Ruinas del Rey

Ruinas del Rey Review

Large signs on the Zona Hotelera's lagoon side, roughly opposite Playa Delfines, point out the small Ruins of the King. Although much smaller than famous archaeological sites like Tulum and Chichén Itzá, this site, commonly called El Rey, is worth a visit, and makes for an interesting juxtaposition of Mexico's past and present.

First entered into Western chronicles in a 16th-century travelogue, then sighted in 1842 by American explorer John Lloyd Stephens and his draftsman, Frederick Catherwood, the ruins were finally explored by archaeologists in 1910, though excavations didn't begin until 1954. In 1975 archaeologists, along with the Mexican government, began restoration work on the 47 structures.

Dating from the 3rd to 2nd century BC, El Rey is notable for having two main plazas bounded by two streets—most other Mayan cities contain only one plaza. The pyramid here is topped by a platform, and inside its vault are paintings on stucco. Skeletons interred both at the apex and at the base indicate that the site may have been a royal burial ground. Originally named Kin Ich Ahau Bonil, Mayan for "king of the solar countenance," the site was linked to astronomical practices in the ancient Mayan culture. In 2006, workmen unearthed an ancient Mayan skeleton on the outskirts of the park.