Fodor's Expert Review Mayapán

Those who are fascinated by Maya sites may want to make a 42-km (26-mile) detour north from Ticul—or a 43-km (27-mile) one south from Mérida—to Mayapán, the last of the major city-states on the peninsula that flourished during the postclassic era. It was destroyed in 1450, presumably by war. It's thought that the city, with an architectural style reminiscent of Uxmal, was as big as Chichén Itzá, and there are more than 4,000 mounds, which might indicate there is truth to the claim. At its height, the population could have been well more than 12,000. A half dozen mounds have been excavated, including the palaces of Maya royalty and the temple of the benign god Kukulcán, where stucco sculptures and murals in vivid reds and oranges have been uncovered.

Be sure you head toward the Mayapán ruins (just south of Telchaquillo) and not the town of Mayapán, since they are far apart.