Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Hisham’s Palace
Cresson Sanatorium and Prison
Leo The Lion
Deception Pass Bridge
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Mérida Cenote Ka' Kutzal
AO Edited

Cenote Ka' Kutzal

A cenote sitting in the middle of a parking lot shows the Yucatán Peninsula at its most urbanized.

Mérida, Mexico

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Cenote Costco   EDurban / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the Mayan language, Ka' Kutzal, the name of this cenote, means "rebirth" or "back to life." An appropriate name considering its history. The only Costco store in the city of Mérida (as of early 2023) sits between what is known as the city's Industrial Zone and a residential neighborhood called Cordemex. Both of these are related to the past of the site, as a factory once stood here that manufactured fibers out of the henequén (sisal) plant, a mainstay of Yucatan's industry. The factory was owned by the Cordemex company, the world's largest sisal products manufacturer.

When the factory was demolished and its floor removed, beneath a 15-centimeter layer of cement, a surprising find awaited and this natural sinkhole was rediscovered. Formed from the collapse of an underground cave, likely thousands of years ago, above a freshwater reservoir which was then exposed to the open, this cenote extends underwater in several directions into caverns and tunnels for tens of meters.

The "Costco cenote," as the sinkhole is also known, had a garden built surrounding it in its small "island" in the middle of the asphalted parking lot. Considering that the Cordemex factory closed in 1991 and Costco's store wasn't opened until 2015, Ka' Kutzal's rediscovery has certainly made it worthy of the "returned to life" name.

Related Tags

Caves Sinkhole Cenotes

Know Before You Go

The parking lot is accessible on foot at all times, while car access is normally only allowed during the store's opening hours. The cenote has lighting and can be appreciated even at night.

Fencing surrounds the cenote and gardens built around it, as the water is deceptively dangerous, and a couple lifesavers can be found nearby. Signs clearly state that entering the cenote itself is forbidden.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan: Astronomy, Pyramids & Mayan Legends

Mayan legends, ancient craters, lost cities, and stunning constellations.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Edited By

EDurban

  • EDurban

Published

July 7, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/destinos/ka-kutzal-el-cenote-que-esta-en-un-supermercado
  • https://mexicotravelchannel.com.mx/ecoturismo/20220519/cenote-ka-kutzal-cenote-cede-espacio-supermercado/
Cenote Ka' Kutzal
243 Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Mérida, 97180
Mexico
21.037771, -89.629364
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cenote Xlacah

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Los Rincones de Mérida

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Roberina Sidewalk Adverts

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mérida

Mérida

Mexico

Places 4
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Cenote Xlacah

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Los Rincones de Mérida

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Roberina Sidewalk Adverts

Mérida, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mérida

Mérida

Mexico

Places 4
Stories 1

Related Places

  • The sinkhole.

    Littlefield, Arizona

    Cedar Pocket Sinkhole

    An improbable sinkhole in the sediments flanking the Beaver Dam Mountains.

  • Cenote Hubiku.

    Temozón, Mexico

    Cenote Hubiku

    This popular cave pool is truly magical, despite the crowds.

  • Maya ruins can be seen in the background.

    Mérida, Mexico

    Cenote Xlacah

    One of the few places where you can visit a cenote and Maya ruins at the same time.

  • A view from the entrance.

    Yalcobá, Mexico

    Cenote Palomitas

    Take a dip beneath the stalactites in this amazing cenote.

  • Qatar

    Musfur Sinkhole

    Climb down into the largest sinkhole in Qatar.

  • Entrance to Bolón-Chohol

    Mexico

    Cuzamá Cenotes

    Three sinkholes filled with warm, crystal-clear water reached by a horse-driven cart on an old train track through the jungle.

  • Spelunkers dropping into Neversink Pit.

    Fackler, Alabama

    Neversink Pit

    This natural wonder drops 16 stories straight down through rare flora and streaming waterfalls.

  • Underwater at Cenote Angelita

    Chumkopó, Mexico

    Cenote Angelita

    A flooded Mexican cave that hides a river beneath the water.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.