Earth and Environment Atlas

How The Planet Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Geological Formations

Xtoloc Cenote

Erosional and Karst Formations

Citation Formats

General Reference

APA Style

BibTeX

Xtoloc Cenote lies within the Chichen Itza archaeological site on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, south of the site's North Group near the Osario platform, and is documented as the second largest cenote at Chichen Itza after the Sacred Cenote already live on this atlas. Its name comes from the Maya word for iguana, and the nearby Temple of Xtoloc, a recently restored structure overlooking the cenote, carries carved pilasters depicting people, plants, birds and mythological scenes. Along with the Sacred Cenote, it provided the freshwater access that the ancient city's settlement and expansion depended on, since Chichen Itza's layout was fundamentally shaped by the local hydrogeology of its cenotes. This entity documents Xtoloc Cenote specifically as a geological formation, the second-largest cenote at Chichen Itza and a key freshwater source for the ancient city.

Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.