Yucatán and Campeche States
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1. Casa de los Venados
CentroA vintage mansion just south of Valladolid's central square contains Mexico's largest private collection of folk art. Rooms around the gracious courtyard contain some 3,000 pieces, with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) figures being a specialty. The assemblage is impressive; even without it, though, the house would be worth touring. This hacienda-style building dates from the early 17th century, and restoration was engineered by the same architect who designed Mérida's ultramodern Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (don't worry—the results here preserved its colonial elegance). Casa de los Venados opens to the public each morning for a 90-minute bilingual tour. Just show up, no reservations needed. Admission is a bargain, and all proceeds help fund local health-care projects.
Calle 40 No. 204, Valladolid, Yucatán, 97780, Mexico985-856–2289Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$70 -
2. Casa de los Venados
A vintage mansion just south of Valladolid's central square contains Mexico's largest private collection of folk art. Rooms around the gracious courtyard contain some 3,000 pieces, with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) figures being a specialty. The assemblage is impressive; even without it, though, the house would be worth touring. This hacienda-style building dates from the early 17th century, and restoration was engineered by the same architect who designed Mérida's ultramodern Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (don't worry—the results here preserved its colonial elegance). Casa de los Venados opens to the public each morning for a 90-minute bilingual tour. Just show up, no reservations needed. Admission is a bargain, and all proceeds help fund local health-care projects.
Calle 40 No. 204, Valladolid, Yucatán, 97780, Mexico985-856–2289Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$70 -
3. Catedral de Mérida
Begun in 1561, Mérida's cathedral is the oldest on the North American mainland (an older one can be found in the Dominican Republic). It took several hundred Maya laborers, working with stones from the pyramids of the ravaged Maya city, 37 years to complete it. Designed in the somber Renaissance style by an architect who had worked on El Escorial in Madrid, its facade is stark and unadorned, with gunnery slits instead of windows and faintly Moorish spires. Inside, the black Cristo de las Ampollas (Christ of the Blisters) occupies a side chapel to the left of the main altar. At 23 feet tall, it's the tallest Christ figure inside a Mexican church. The statue is a replica of the original, which was destroyed during the revolution in 1910 (also when the gold that once adorned the cathedral was carried off). According to one of many legends, the Christ figure burned all night and appeared the next morning unscathed—except for its namesake blisters. You can hear the pipe organ play at the 11 am Sunday Mass.
Calles 60 and 61, Mérida, Yucatán, 97000, Mexico999-924–7777Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
4. Chichén Itzá
One of the most dramatically beautiful ancient Maya cities, Chichén Itzá (pronounced chee-CHEN eet-ZAH) draws over one million visitors annually. Since the remains of this once-thriving kingdom were rediscovered by Europeans in the mid-1800s, many of the travelers making the pilgrimage here have been archaeologists and scholars who study the structures and glyphs and try to piece together the mysteries surrounding them. While the artifacts here give fascinating insight into Maya civilization, they also raise many unanswered questions. The name of this ancient city, which means "the mouth of the well of the Itzá," is a mystery in and of itself. Although it likely refers to the valuable water sources at the site (there are several cenotes here), experts have little information about who might have actually founded the city; some structures, likely built in the 5th century, predate the arrival of the Itzá, who occupied the city starting around the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Why the Itzá abandoned the city in the early 1200s is also unknown, as is its subsequent role. Most visitors who converge on Chichén Itzá come to marvel at its beauty. Even among laypeople, this ancient metropolis, which encompasses 6 square km (2¼ square miles), is known around the world as one of the most stunning and well-preserved Maya sites in existence. You’ve likely seen photos of the immense pyramid, El Castillo ("Kukulkán" in Maya), but they can’t capture the moment you first gaze in person upon the structure rising imposingly yet gracefully from the surrounding plain. El Castillo (the Castle) dominates the site both in size and in the symmetry of its perfect proportions. Open-jawed serpent statues adorn the corners of each of the pyramid's four stairways, honoring the legendary priest-king Kukulcán (also known as Quetzalcóatl), an incarnation of the feathered serpent god. More serpents appear at the top of the building as sculpted columns. At the spring and fall equinoxes, the afternoon light strikes the trapezoidal structure so that the shadow of the snake god appears to undulate down the side of the pyramid to bless the fertile earth. Thousands of people, from international sightseers to Maya shamans, travel to the site each year to witness this phenomenon. Make lodging reservations far in advance if you hope to join them. The question on everybody’s lips is: "May I climb the pyramid?" The answer is a resounding "No." Disappointing though that response may be, wear and tear on the staircases and numerous injuries to visitors have necessitated an end to the climbing. Archaeologists are still abuzz about the 2015 discovery of a subterranean river flowing underneath the pyramid, detected via “electrical resistance survey.” While the Maya would likely have intentionally constructed El Castillo over such a river cavern, will the eventual effect be that of a gigantic sinkhole that could threaten the structure’s foundation? Time will tell, although experts suggest probably not yet for several generations. The interior of El Castillo houses a marvelous statue of the intermediate god Chacmool. This part of the pyramid is no longer accessible to visitors, but four other Chacmool figures are scattered around Chichén Itzá. The most visible of them stands—or rather, reclines—at the Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors), just northeast of the pyramid. A Chacmool always leans back, leaving a flat spot on the belly for receiving offerings. On the Anexo del Templo de los Jaguares (Annex to the Temple of the Jaguars), just west of El Castillo, bas-relief carvings represent more important deities. On the bottom of the columns is the rain god Tlaloc. It's no surprise that his tears represent rain—but why is the Toltec god Tlaloc honored here, instead of the Maya rain god, Chaac? That's one of many questions that archaeologists and epigraphers have been trying to answer, ever since John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, the first English-speaking explorers to rediscover the site, hacked their way through the surrounding forest in 1840. Scholars once thought that the symbols of foreign gods and differing architectural styles at Chichén Itzá proved it was conquered by the Toltecs of central Mexico. (As well as representations of Tlaloc, the site also has a tzompantli—a stone platform decorated with row upon row of sculpted human skulls—which is a distinctively Toltec-style structure.) Most experts now agree, however, that Chichén Itzá was only influenced—never conquered—by Toltec trading partners from the north. Just west of the jaguar annex, another puzzle presents itself: the auditory marvel of Chichén Itzá's main ball court. At 490 feet, this Juego de Pelota is the largest in Mesoamerica. Yet if you stand at one end of the playing field and whisper something to a friend at the other end, incredibly, you'll be heard. The game played on this ball court was apparently something like soccer (no hands were used), but it likely had some sort of ritualistic significance. Carvings on the low walls surrounding the field show a decapitation, with blood spurting from the victim's neck to fertilize the earth. Whether this is a historical depiction—perhaps the losers or winners of the game were sacrificed?—or a symbolic scene, we can only guess. (Back in Mérida, the city tourist office stages a popular demonstration of the ball game each Friday evening in front of the cathedral. No one is beheaded.) On the other side of El Castillo, just before a small temple dedicated to the planet Venus, a ruined sacbé, or raised white road, leads to the Cenote Sagrado (Holy Well, or Sinkhole), also probably used for ritualistic purposes. Jacques Cousteau and his companions recovered about 80 skeletons from this deep, straight-sided subsurface pond, as well as thousands of pieces of jewelry and figures of jade, obsidian, wood, bone, and turquoise. In direct alignment with Cenote Sagrado, on the other side of El Castillo, the Cenote Xtaloc was kept pristine, undoubtedly for bathing and drinking. Adjacent to this water source is a steam bath, its interior lined with benches along the wall like those you'd see in any steam room today. Outside, a tiny pool was used for cooling down during the ritual. Older Maya structures at Chichén Itzá lie south and west of Cenote Xtaloc. Archaeologists have been restoring several buildings in this area, including the Templo del Osario (Ossuary Temple), which, as its name implies, concealed several tombs with skeletons and offerings. Behind the smaller Casa Roja (Red House) and Casa del Venado (House of the Deer) are the site's oldest structures, including El Caracol (the Snail), one of the few round buildings built by the Maya, with a spiral staircase within. Clearly built as a celestial observatory, it has eight tiny windows precisely aligned with the points of the compass rose. Scholars now know that Maya priests studied the planets and the stars; in fact, they were able to accurately predict the orbits of Venus and the moon, and the appearance of comets and eclipses. To modern astronomers, this is nothing short of amazing. The Maya of Chichén Itzá were not just scholars, however. They were skilled artisans and architects as well. South of El Caracol, the Grupo de las Monjas (Nunnery Complex) has some of the site's most exquisite facades. A combination of Puuc and Chenes styles dominates here, with playful latticework, masks, and gargoylelike serpents. On the east side of the Anexo de las Monjas (Nunnery Annex), the Chenes facade celebrates the rain god, Chaac. In typical style, the doorway represents an entrance into the underworld, and figures of Chaac decorate the ornate facade above. South of the Nunnery Complex is an area where field archaeologists are still excavating (fewer than a quarter of the structures at Chichén Itzá have been fully restored). If you have more than a superficial interest in the site—and can convince the authorities ahead of time of your importance, or at least your interest in archaeology—you can explore this area, which is generally not open to the public. Otherwise, head back toward El Castillo past the ruins of a housing compound called Akab Dzib and the Templo de los Panales Cuadrados (Temple of the Square Panels). The latter shows more evidence of Toltec influence: instead of weight-bearing Maya arches, or "false arches," that traditionally supported stone roofs, this structure has stone columns but no roof. This means that the building was once roofed, Toltec-style, with biodegradable materials (most likely palm thatch or wood) that have long since disintegrated. Beyond El Caracol, Casa Roja, and El Osario, the right-hand path follows an ancient sacbé, now collapsed. A mud-and-straw hut, which the Maya called a na, has been reproduced here to show the simple implements used before and after the Spanish conquest. On one side of the room are a typical pre-Hispanic table, seat, fire pit, and reed baskets; on the other are the Christian cross and colonial-style table of the postconquest Maya. Behind the tiny oval house, several unexcavated mounds still guard their secrets. The path meanders through a small grove of oak and slender bean trees to the building known today as El Mercado. This market was likely one end of a huge outdoor market whose counterpart structure, on the other side of the grove, is the Plaza de Mil Columnas (Plaza of the Thousand Columns). In typical Toltec-Maya style, the roof once covering the parallel rows of round stone columns in this long arcade has disappeared, giving the place a strangely Greek—and distinctly non-Maya—look. But the curvy-nosed Chaacs on the corners of the adjacent Templo de los Guerreros are pure Maya. Why their noses point down (like an upside down "U") instead of up is, as usual, just another mystery to be solved. An evening sound-and-light show (8 pm Apr.--Oct., 7 pm Nov.--Mar.) is presented here, with images projected onto El Castillo pyramid—it's been described as everything from stunning to cheesy. Reservations must be booked in advance through the Noches de Kukulkán website (www.nochesdekukulkan.com). Area tour operators can also arrange tickets. The pricey admission includes a 30-minute guided walk followed by the light show, as well as use of a translation device (original narration is in Spanish only). Assorted problems occasionally plague the equipment; if the Maya gods are smiling, the show will be on during your visit. Inquire on-site, at area lodgings, or at the Yucatán tourist office in Mérida. Because of the lateness of the hour, it's easier to take in the evening show on your own if you're staying in the immediate area. Escorted tour groups do come in from as far away as Mérida or Cancún.
View Tours and ActivitiesChichén-Itzá, Yucatán, 97751, Mexico985-851–0137Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$497, sound and light show MX$510 -
5. Chichén Itzá
One of the most dramatically beautiful ancient Maya cities, Chichén Itzá (pronounced chee-CHEN eet-ZAH) draws over one million visitors annually. Since the remains of this once-thriving kingdom were rediscovered by Europeans in the mid-1800s, many of the travelers making the pilgrimage here have been archaeologists and scholars who study the structures and glyphs and try to piece together the mysteries surrounding them. While the artifacts here give fascinating insight into Maya civilization, they also raise many unanswered questions. The name of this ancient city, which means "the mouth of the well of the Itzá," is a mystery in and of itself. Although it likely refers to the valuable water sources at the site (there are several cenotes here), experts have little information about who might have actually founded the city; some structures, likely built in the 5th century, predate the arrival of the Itzá, who occupied the city starting around the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Why the Itzá abandoned the city in the early 1200s is also unknown, as is its subsequent role. Most visitors who converge on Chichén Itzá come to marvel at its beauty. Even among laypeople, this ancient metropolis, which encompasses 6 square km (2¼ square miles), is known around the world as one of the most stunning and well-preserved Maya sites in existence. You’ve likely seen photos of the immense pyramid, El Castillo ("Kukulkán" in Maya), but they can’t capture the moment you first gaze in person upon the structure rising imposingly yet gracefully from the surrounding plain. El Castillo (the Castle) dominates the site both in size and in the symmetry of its perfect proportions. Open-jawed serpent statues adorn the corners of each of the pyramid's four stairways, honoring the legendary priest-king Kukulcán (also known as Quetzalcóatl), an incarnation of the feathered serpent god. More serpents appear at the top of the building as sculpted columns. At the spring and fall equinoxes, the afternoon light strikes the trapezoidal structure so that the shadow of the snake god appears to undulate down the side of the pyramid to bless the fertile earth. Thousands of people, from international sightseers to Maya shamans, travel to the site each year to witness this phenomenon. Make lodging reservations far in advance if you hope to join them. The question on everybody’s lips is: "May I climb the pyramid?" The answer is a resounding "No." Disappointing though that response may be, wear and tear on the staircases and numerous injuries to visitors have necessitated an end to the climbing. Archaeologists are still abuzz about the 2015 discovery of a subterranean river flowing underneath the pyramid, detected via “electrical resistance survey.” While the Maya would likely have intentionally constructed El Castillo over such a river cavern, will the eventual effect be that of a gigantic sinkhole that could threaten the structure’s foundation? Time will tell, although experts suggest probably not yet for several generations. The interior of El Castillo houses a marvelous statue of the intermediate god Chacmool. This part of the pyramid is no longer accessible to visitors, but four other Chacmool figures are scattered around Chichén Itzá. The most visible of them stands—or rather, reclines—at the Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors), just northeast of the pyramid. A Chacmool always leans back, leaving a flat spot on the belly for receiving offerings. On the Anexo del Templo de los Jaguares (Annex to the Temple of the Jaguars), just west of El Castillo, bas-relief carvings represent more important deities. On the bottom of the columns is the rain god Tlaloc. It's no surprise that his tears represent rain—but why is the Toltec god Tlaloc honored here, instead of the Maya rain god, Chaac? That's one of many questions that archaeologists and epigraphers have been trying to answer, ever since John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, the first English-speaking explorers to rediscover the site, hacked their way through the surrounding forest in 1840. Scholars once thought that the symbols of foreign gods and differing architectural styles at Chichén Itzá proved it was conquered by the Toltecs of central Mexico. (As well as representations of Tlaloc, the site also has a tzompantli—a stone platform decorated with row upon row of sculpted human skulls—which is a distinctively Toltec-style structure.) Most experts now agree, however, that Chichén Itzá was only influenced—never conquered—by Toltec trading partners from the north. Just west of the jaguar annex, another puzzle presents itself: the auditory marvel of Chichén Itzá's main ball court. At 490 feet, this Juego de Pelota is the largest in Mesoamerica. Yet if you stand at one end of the playing field and whisper something to a friend at the other end, incredibly, you'll be heard. The game played on this ball court was apparently something like soccer (no hands were used), but it likely had some sort of ritualistic significance. Carvings on the low walls surrounding the field show a decapitation, with blood spurting from the victim's neck to fertilize the earth. Whether this is a historical depiction—perhaps the losers or winners of the game were sacrificed?—or a symbolic scene, we can only guess. (Back in Mérida, the city tourist office stages a popular demonstration of the ball game each Friday evening in front of the cathedral. No one is beheaded.) On the other side of El Castillo, just before a small temple dedicated to the planet Venus, a ruined sacbé, or raised white road, leads to the Cenote Sagrado (Holy Well, or Sinkhole), also probably used for ritualistic purposes. Jacques Cousteau and his companions recovered about 80 skeletons from this deep, straight-sided subsurface pond, as well as thousands of pieces of jewelry and figures of jade, obsidian, wood, bone, and turquoise. In direct alignment with Cenote Sagrado, on the other side of El Castillo, the Cenote Xtaloc was kept pristine, undoubtedly for bathing and drinking. Adjacent to this water source is a steam bath, its interior lined with benches along the wall like those you'd see in any steam room today. Outside, a tiny pool was used for cooling down during the ritual. Older Maya structures at Chichén Itzá lie south and west of Cenote Xtaloc. Archaeologists have been restoring several buildings in this area, including the Templo del Osario (Ossuary Temple), which, as its name implies, concealed several tombs with skeletons and offerings. Behind the smaller Casa Roja (Red House) and Casa del Venado (House of the Deer) are the site's oldest structures, including El Caracol (the Snail), one of the few round buildings built by the Maya, with a spiral staircase within. Clearly built as a celestial observatory, it has eight tiny windows precisely aligned with the points of the compass rose. Scholars now know that Maya priests studied the planets and the stars; in fact, they were able to accurately predict the orbits of Venus and the moon, and the appearance of comets and eclipses. To modern astronomers, this is nothing short of amazing. The Maya of Chichén Itzá were not just scholars, however. They were skilled artisans and architects as well. South of El Caracol, the Grupo de las Monjas (Nunnery Complex) has some of the site's most exquisite facades. A combination of Puuc and Chenes styles dominates here, with playful latticework, masks, and gargoylelike serpents. On the east side of the Anexo de las Monjas (Nunnery Annex), the Chenes facade celebrates the rain god, Chaac. In typical style, the doorway represents an entrance into the underworld, and figures of Chaac decorate the ornate facade above. South of the Nunnery Complex is an area where field archaeologists are still excavating (fewer than a quarter of the structures at Chichén Itzá have been fully restored). If you have more than a superficial interest in the site—and can convince the authorities ahead of time of your importance, or at least your interest in archaeology—you can explore this area, which is generally not open to the public. Otherwise, head back toward El Castillo past the ruins of a housing compound called Akab Dzib and the Templo de los Panales Cuadrados (Temple of the Square Panels). The latter shows more evidence of Toltec influence: instead of weight-bearing Maya arches, or "false arches," that traditionally supported stone roofs, this structure has stone columns but no roof. This means that the building was once roofed, Toltec-style, with biodegradable materials (most likely palm thatch or wood) that have long since disintegrated. Beyond El Caracol, Casa Roja, and El Osario, the right-hand path follows an ancient sacbé, now collapsed. A mud-and-straw hut, which the Maya called a na, has been reproduced here to show the simple implements used before and after the Spanish conquest. On one side of the room are a typical pre-Hispanic table, seat, fire pit, and reed baskets; on the other are the Christian cross and colonial-style table of the postconquest Maya. Behind the tiny oval house, several unexcavated mounds still guard their secrets. The path meanders through a small grove of oak and slender bean trees to the building known today as El Mercado. This market was likely one end of a huge outdoor market whose counterpart structure, on the other side of the grove, is the Plaza de Mil Columnas (Plaza of the Thousand Columns). In typical Toltec-Maya style, the roof once covering the parallel rows of round stone columns in this long arcade has disappeared, giving the place a strangely Greek—and distinctly non-Maya—look. But the curvy-nosed Chaacs on the corners of the adjacent Templo de los Guerreros are pure Maya. Why their noses point down (like an upside down "U") instead of up is, as usual, just another mystery to be solved. An evening sound-and-light show (8 pm Apr.--Oct., 7 pm Nov.--Mar.) is presented here, with images projected onto El Castillo pyramid—it's been described as everything from stunning to cheesy. Reservations must be booked in advance through the Noches de Kukulkán website (www.nochesdekukulkan.com). Area tour operators can also arrange tickets. The pricey admission includes a 30-minute guided walk followed by the light show, as well as use of a translation device (original narration is in Spanish only). Assorted problems occasionally plague the equipment; if the Maya gods are smiling, the show will be on during your visit. Inquire on-site, at area lodgings, or at the Yucatán tourist office in Mérida. Because of the lateness of the hour, it's easier to take in the evening show on your own if you're staying in the immediate area. Escorted tour groups do come in from as far away as Mérida or Cancún.
Chichén-Itzá, Yucatán, 97751, Mexico985-851–0137Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$497, sound and light show MX$510 -
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6. Edzná
A major metropolis in its day, Edzná was situated at a crossroads between cities in modern-day Guatemala and the states of Chiapas and Yucatán. This "out-of-state" influence can be appreciated in its mélange of architectural elements. Roof combs and corbeled arches evoke those at Yaxchilán and Palenque, in Chiapas; giant stone masks resemble the Petén-style architecture of southern Campeche and northern Guatemala. Edzná began as a humble agricultural settlement around 300 BC, reaching its pinnacle in the late classic period, between AD 600 and 900, then gradually waning in importance until being all but abandoned in the early 15th century. Today soft breezes blow through groves of slender trees where brilliant orange and black birds spring from branch to branch. Clouds scuttle across a blue backdrop, perfectly framing the mossy remains of once-great structures. The best place to survey the site is from the 102-foot-tall Pirámide de los Cinco Pisos, built on the raised platform of the Gran Acrópolis (Great Acropolis). This five-story pyramid culminates in a tiny temple crowned by a roof comb. Hieroglyphs were carved into the vertical faces of the 15 steps between each level, and some were re-cemented in place by archaeologists, although not necessarily in the correct order. On these stones, as well as on stelae throughout the site, you can see faint depictions of the opulent attire once worn by the Maya ruling class—quetzal feathers, jade pectorals, and jaguar-skin skirts. The Pirámide de los Cinco Pisos was constructed so that on certain dates the setting sun would illuminate the mask of the creator-god, Itzamna, inside one of the pyramid's rooms. This happens annually on May 1, 2, and 3, the beginning of the planting season for the Maya—then and now. It also occurs on August 7, 8, and 9, the days of harvesting and giving thanks. On the pyramid's top level sit the ruins of three temples and a ritual steam bath. West of the Great Acropolis, the Puuc-style Plataforma de los Cuchillos (Platform of the Knives) was so named by the archaeological team that found a number of flint knives inside. To the south, four buildings surround a smaller structure called the Pequeña Acrópolis. Twin sun-god masks with huge protruding eyes, sharply filed teeth, and oversize tongues flank the Templo de los Mascarones (Temple of the Masks, or Building 414), adjacent to the Small Acropolis. The mask at bottom left (east) represents the rising sun; the right mask represents the setting sun. If you're not driving, consider taking one of the inexpensive day trips offered by tour operators in Campeche. Convenience aside, a guide can point out features often missed by the untrained eye, such as the remains of arrow-straight sacbés. These raised roads in their day connected one important ceremonial building within the city to the next, and also linked Edzná to trading partners throughout the peninsula.
Carretera 188, 24538, Mexico981-816–9111-in Campeche CitySight Details
Rate Includes: $MX65 -
7. Reserva de la Biósfera Calakmul
Encompassing some 1.8 million acres of land along the Guatemalan border, Calakmul was declared a protected biosphere reserve in 1989 and is the largest reserve of its kind in Mexico (Sian Ka'an in Quintana Roo is second with 1.3 million acres). All kinds of flora and fauna thrive here, including wildcats, spider and howler monkeys, hundreds of exotic birds, orchid varieties, butterflies, and reptiles. (There's no shortage of insects, either, so don't forget the bug repellent.)The centerpiece of the reserve, however, is the ruined Mayan city that shares the name Calakmul (which translates as "two adjacent towers"). Although Carretera 186 runs right through the reserve, you'll need to drive about 1½ hours from the highway along a 60-km (37-mile) authorized entry road to get to the site. Structures here are still being excavated, but fortunately the dense surrounding jungle is being left in its natural state: as you walk among the ruined palaces and tumbled stelae, you'll hear the guttural calls of howler monkeys, and see massive strangler figs enveloping equally massive trees.This magnificent city, now in ruins, wasn't always so lonely. Anthropologists estimate that in its heyday (between AD 542 and 695) the region was inhabited by more than 50,000 Maya. Archaeologists have mapped more than 6,800 structures and found 180 stelae. Perhaps the most monumental discovery thus far has been the remains of royal ruler Gran Garra de Jaguar (Great Jaguar Claw). His body was wrapped (but not embalmed) in a shroud of palm leaf, lime, and fine cloth, and locked away in a royal tomb in about AD 700. In an adjacent crypt, a young woman wearing fine jewelry and an elaborately painted wood-and-stucco headdress was entombed together with a child. Their identity remains a mystery. The artifacts and skeletal remains have been moved to the Museo de la Arqueología Maya in Campeche City.Unlike those at Chichén Itzá (which also peaked in importance during the classic era) the pyramids and palaces throughout Calakmul can be climbed to achieve soaring vistas. You can choose to explore the site along a short, medium, or long path, but all three eventually lead to magnificent Templo II and Templo VII —twin pyramids separated by an immense plaza. Templo II, at 175 feet, is the peninsula's tallest Mayan building. Scientists are studying a huge, intact stucco frieze deep within this structure, so it's not currently open to visitors.Arrangements for an English-speaking tour guide should be made beforehand with Servidores Turísticos Calakmul, Río Bec Dreams, or through Chicanná Ecovillage near Xpujil. Camping is permitted at Km 6 with the Servidores Turistícos Calakmul after paying caretakers at the entrance gate. You can set up camp near the second checkpoint. Even if day-tripping, though, you'll need to bring your own food and water, as the only place to buy a snack is near the second entrance inside the museum. You effectively pay three entrance fees; MX$42 per person and MX$70 per vehicle to the owners of the first 20 km (12½ miles) which is private land, MX$70 per person to enter the reserve at the second gate located at the museum, and another $M70 per person at the entrance to the ruins.
Off Carretera 186, Km 65, Campeche, 24640, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: MX$70 per car (more for larger vehicles), plus MX$182 per person -
8. Uxmal
Uxmal rivals Chichén Itzá, Coba, and other Maya sites in terms of its beauty and drama, but its distance from Cancun and the Riviera Maya helps assure that it is less crowded, at least relatively. The especially decorative style of Uxmal and other Puuc Maya sites also makes it of special interest. Although much of Uxmal has yet to be excavated and restored, the following buildings in particular merit attention: At 125 feet high, the Pirámide del Adivino is the tallest and most prominent structure at the site. Unlike most other Maya pyramids, which are stepped and angular, the "Pyramid of the Magician" has a softer, more refined round-corner design. This structure was rebuilt five times over hundreds of years, each time on the same foundation, so artifacts found here represent several different kingdoms. The pyramid has a stairway on its western side that leads through a giant open-mouth mask to two temples at the summit. During restoration work in 2002, the grave of a high-ranking Maya official, a ceramic mask, and a jade necklace were discovered within the pyramid. Ongoing excavations continue to reveal exciting new finds, still under study. As with most ruins in Yucatán, climbing is prohibited. West of the pyramid lies the Cuadrángulo de las Monjas, often considered to be the finest part of Uxmal. It reminded the conquistadores of typical convent buildings in Spain (monjas are nuns). You may enter the four buildings, each comprising a series of low, gracefully repetitive chambers that look onto a central patio. Elaborate symbolic decorations—masks, geometric patterns, coiling snakes, and some phallic figures—blanket the upper facades. Heading south, you'll pass a small ball court before reaching the Palacio del Gobernador. Covering 5 acres and rising over an immense acropolis, the palace lies at the heart of what may have been city's administrative center. It faces east while the rest of Uxmal faces west, and archaeologists suggest this allowed the structure to serve as an observatory for the planet Venus. The Cuadrángalo de los Pájaros (Quadrangle of the Birds) takes its name from the repeating pattern of doves, which decorates the upper part of the building's frieze. The building is composed of a series of small chambers. In one of these, archaeologists discovered a statue of the ruler Chac (not to be confused with Chaac, the rain god), who was thought to have dwelled there. A nightly sound and light show (8 pm Apr.--Oct., 7 pm Nov.--Mar.) recounts Maya legends. The colored light brings out details of carvings and mosaics that are easy to miss when the sun is shining. The show is narrated in Spanish, but earphones (MX$39) provide an English translation. In the summer months, tarantulas are a common sight on the grounds at Uxmal.
Uxmal, Yucatán, 97784, Mexico997-976–2064Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$418, sound and light show MX$100 -
9. Aké
This compact archaeological site east of Mérida offers the unique opportunity to view architecture spanning two millennia in one sweeping vista. Standing atop a ruined Maya temple built more than a thousand years ago, you can see the incongruous sight of workers processing sisal in a rusty-looking factory, which was built in the early 20th century. To the right of this dilapidated building are the ruins of the old Hacienda and Iglesia de San Lorenzo Aké, both constructed of stones taken from Maya buildings. Experts estimate that Aké was populated between AD 250 and 900; today many people in the area have Aké as a surname. The city seems to have been related to the very important and powerful one at present-day Izamal; in fact, the two cities were once connected by a sacbé (white road) 43 feet wide and 33 km (20 miles) long. All that has been excavated so far are two pyramids, one with rows of columns (35 total) at the top, reminiscent of the Toltec columns at Tula, north of Mexico City.
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10. Aké
This compact archaeological site east of Mérida offers the unique opportunity to view architecture spanning two millennia in one sweeping vista. Standing atop a ruined Maya temple built more than a thousand years ago, you can see the incongruous sight of workers processing sisal in a rusty-looking factory, which was built in the early 20th century. To the right of this dilapidated building are the ruins of the old Hacienda and Iglesia de San Lorenzo Aké, both constructed of stones taken from Maya buildings. Experts estimate that Aké was populated between AD 250 and 900; today many people in the area have Aké as a surname. The city seems to have been related to the very important and powerful one at present-day Izamal; in fact, the two cities were once connected by a sacbé (white road) 43 feet wide and 33 km (20 miles) long. All that has been excavated so far are two pyramids, one with rows of columns (35 total) at the top, reminiscent of the Toltec columns at Tula, north of Mexico City.
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11. Baluarte de la Soledad
The largest of the bastions was originally built to protect the Puerta de Mar, a sea gate that served as one of four original entrances to the city. Because it uses no supporting walls, it resembles a Roman triumphal arch. Baluarte de la Soledad has comparatively complete parapets and embrasures that offer views of the cathedral, municipal buildings, and old houses along Calle 8. The museum inside—Museo de Arquitectura Maya, dedicated to Mayan architecture—exhibits artifacts from several Campeche-state Mayan sites.
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12. Baluarte de San Carlos
This bastion, where Calle 8 curves around and becomes Circuito Baluartes, houses the Museo de la Ciudad. The museum contains a small collection of historical artifacts, including several Spanish suits of armor and a beautifully inscribed silver scepter. Captured pirates were once jailed in the stifling basement dungeon. The unshaded rooftop provides an ocean view that's lovely at sunset.
Calle 8, 24000, Mexico -
13. Baluarte de San Pedro
Built in 1686 to protect the city from pirate attacks, this bastion flanked by watchtowers now houses one of the city's few worthwhile handicraft shops. The collection is small but of high quality, and prices are reasonable. On the roof are well-preserved corner watchtowers. You can also check out (but not use) the original 17th-century toilet.
Calles 18 and 51, 24000, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
14. Baluarte de Santiago
The last of the bastions to be built has been transformed into the X'much Haltún Botanical Gardens. It contains more than 200 plant species, including the enormous ceiba tree, which had spiritual importance to the Maya, symbolizing a link between heaven, Earth, and the underworld. The original bastion, erected in 1704, was demolished at the turn of the 20th century, then rebuilt in the 1950s.
Calles 8 and 49, 24000, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: MX$20 includes admission to Baluarte San Juan and Bastión de San Francisco -
15. Becán
An interesting feature here is the defensive moat—unusual among ancient Mayan cities—though barely evident today. Seven ruined gateways, once the only entrances to the guarded city, may have clued archaeologists to its presence. Most of the site's many buildings date from between about AD 600 and 1000, but since there are no traditionally inscribed stelae listing details of royal births, deaths, battles, and ascendancies to the throne, archaeologists have had to do a lot of guessing about what transpired here. You can climb several of the structures to get a view of the area, and even spot some of Xpuhil's towers above the treetops. Duck into Estructura VIII, where underground passages lead to small subterranean rooms and to a concealed staircase that reaches the top of the temple. One of several buildings surrounding a central plaza, Estructura VIII has lateral towers and a giant zoomorphic mask on its central facade. It was used for religious rituals, including bloodletting rites during which the elite pierced earlobes and genitals, among other sensitive body parts, in order to present their blood to the gods.
Off Carretera 186, Km 145, Mexico -
16. Calle 59
Some of Campeche's finest homes were built on this street between Calles 8 and 18. Most of the two-story structures were originally dual-purpose, with warehouses on the ground floor and living quarters above; these days, behind the delicate grillwork and lace curtains, you can glimpse genteel scenes of local life. The best-preserved houses are between Calles 14 and 18 (many of those closer to the sea have been remodeled or destroyed by fire). Campeche's INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) office, between Calles 14 and 16, is a prime example; each month it displays a different archaeological artifact in its courtyard. At the end of Calle 59 is Puerta de Mar, a main entrance to the historic city. Look for the names of the apostles carved into the lintels of houses between Calles 16 and 18.
24000, Mexico -
17. Casa de Montejo
Three Franciscos de Montejo—father, son, and nephew—invaded the peninsula and founded Mérida in January of 1542, and they completed construction of this stately home on the south side of the central plaza in 1549. It's the city's oldest and finest example of colonial plateresque architecture, a Spanish architectural style popular in the 16th century and typified by the kind of elaborate ornamentation you'll see here. A bas-relief on the doorway—the facade is all that remains of the original house—depicts Francisco de Montejo the younger, his wife, and daughter, as well as Spanish soldiers standing on the heads of the vanquished Maya. The building has had many owners over the centuries and the museum on the site consists of several rooms that have been restored and furnished as they would have appeared at the end of the 19th century.
Calle 63, No. 506, Mérida, Yucatán, 97000, Mexico999-253–6732Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon -
18. Casa Seis
One of the city's earliest colonial homes now serves as a cultural center. Fully restored, its rooms are furnished with period antiques and a few well-chosen reproductions; original frescoes at the tops of the walls remain, and you can see patches of the painted "wallpaper" that once covered the walls, serving to simulate European trends in an environment where real wallpaper wouldn't adhere due to the humidity. There is a small coffee shop on-site, plus a gift shop selling products from Campeche. The Moorish courtyard is occasionally used as a space for exhibits and lectures. Activities occur here several evenings a week. Vivo Recuerdo, a musical/theater interpretation of Campeche's history, is presented Thursday through Sunday; Con Sabor a Chocolate, a chocolate-making demonstration, takes place on Friday and Saturday.
Calle 57, 24000, Mexico981-816–1782Sight Details
Rate Includes: House MX$30; Vivo Recurrdo MX$120; Con Sabor a Chocolate MX$90 -
19. Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
It took two centuries (from 1650 to 1850) to finish the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and, as a result, it incorporates both neoclassical and Renaissance elements. On the simple limestone exterior, sculptures of saints in niches are covered in black netting to discourage pigeons from unintentional desecration. The church's neoclassical interior is also somewhat plain and sparse. The high point of its collection, now housed in the side chapel museum, is a magnificent Holy Sepulchre carved from ebony and decorated with stamped silver angels, flowers, and decorative curlicues. Each angel holds a symbol of the Stations of the Cross.
Calle 55, 24000, Mexico981-816–2524Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
20. Cenote Ik Kil
When you’ve exhausted your interest in archaeology—or are just plain exhausted—Cenote Ik Kil (meaning "place of the winds") offers a refreshing change of pace. Located across from the Doralba Inn in Pisté, this is an especially photogenic cenote to swim in. Lockers, changing facilities, showers, and life jackets are available.
Carretera 180, Km 122, Chichén-Itzá, Yucatán, 99751, Mexico999-437–0148Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$150
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