Hi everyone....will be in PDC in late January and am hoping to visit some of the more important/interesting Mayan sites in the area. Any suggestions as to which would be the best to try and see would be appreciated....thanks, Bob

Well, Tulum is the obvious first choice, but there are quite a lot of other sites around. One of the biggest is Coba -- it's about 30 miles inland from Tulum and it's *definitely* worth seeing, especially if you're into archaelogical sites.

I put up some photos of Coba if you want to take a peek. They're at:
http://www.tiogringo.com/coba.html

Have fun!
Mark

Chichen Itza is within the reach of PDC and is the most intact and excavated of the three sites I've visited (Tulum and Coba being the other two). It is a bit further away so it is an entire day trip.

even further is Palanque, but it is the best of the three (Tulum, Chichen Itza and Palanque), IMHO. Probably too far from PDC for you. But a reason to return to the Yucatan!!

I've read that Ek Balam is supposed to be wonderful. There is also a day trip to visit the ruins at Coba with Alltournative tours that gets rave reviews. I haven't gone yet myself (I'm going in December). If you're going to PDC, do yourself a favor and check out this amazing site for more info on ruins, activities, practical info, etc: www.playadelcarmeninfo.com

If you visit Coba, keep in mind that it is a long bus ride out there, and not much to look at along the way. It is worth seeing, but I'd recommend paying extra for a guide. It's neat to look at the ruins, but you don't learn anything unless someone gives you some history about what you're seeing. Very interesting. And do climb to the top of the highest pyramid (soon it will be closed for climbing) - it offers a spectacular view!