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Mayan
Ruins
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The
land of the Maya includes the Mexican
states of Quintana Roo (which
contains Cancun), Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco
and Chiapas -- but also spills over
into Belize, Guatemala, Honduras
and El Salvador.
At
hundreds of points around the region
stand majestic Mayan ruins which
speak eloquently of the grandeur
of this imposing culture. There
are even several archeological sites
right within Cancun's hotel zone.
The most frequently visited Mayan
ruin sites (with the exception of
Tikal in Guatemala) are all in Mexico,
and can be reached by bus
or car from Cancun.
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"Strange
to say, cryptologists
- those makers and breakers
of codes from the world
of espionage and counter-intelligence
- have played little
role in the great decipherments
of ancient scripts.
In fact, I remember
the announcements in
the American press that
the famous husband-and-wife
team of Col. William
Friedman had received
foundation support to
decipher Maya hieroglyph
writing. The
Friedmans having achieved
well-deserved fame by
cracking the Japanese
naval code on the eve
of the war, it was a
foregone conclusion
that the ancient Maya
were going to be a pushover
for them. Nothing
resulted from this doomed
project, and they went
to their graves without
having deciphered a
single Maya hieroglyph."
-Michael
D. Coe, Breaking
the Maya Code
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Chichen Itza
Tour
The majestic
city of Chichén Itzá
awaits you. See the
magnificent pyramid
of Kukulkan (75 feet
high); The Temple of
the Warriors, The Ball
Court, The Observatory
and the Sacred Well,
the place where countless
victims were sacrificed
to ancient gods. Includes:
A/C bus transportation,
guide, entrance to the
site, lunch (drinks
not included).
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Only
two and a half hours away from Cancun
is one of the most impressive of
all Mayan ruins, Chichén Itzá.
This
is perhaps the most famous Mayan
cultural site in the world, and
one of the richest and largest archeological
remnants of that civilization. Founded
in 445 B.C., and inhabited until
1204 A.D. when it was mysteriously
abandoned, Chichén Itzá lies about
120 miles west of Cancun.
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Map of
Chichen Itza
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The
site's most impressive structure
is the 75-foot pyramid, the Temple
of Kukulcán, whose stairs lead to
two large serpent heads. In an impressive
display of ancient Mayan science,
the temple accurately predicts the
Spring (March 20 or 21) and Fall
(September 21 or 22) equinoxes in
a spectacle of light and shadow.
Thousands gather at this time to
see the snakelike shadow of Kukulcán,
the greatest of the Mayan gods,
descend the main pyramid.
Another
outstanding feature of the place
is the Ball Court, where ancient
Mayans played a mysterious and complicated
game that is still the subject of
debate. The Ball Court's history
is no less intriguing than its acoustics:
you can hear someone talking from
the far side of the field, even
though it is over a football field
long.
Buildings
are not the only interesting features
of Chichén Itzá. Highly important
in this Mayan society was the Sacred
Cenote, that gave the city its name.
Human skeletons of men, women and
children, possibly sacrificed to
appease the rain god Chac, have
been found. Apart from that, a large
number of artifacts have been found,
such as idols, jewelry and jade.
Some object are from other parts
of Mexico, leading archaeologists
to believe that pilgrimages were
made to the Sacred Cenote long after
Chichén Itzá was abandoned.
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Tulum and Xel-Ha
Tour
Discover
one of the most beautiful
Mayan cities and the
only one overlooking
the Caribbean sea, and
then visit the largest
natural aquarium in
the world. This natural
aquarium is famous for
its thousands of brightly
colored tropical fish
and the dramatic limestone
formations. Includes
A/C bus transportation,
guide, and entrance
to both sites. All-inclusive
optional. |
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Tulum,
just over 80 miles to the south
of Cancun, is the only major Mayan
archeological site to overlook the
Caribbean. This archeological
zone dates from the post-Classic
era, and was inhabited after 1200
BC. It contains more than 60 structures.
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Map of
Tulum
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Tulum
is believed by archeologists to
be one of the most important ceremonial
centers of the Mayan people. Dating
back more than 17 centuries, the
remains show what was once a massive
walled city by the sea, with roads,
homes and businesses. Its
geographical location right on the
Caribbean Sea enabled Tulum to become
a major Mayan trade center. Thousands
of canoes traveled there from other
points around the region.
One
of the highlights of Tulum is El
Castillo (The Castle), an impressive
pyramid perched on a 40-foot cliff
and thought be one of a series of
lighthouses that guided seafarers
in the area. You are NOT allowed
to climb El Castillo.
Here
too is the Temple of the Dios Descendente,
built as a way station for descending
gods, and the Temple of the Frescos,
which still bears traces of color
from ancient palettes.
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"At the
foot of the cliff, on the
southeast corner of the
site at Tulum is a small
but exquisite white beach
outlined by gray rock and
sloping easily into a limpid,
multicolored sea. If I had
to pick just one Mexican
beach to be listed among
the Great Beaches of the
World, it would be this.
To swim in these vivid seas,
looking up at the exotic
outlines of Tulum's Mayan
temples, is to combine two
of Mexico's greatest pleasures
into a single experience."
-Ron Hall,
"Great Beaches of the
World," Condé Nast Traveler
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Cobá
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Coba Mayan
Encounter
Visit the
gorgeous
archaeological
zones of Coba
and Pac-Chen, in
a tour that will
take you to the
very heart of
Quintana Roo’s
jungle and get
you in touch
with the
marvelous Maya
culture and its
impressive
legacy. While
visiting Coba,
don’t miss the
chance to climb
up the 120 steps
of the Nohoch
Mul pyramid, the
highest one of
its kind. At
Pac-Chen you can
learn about the
ancient
traditions of
the Maya culture
and you will
even get the
opportunity of
descending to
the beautiful
cenote “Balam
Kim” and swim in
its blue waters. |
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 Three
hours south of Cancun is Cobá, an
early Mayan site yet to be fully
reclaimed from the jungle.
Begun in 600 A.D., Cobá is a combination
of the leading attractions of Uxmal
and Chichén Itzá, but its geographical
location, 100 km from Cancun, provides
an added sense of adventure, as
it was built in the heart of the
jungle.
This
group of ruins is all that is left
of what could have been the largest
of all Mayan cities. There are thought
to be over 6,500 structures spread
out over 50 square kilometers. During
its peak around 750 A.D. there may
have lived as many as 50,000 Maya
there.
The
outstanding feature is the Pyramid
of Nohoch Mul, the highest of its
kind on the Yucatán Peninsula. With
120 steps, Nohoch Mul is worth the
climb. This site also includes a
well restored pelota court (ball
court), and 20 some stelae that
have been well preserved.
Archeologists
have found many links to the great
Guatemalan city of Tikal, including
similar architecture and carvings
or stelae. They believe that the
royal females of Tikal may have
married the Cobá royalty and formed
a relationship between the Guatemala
Maya and those of the Yucatán.
The archaeology resembles Tikal
hundreds of miles away, and there
is one of the most advanced systems
of raised roads, or sacbeob, in
the Yucatán. One of these perfectly
straight sacbeob travels 60 miles
to a Mayan village of Yaxuna.
For
some unknown reason the people of
Cobá left town around the year 900
AD. All these mysteries are being
explored right now, and if you see
Cobá soon, you will have the experience
of seeing archaeologists at work.
This site is in complete contrast
with Chichén Itzá's well restored,
well landscaped clean surroundings
(so bring your bug spray).
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Getting to Cobá
The ruins are
located about 50 km west of Tulum.
You have the choice of renting a
car and spending the day enjoying
the ride, or taking one of the many
buses or tours to Cobá from Cancun,
Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.
Be ready to do some walking, as
this once great city was very spread
out. Expect to walk three to four
miles if you want to see most of
the sites. A good tour should take
between three and five hours.
After lunch, you can stop for a
dip in one of the many
cenotes
on the road to Cobá. Car Wash is
a nice one.
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Uxmal
Click
HERE for Hotels at Uxmal
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 Uxmal
ruins are in the state of Yucatán,
south of
Mérida.
They are large and impressively
carved. Uxmal is one of the
most well known of the Maya cities,
and rated by many archaeologists
as the finest.
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Map of
Uxmal
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In area, the site
is fairly compact, though you should
allow at least half a day for a
first visit, after which you’ll
probably want to return to go over
the site in more detail. There has
been much renovation work and the
grounds are well tended, but wear
good shoes if you intend to do any
climbing. It is permitted to climb
the largest structure, the Pyramid
of the Magician, and the view from
the top is well worth the effort,
though the steps are extremely steep.
From Mérida, follow
261 in the direction of Campeche.
The site is about 70 miles (110
km) from Mérida and it should take
about an hour by car. Otherwise,
take a tour from Mérida. There’s
an admission fee of around $4 USD
and a further fee for the sound
and light show. All the sites are
free on Sundays.
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Mayan Ruins
in Cancun
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Ruinas El Rey
Dating back to
the Mayan post-classical period,
its name is derived from the skeleton
discovered on the upper part of
the larger mound. The ruins of El
Rey are located in front of Playa
Delfines in Cancun's hotel zone.
Any taxi or bus on Kukulcán Boulevard
can take you there easily. The visit
won't take you more than an hour.
It is an ideal site to relax, become
familiar with Maya culture, and
to witness the numerous iguanas
that chose these ancient temples
as their home.
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El Meco
Found just north
of Cancun, on the avenue leading
to Punta Sam, is the archeological
zone of El Meco. From the top of
one of its pyramids - the tallest
archeological structure in the north
of the state - there is a breathtaking
view of the Chacmochuc Lagoon, near
the area known as Isla Blanca (the
name is misleading since it is not
an island). To get there, we suggest
taking a taxi, since this site,
recently open to the public, still
does not receive many visitors.
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Other Noteworthy
Sites
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Dzibilchaltún
Located only
22 kms. from Mérida, Dzibilchaltún
holds an incredible amount of stone
constructions. One of these, the
House of the Seven Dolls, is the
site of a beautiful light show every
equinox.
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Ek-Balam
Near the colonial
city of Valladolid is one of the
newest sites to open to the public,
Ek-Balam, home to remarkably well-preserved
Mayan ruins. This little gem
of a Mayan city is rarely visited
and you may very well end up strolling
around all by yourself among temples
and jungle. It’s a bit off
the beaten path since it’s located
about 20 minutes north of Valladolid,
and is best handled by car. It is
not difficult to find. Go to Valladolid,
go through the main square (El Zócalo)
and then follow the signs to Tizimin.
The exit to Ek Balaam is well marked.
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Kabah
Open daily 8am
- 5pm. Located about 1.5 hours south
of Mérida on Highway #261 The city
can be found just south of Uxmal,
and is directly off the main highway.
In a similar Puuc style that can
be found in Sayil, Labná and Xlapak,
Kabah is another example of this
construction style that flourished
in the eighth and ninth centuries
throughout the Yucatán. The best
known site south of Uxmal, its popularity
with tourists is largely due to
the existence of the Wall of Masks,
which is a wall made up over 260
Chaak masks, stacked on top of one
another in an almost fanatic configuration.
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Kohunlich
Discovered less
than three decades ago, Kohunlich
is one of the finest sites in the
south of Quintana Roo, especially
for the enormous gargoyles on the
main pyramid which are supposed
to represent the Gods of the Underworld,
rather like the Horsemen of the
Apocalypse. It is 80 km from
Chetumal, the capital of
Quintana Roo, and can be reached
from Cancun by air - the flight
takes 50 minutes - or by road, a
distance of 360 km.
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Labná
Open daily 8am
- 5pm. Located about 20 minutes
south of Uxmal on Highway #261.
This site is 120 Kms. from Mérida
with easy access by highway. Labná,
which means "Old or abandoned house",
was thus named at the time of its
discovery and exploration. Along
with Uxmal, Sayil and Kabah, it
forms the jewels of northern Maya
architecture and sculpture. This
site has attracted worldwide attention
for its well-formed and finely ornamented
arch, which must have been the entrance
to an area dedicated to great celebrations.
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Muyil / Chanyaxche
Only a short
drive south of Tulum, there’s a
nice little site with very few visitors.
This site goes under two names,
Muyil and Chanyaxche. It is not
big, but there are a few interesting
buildings and the historical significance
is apparent. Your visit will probably
last about half an hour. Parking
is free. Continue south about
15 minutes (22km) after passing
the village of Tulum and you’ll
find it on the left hand side.
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Sayil
Located about
1.5 hour south of Mérida on Highway
#261. Sayil was constructed and
inhabited at the end of the classic
period of the Maya (roughly 950
AD) and is built in the similar
Puuc style that can be found in
Kabah, Labná and Xlapak. As
with other Mayan sites, Sayil had
a key ceremonial center surrounded
by smaller towns, villages and residential
centers and was believed at its
peak to hold a population of ten
thousand people at its core and
seven thousand more in the outlying
"suburbs."
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