It was very lucky that my two Dutch friends Victoria and Martijn happened to arrive at The Yak on a day where I was a bit stuck as to how and where I’d be exploring. They’d rented a car and had a basic idea of a day trip: the cenotes and a lagoon.

The highlight was undoubtedly the Dos Ojos (Two Eyes). A cenote is an underground cave/hole filled with fresh water, that you can snorkel or dive in. This part of Mexico has thousands, and many of them are open to the public for a (hefty) entrance fee.

I didn’t get any pics because without an underwater camera it’s not really possible to capture it. Imagine going swimming in an elaborate system of caves, diving down with the massive stalagmites and stalagtites all around you. Bats flutter overhead, and small fish collect in schools on the surface. We spent almost 2 hours diving down and following the scuba groups with their powerful flashlights on the creepy cave explorations. It was a mind-blowing experience, and although you don’t need scuba gear if you can hold your breath a bit, it would be twice as good with some tanks.

Already planning a trip back. This to me is a far more exciting prospect than open-water scuba.

The lagoon was great too - clear water, tons of fish and lots of snorkeling potential.

We had terrific lentil burgers for lunch.