, novices, and advanced.

In all the options the tour is complete knowing the main places, only the paths change in the degree of difficulty depending on the chosen option.

Guided Tours

– The guides are experts in caving, visitors are not allowed to enter without a guide. It is very easy to get disoriented and get lost inside the cave system, in addition, the cost of the tour includes a head flashlight that will allow you to have your hands free, and at the end of the tour, there is water and soap available to wash your hands.

– The clothes you decide to wear should consider that it is very likely to end up torn and dirty. You can also bring water to avoid dehydration inside the caves.

– This tour is not suitable for people who suffer from claustrophobia, or are afraid of narrow, dark, or closed places and much less afraid of bats.

– There is no dangerous fauna inside the place, so it is quite safe.

*We strongly recommend you wear denim clothes and non-skid shoes, not sandals or barefoot, as the caves are quite slippery.

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