NG Picks of the Week: Secret Maya Caves | Photo Contest Winners | Name That Fish

Plunge into sacred places of the world with books, photo galleries, and more! View in web browser. SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL JOIN Caves and natural wells called cenotes in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, the ancestral home of the Maya, are giving researchers new insights into the landscapes of these ancient people. Sophisticated and mysterious, the Maya kept an extraordinarily accurate calendar. Were these sacred cenotes, which aligned with the zenith passage of the sun, related to their calendar keeping? Did they also play a role in their religious ceremonies? Dive in and explore these questions and more with underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda in one of our featured articles. Then check out a gallery of images from his explorations. You can also read a field report from an expedition that's currently underway at another cenote in Mexico rumored to be guarded by a mythical creature. Want to learn more about sacred places? Take a look at our ultimate guide to these powerful destinations, Sacred Places of a Lifetime. See a Maya cave observatory revealed. EXPLORE MORE • Download wallpaper of a cenote at Chichén Itzá. • Explore our picks for the top 10 sacred caves. • Discover the Maya on a trip with National Geographic Expeditions. 2013 Photo Contest Winners Announced National Geographic Traveler received more 15,000 entries from skilled photographers around the globe. See the winning images from the 25th annual photo contest. Shop Our New Fall Products Burgundy, France, is the backdrop we chose to showcase this season's harvest of new apparel, accessories, and home decor sourced from India, Denmark, and beyond! Enter the World of Secrets Log in to Facebook to play National Geographic: World of Secrets, a hidden treasure and adventure game. Play Now >   Dream up Your Next Destination Subscribe to National Geographic Traveler for vacation ideas, travel tips, and more! Check out a preview. Subscribe Now> The Incredible Dr. Pol Watch Dr. Pol take care of Michigan's finest furry friends on Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Nat Geo WILD. Watch Preview>   Travel Guide to the War of 1812 Relive the battles of 1812 with this illustrated travel guide to historic sites in the U.S. and Canada. Learn More > SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL JOIN Home | Daily News | Photo of the Day | Trip Ideas | Animal Videos | This Week on TV | Free Wallpaper Photograph by Paul Nicklen (skulls and diver in cenote, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico) You are receiving this email because las.ratnayake.phototips@blogger.com is signed up to receive National Geographic communications. If you prefer not to receive emails from us, please unsubscribe. Contact Us | NGS Customer Service | Privacy Policy To ensure that you receive your National Geographic emails, please add ngs@e.nationalgeographic.com to your address book now. Learn how. National Geographic | 1145 17th Street N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Copyright © 2013 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.