Fodor's Expert Review Xpujil

Xpujil (sometimes spelled "Xpuhil," meaning "cat's tail," and pronounced ish-poo-hil) takes its name from the reedy plant that grows in the area. Elaborately carved facades and doorways in the shape of monsters' mouths reflect the Chenes style, while adjacent pyramid towers connected by a long platform show the influence of Río Bec architects.

Some buildings have lost a lot of their stones, making them resemble "day after" sand castles. In Edificio I, three towers—believed to have been used by priests and royalty—were once crowned by false temples, and at the front of each are the remains of four vaulted rooms, each oriented toward one of the compass points. On the back side of the central tower is a huge mask of the rain god Chaac. Quite a few other building groups amid the forests of gum trees and palo mulato (so called for its bark with both dark and light patches) have yet to be excavated.