Here—you quickly learn—time slows down. Only discovered in 2007, the Rio Secreto underground river has been carving out this 8-mile-long cave system for centuries—or even millennia. Though most cave systems in the world are underwater, Rio Secreto is only partially flooded, making it possible to enter and visit the Mayan underworld. The Gods at Rio…
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Xel-Ha is another port settlement from where Mayans sailed to the nearby island of Cozumel to ask Ixchel, the goddess of fertility, for happy marriages and healthy pregnancies. Because this settlement is not directly exposed to the sea, ships launched from the small inlet, thus giving the place its name: Xel-Ha—”water entrance” (or something along…
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“El Meco” is one of the smaller archeological sites along the Riviera Maya and doesn’t take much time to visit. It’s a great stop on your way to somewhere else. Because it is the higher structure in the area, it offer a clear image of what life was like when the Mayans ruled. What does…
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Usually, archeological sites don’t have their own museum, but they do at San Miguelito. Located right in Cancun’s hotel zone, San Miguelito is the perfect stop for those who would like to see Mayan ruins, but not venture too far off the beaten path. Curiosities about San Miguelito I know what you’re thinking: San Miguelito…
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Coba is not like any other ancient Mayan city. Rather than a single settlement, it is composed of many. Stone and white roads connect everything to the central—and huge—pyramid. Visiting Coba, you’ll truly see a place like no other. How Coba got to be Coba It is a fact of life nobody can live without…
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Generally speaking, there seem to be two kinds of Mayan ruins along the Yucatan Peninsula. Some, in the middle of cities and towns, are impossible to miss. You can walk right by the others, buried deep in the jungle, without ever knowing there’s a huge settlement behind the tree line. Muyil belongs to this second…
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This is not the biggest archeological site in the Riviera Maya, for sure, but El Rey’s location—right in the middle of Cancun’s hotel zone—might be its biggest advantage. It’s a great place to see if you want to do a little bit of everything or you’re planning to go to other, bigger sites, like Chichen…
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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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