Coba or Chichen with 2 kids?
 

I am staying in Cancun in early April. My boys want to see the ruins but they are 9 & 12 and have the attention span to match! DH not too excited about the car/bus ride either. Which site is better for kids? Which is closer to Cancun? I'm thinking Coba may be more fun. Considering the Ecotour but am afraid of heights so I am nervous about the ziplines and rapel. Help please!

There is so much to see at Chichen Itza (haven't seen Coba) that I would think you could keep their attention. There's the Mayan ball court, the observatory, the temple of the warriors, and of course the pyramid. And the big cenote.

Plus, there are lizards and leaf-cutter ants, which are really cool.

Some tour companies give you an option of swimming at the hotel on the grounds.

I've been to both and loved Chichen Itza more but Coba is much closer and may be better for your boys fi they don't want a long car ride. Chichen Itza is a really long day from Cancun. We left at 7 am and did not return until 7 pm. We did a private car and went to Chicken Itza, for a swim in a Cenote and to Ek Baalam. It was worth it for me but if the car ride is a problem then maybe Coba is better. Coba is fun - there are bicycles that you can rent to ride around the ruins and you can climb the tall ruins (not an option at Chichen Itza - but possible at Ek Baalam). I have some friends who recently did the Ecotour with Coba and their kids loved it.

Coba is a good choice. Much closer, less developed, still feels like an adventure, and some nice places to lunch in town.

I wouldn't dream of doing Chichen Itza on a day trip from Cancun, but obviously busloads of people do it every day. To me it seems exhausting and way too much time in a bus. To go all that way, you might as well spend the night there. Coba is more of a jungle too, so they may find it more fun. Chichen Itza can be more like European plaza in summer when it's crowded.

I would recommend Coba and stop by Hidden Worlds Cenote park on the way back. We have boys (18 and 20)and they love it. I don't think you can climb the pyramid at Chichen Itza any more, but I think you can still climb it at Coba.