Our Story
Enterrado por siglos, y hoy somos cenote más premiado de México
Local accounts connect the hiding of caves with the upheaval of Yucatán’s Caste War, when Maya communities were forced from their lands. Entrances were covered and routes concealed. In the story passed on to us, Zazil Tunich’s ancient cavern lay hidden beneath mud, stone and the passage of time.
Pasaron generaciones. La selva la cubrió. El tiempo la silenció. Pero el destino tenía otros planes.
Discover Our Story
One family, a shared vision, nature’s artistry and a living culture
** Lee nuestra historia, sigue los numeros para ir en orden
El comienzo de todo
En Yucatán existen más de 8,000 cenotes, y la mayoría han sido transformados en balnearios turísticos, perdiendo con ello parte de su esencia natural y espiritual, pero nuestra historia empieza cuando decidimos hacer lo contrario: rescatar la esencia sagrada del inframundo maya y devolverle su significado ancestral a nuestro Cenote.
Our family of six, with different ages and ideas, lived in the city and wanted a nearby place to spend weekends in nature. In the summer of 2009, we found land with the remains of a waterwheel, traces associated with the Caste War, an old house close to ruin and an almost buried opening in the ground.
Where others might have seen little promise, we saw a mystery waiting to be discovered.
A Call from Below
Entre piedras, maleza y toneladas de lodo, descendimos por primera vez por un agujero olvidado que nos llevaría a la fuente de agua de la noria destruida, llegamos a 20 metros bajo tierra, entre cerros de tierra y piedras amontonadas por un derrumbe que al parecer había ocurrido, ahí se encontraba el agua, con muy poca circulación, que ocultaba un secreto milenario.
Our lamps cast shadows across the cavern, revealing stalactites and stalagmites shaped by natural processes over an immense span of time.
We realised that this was more than an almost buried cenote. It was a remarkable place we wanted to recover and care for. What had begun as a property purchase felt like the beginning of a responsibility.
A Weekend Retreat Becomes a Family Legacy
Al principio solo queríamos construir una casa familiar para los fines de semana, pero con cada piedra retirada, cada canal de agua restaurado y cada espacio iluminado, íbamos descubriendo que el lugar tenía algo que contar… Al mundo , todo parecía indicar que en la guerra de casta de Yucatán en 1847 , este lugar hubiese sido ocultado a propósito al ser abandonado.
Con el paso del tiempo, Zazil Tunich dejó de ser solo un plan de descanso y se transformó en un proyecto que inspiró a toda la familia, a pesar de nuestras diferencias, estilos de vida y sueños personales, coordinarnos no fue fácil, hubo desacuerdos, desafíos, sacrificios, y fue la visión empresarial del líder familiar Armando Geded que marcó una pauta a seguir, y todos, con la pasión por preservar este lugar, aprendimos a trabajar como equipo y a fortalecer más ese respeto que ya teníamos por la naturaleza, por las obras de arte que se habían formado durante miles de años y por nuestra pasión por la cultura Maya, fue todo eso junto lo que hoy nos hace únicos como producto turístico.
The Cenote Museum Takes Shape
The work took eight years. With limited resources and little experience, we relied on determination, physical effort and respect for the setting. Shovelful by shovelful, we removed stone and mud, reopening water channels until the flow gradually returned.
The stone formations began to shine, as though the place were breathing again.
The recovered cenote, its naturally sculpted formations and the symbolism of Xibalbá, the Maya underworld, inspired us to share the setting with visitors.
Así nació Zazil Tunich, el primer cenote-museo de Yucatán: un espacio donde cada visita nos permite admirar verdaderas obras de arte, nos da una lección de historia, de espiritualidad y nos inspira a un respeto más fuerte por la naturaleza.
Decidimos que el contexto de nuestro concepto turístico sería la mitología maya, con su Leyenda Maya del libro sagrado Popol-Vuh, Xibalba .
The journey takes visitors about 20 metres underground and into a cultural interpretation of the Maya world. It is an invitation to slow down and discover a different perspective.
Zazil Tunich: “Shining Stones”
When we illuminated the first stalactites, we asked the Maya ceremonial practitioner accompanying us what these stones were called. He answered in Maya: Zazil Tunich, meaning illuminated stones or shining stones. We chose the name as a tribute to the natural formations and to the light that revealed their beauty within the darkness.
A Culture That Remains Alive
Our family wanted Zazil Tunich to honour both nature and living Maya heritage. The project has created work for craftspeople, traditional cooks and local communities, drawing on skills and traditions passed between generations.
Fundamos una ONG para apoyar a madres solteras mayas, quienes aportan saberes ancestrales: desde la elaboración de hamacas hasta las recetas originales que servimos en nuestras experiencias.
Zazil Tunich became a bridge between past and present, and between the land and the people who care for it.
Discover Zazil Tunich on Your Journey through Yucatán
We have created a meeting place for nature, natural artistry and living Maya heritage. It offers a more intimate experience for travellers who want to discover Yucatán beyond crowded attractions.
For couples, the setting offers space to celebrate love. Some choose symbolic ceremonies associated with Ixchel, while others enjoy romantic dining and special moments together.
Encounter in Xibalbá
In March 2023, at Mexico’s tourism fair, Zazil Tunich received recognition for its experience Encounter in Xibalbá experience (a journey about 20 metres underground): the National Tourism Innovation Award. The award recognised the work and passion our family has put into sharing our roots and Maya cultural heritage.
The Best of Yucatán
In 2024, the state government, through its tourism department, recognised Zazil Tunich among the experiences featured in Lo Mejor de Yucatán — The Best of Yucatán.
The Best of Yucatán
The setting invites visitors to pause, reflect and appreciate the cultural meaning of the water and underground landscape.
Every story shared, ceremony experienced and family welcomed adds another chapter to our vision for a cenote experience in Yucatán.
Come with curiosity and discover the depth of the landscape, the richness of cultural traditions and the moments that make a journey personal.