It’s hard not to overuse the word “mystical” when you’re describing Mayan archeological sites. It’s even harder not to use it here, as Chicanna was almost exclusively dedicated to the worship of gods, as is obvious by its various temples. Oh, and by that door that forms a gigantic fanged snake’s mouth that led to…
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Standing in the shadow of Uxmal—in more ways than one—lie three smaller archeological zones: Sayil, Labna, and Kabah. Though their buildings show a lot of similarities, they were established at three different times. The only common denominator is their devotion to the god of rain, Chac. Any visit to Uxmal might not feel quite complete…
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A UNESCO Heritage site, Palenque is probably the most famous archeological site in Mexico, second only to Tenochtitlan, and certainly one of the most beautiful. As the grass covers the top of the different buildings’ platforms, it has the perfect blend between the jungle’s green and the stone slabs’ gray. It’s a design choice that…
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Origins are important, but so are endings. With about 12,000 residents within its city walls, Mayapan is thought to be the last Mayan capital, still active when the Spanish arrived. 4,000 structures have been found here, as well as 26 cenotes, freshwater sinkholes used in agriculture. No doubt, at one point, this was a living,…
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Perhaps it is not as famous as Chichen Itzá and Uxmal, but Ezná is no less striking. With its impressive and well-kept structures, you’re bound to find it mentioned in many must-see Riviera Maya ruins checklists. Where is Ezná? Glad you asked—this is important. Ezná is in Campeche, which is a whole different state. If…
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Dzibanche and Kinichna are two of a small group of buildings—there are four in total—buried in the jungle that makes a small and unique archeological site. It can only be reached by traversing a narrow, jungle path, bringing on those real-explorer feelings. The whole group Some consider these separate groups of buildings a single site;…
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This is it. The big cheese—the big Cheese- Chen Itza. There are not many people in this part of the world who haven’t heard of Chichen Itza. Actually, being a UNESCO World Heritage site and the second most visited archaeological site in Mexico, there are not many people who haven’t heard of Chichen Itza, period.…
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A UNESCO World Heritage site of 27 square miles and over six thousand structures, Calakmul can’t be seen in its entirety in a single day. It takes several to cover all its structures, sites, and wonders of engineering. Because of that, this is the main attraction for global archeological enthusiasts. Calakmul’s conflictive past Calakmul’s relationship…
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Archeological sites are important for different reasons. Some, for their huge structures; some, for their location. Bonampak became extremely important for its frescoes, which many believe changed what we thought we knew about Mayan society. Bonampak lived in perpetual conflict along the Usumacinta Like many other important Mayan cities, Bonampak lies along the Usumacinta River.…
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Don’t think just because Balamku is small you should skip it in favor of other, bigger ruins. Despite its size, this ancient site in Campeche hides one of the most valuable treasures the Mayans left for us to find. Balamku’s Jaguar Close to another, more famous archeological site—Calakmul—, Balamku only features three small groups of…
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