Ik Kil, Sacred cenote in Tinúm Municipality, Mexico

Ik Kil is an open-sky cenote about 60 metres in diameter, with its water surface roughly 26 metres below ground level. A carved stairway leads down to a swimming platform, and long vines hang from the overhanging rim toward the dark blue water.

The Maya people used this cenote as a religious center for ceremonies honoring their rain god and making offerings. Archaeologists have uncovered artifacts and human remains that show how central this site was to their civilization.

The Maya considered Ik Kil sacred and used it for sacrifices to the rain god Chaac; archaeologists and speleologists have recovered bones and pieces of jewellery from the water. The cenote is also called the "Sacred Blue Cenote". Today it lies within a leisure complex with a restaurant and hotel, and it hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

Access is straightforward thanks to stairs and platforms built for visitors, though the descent is steep. Changing facilities are available onsite, and bringing sturdy shoes helps navigate the wet steps safely.

Ik Kil hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2010, 2011 and 2014, with divers jumping from the rim above the water. The Maya considered the cenote sacred and used it for sacrifices to the rain god Chaac; archaeologists and speleologists have recovered bones and pieces of jewellery from its waters.