500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [38]
If you’re not a scuba aficionado, you can swim and snorkel in some cenotes. And for most diving enthusiasts, these natural wonders offer more than enough adventure, so don’t feel pressured to head for the caves. Cenotes are unique to this part of the world, and no two are exactly alike. The moon-shaped Gran Cenote is famous for its surreal mineral deposits and fantastic visibility. Calvera (Temple of Doom) includes three sinkholes filled with a mixture of fresh and saltwater called halocline. Dos Ojos (Two Eyes) is connected to the larger Nohoch Nah Chich cave system. Caverna de Murcielagos (Bat Cave) is a gallery of contrasts, with huge columns and smaller intricate rock formations. Whichever ones you delve into, you won’t be disappointed. —JS
Extreme Cliff Diving & Cliff Jumping
Cliff diving and jumping is said to have originated in 1770 when Hawaii’s King Kajekili commanded his men to leap the island of Lanai’s high cliffs and enter the water feet first without splashing in order to prove their courage and loyalty to him. Since then, cliff diving has morphed into a sport requiring not only courage, but skill. Cliff jumping is an experience adopted by many adventurous souls seeking extreme ways to enter water.
If you’re considering trying cliff diving, keep in mind that even experienced cliff divers (including those who enter cliff diving competitions around the world) emphasize the necessary technical training, physical conditioning, focus, and experience in making dives at a variety of lower heights before leaping from more challenging high cliffs. Experience in platform diving is recommended. The depth of the water, weather, and waves are just some of the factors that must be taken into account when diving or jumping. Serious injury is always a possibility, so familiarize yourself with all the factors involved in your dive or jump before you, well, dive in. Contact the World High Diving Federation (www.whdf.com) or the Cliff Jump Network (www.cliffjumpingnetwork.com) to learn more about this risky sport. —LF
La Quebrada Cliffs, Mexico: Onlookers can sit on a restaurant terrace and watch divers soar off the spectacular 44m (148-ft.) cliff and into the water. Though it’s a tourist attraction for laughing and dining visitors, cliff divers are totally focused on the rocks, wind, and other variables that will affect their respective dives. Proper timing is vital, because divers must land in the water when the ocean swells raise the water level where they land. Acapulco, Mexico.
Wolfgangsee, Austria: This lake in northwestern Austria is calm and clear, making it a popular spot for diving. There are several unofficial dive sites around the lake, but one of the best places for diving is the Falkenstein cliff wall in Frberg bay, where divers spring off a special high board, about 30m (100 ft.) above the water and do a tuck or somersault before landing in this beautiful lake. Boatloads of viewers cheer as divers resurface. This is also the site of the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving competition (www.redbull.com). There are other, lower places nearby where divers climb to the top of various ledges and jump into the water. Wolfgangsee Tourist Association (www.wolfgangsee.at).
Ponte Brolla, Switzerland: The European Cliff Diving Contest and the World High Diving Federation have held competitions at this lake, which is at the entry to the Valle Maggia. You can dive from several heights, ranging from roughly 7 to 20m (23–66 ft.). Before you take the plunge, check with the local divers because they monitor the water levels. Never dive when the river is running high. www.whdf.com.
Red Rocks Park, Vermont, U.S.A.: The locale, not far from South Burlington, is picturesque, but the cliff diving is dangerous. Scale the cliff and it’s an 80-foot (24m) plunge into the icy water. In some places, the jumps are between narrow rock walls. Encompassing 100 acres