Sacred Blue; a must do when visiting The Riviera Maya.

Sacred Blue Tour Company is the brain child of Javier de Prado Gonzalez (aka Pato). Pato, a self proclaimed “citizen of the world” was born in Spain, and moved to Mexico City when he was four years old, and he arrived in the Riviera Maya 12 years ago. Upon arriving in the area he was hired as a guide for a horseback riding tour, and soon after started working for a small tour company based out of Puerto Aventuras. While working in Puerto Aventuras he caught the diving bug, and he then became a certified dive instructor for a company based out of Playa del Carmen called Seafari Divers. 

This is where he stayed for years, even working in Cozumel for a couple of years. He was then offered a management position for Mayan Adventure Tours where he developed his own tour. At this point Pato got burnt out and decided to take 6 months to reevaluate, and this is when he decided to start his own tour company, and this is how Sacred Blue was born.

Opening in December 2005, Sacred Blue is on the fast track to becoming a “must do” while visiting the Riviera Maya. This past week Pato invited me along so I could check out what is going on in the jungle, and here is the low down.

First off Sacred Blue provides all transportation and will pick you up at your desired location in an air conditioned 12 passenger van. On the 20 minute drive to your first destination you will get a brief history of the area; cenote and cave system, and have a chance to ask questions as well. First stop; Xunaan Cenote, meaning princess bath, this pristine cenote is 24 feet at the deepest part and you can see all they way to the bottom. You can swim, float, snorkel or bask in the sun in this private jungle haven.

Once you have had your fill you move onto the next stop, deep in the heart of the jungle just outside of Akumal there is an incredible cave and cenote that is exclusive to Sacred Blue guests.  Upon arriving there is a quick briefing on how to behave in the cave; no touching the stalactites or stalagmites, the use of sunscreen or repellents is prohibited, and you must wear a helmet to insure your safety once inside the cave. After that we were off like Michel Peissel from "The Lost World of Quintana Roo ". Tripping on down the jungle trail we were a site for sore eyes with our helmets, bathing suits, and water booties we were the picture of jungle chic. When we got to the opening to the cave you look down into the vast darkness, and say, "No way am I going down there!" But there wasn’t a chance I was going to miss this golden opportunity to bathe myself in history and exploration, and I pushed on grabbing the rope and lowering myself down the steep stairs into the belly of the cave. Once we were inside our eyes adjusted to the light and with our exploration waterproof lights we could see what we were surrounded by. It was amazing! There were rock formations, water pools, stalactites and stalagmites for miles. I have never seen anything like it; I was breathless with the ethereal beauty of the cave. I mean I have been spelunking before, but this was unprecedented.

  We worked our way through the maze of the cave as Pato guided us with insight into the history of the cave. We waded through water, crouched down to crawl through small areas, and enjoyed the serenity and quietness of being that far underground. We came out to an opening in the cave that was open to the sky where the sun streamed through to light up the crystal blue green water of an amazing swim spot. There as a platform there to take a rest or grab the rope swing and fly through the air. Once we were fully satiated we took that last part of the trek back to home base where a delicious barbeque lunch was waiting for us with ice cold refreshments. Too full? Osa the Jungle Dog will be happy to help!

We then piled into the van chatting away about our awesome cave experience. Next stop, Yal Ku Lagoon for some serious snorkeling before heading home to Playa del Carmen. If you have yet to visit Yal Ku Lagoon, it has been one of my favorite spots since first visiting it about 5 years ago. The mix of lagoon and sea water gives way to a great variety of fish, coral, and plant life. Angel fish, Blue Tang, Spotlight Parrot fish, and  Needle Nose fish, pass by your snorkel mask in hordes and in the clear waters below you can see Symmetrical brain coral, Firebox coral, and Lettuce coral. If you venture out of the lagoon towards the sea, you may be lucky enough to see a sting ray or a turtle or two. As we all climbed out of the water comparing what we saw we all grabbed an ice cream from the snack shack where the local boys working were practicing their English and asked us for a new word of the day. We then piled into the van tired from the day but exhilarated by the experience.
Next time you want to try something different whether you are a visitor or a year round resident check out Sacred Blue, it  truly a jewel of the Riviera Maya!

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