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| Tulúm |
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| As we've advised for other ruins in Quintana Roo and Yucatan, there are a couple reasons why you'll want to get an early start on your day when you visit Tulúm. Foremost is because no matter when you arrive, once you get there, you aren't going to be alone. If you can manage to get there early in the day you stand a better chance of missing the worst of the crowd. And secondly, there is very little shade of any kind in Tulúm and if you get there in the morning, you will enjoy the added benefit of beating the worst heat of the day.
Due partly to it's location near the tourist centers of Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel and also due to some degree to the bus loads of cruise ship passengers that take excursions there each day, Tulúm is the most visited Mayan site in the Yucatán. While not a large city in terms of size or in the number or restored structures, Tulúm's cliff-side location overlooking the Caribbean provides some beautiful vistas and the ease in getting there makes it an attractive stop for tourists.
Tulúm was built in the 13th Century well after the zenith of the Mayan civilization. It was one of the few old cities that were still occupied at the time of the Spanish invasion.
While the architecture in Tulúm is not as elaborate as you might find in many other cities built in earlier days, the restored structures there are of interest. The Castillo pictured in the top two photos on the right sits high upon the edge of a cliff offering a good view of the ocean and the countryside and a lovely white sand beach below. In fact, you may want to wear your swim suit when you visit so you can take a cooling dip in the water if the mood strikes you. In several of the structures, glimpses of color are still visible where ancient frescoes were painted
Entrance is free on Sunday, and $40 pesos during the rest of the week. You will be changed an additional $40 pesos if you want to take along your video camera. English speaking guides are available for an additional charge.
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| Coba |
About 45 minutes west of Tulum hidden in the jungle next to several large lakes are the very impressive ruins of Coba. While still relatively close to the Cancun-Tulum corridor, the modern village of Coba still has an "Old Mexico" feel to it. It's a place where Mayan rather than Spanish is considered the first language.
Due in large part to its location between Tulum and Chichen Itza and its abundant water supply, at its height, from about 400-800 A.D., Coba was a trading center with a population of over 55,000. While restoration is now an ongoing process, less than 5% of the ancient city has currently been reconstructed. It is an excellent trip for those seeking a site that does not attract as many visitors as some other better-known ruins and for those wanting to see a site before restoration has progressed very far.
Perhaps the most impressive structure in Coba is Nohoch Mul, seen in the top photo on the right. At 136 feet it is the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. Among other restored buildings are two beautiful small ball courts and as seen in the third photo to the right, a second pyramid. This smaller pyramid is situated at an important crossroads of ancient trading routes, and looks out over some still impressive remnants of the sacbeob, the Mayan white stone road system.
On our most recent trip there in October, 2000, the entrance fee was $30 pesos per person and the optional services an English speaking guide for 1-1/2 hours for a group of 4 was an additional $350 pesos.
On the drive to Coba, you will pass the Grand Cenote, which presents an excellent opportunity to snorkel. Also keep your eye out for a small shop along side the road selling plaster reproductions of artifacts found in ruins form all over Mexico.
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| Muyil |
If you've ever driven up or down Highway 307 south of Tulum, whether you knew it or not, you were passing through the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reserve includes over a million acres of lowland jungle, flooded savannas, mangroves, and a portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. There are thousands of plant species, hundreds of birds, several varieties of wild cats, monkeys and numerous species of reptiles from crocodiles to turtles.
And there are hundreds of ancient Mayan ruins, some visible from the roadside. There have been some recent restorations of ruins in Sian Ka'an including a few at a site known as Muyil at mile post 227 on Highway 307. If driving from the north to south, you'll know you're almost there when you pass over a speed bump and see a jungle nursery on your right.
You can tour the ruins and walk through the jungle at Muyil on your own or you can book a tour through one of two local groups that contribute funds back into the local community and help fund maintenance at the site and additional restorations.
Community Tours of Sian Ka'an offers several tours with different themes (birding, flaura & fauna, etc.) We took one called "Muyil: Forest and float Tour" that included a walking tour through the Mayan ruins at Muyil and then a walk through the jungle followed by float down a natural canal.
We were picked up at our hotel in Tulum but the tour will pick up as far away as Playa. We were driven about 25 km south of Tulum and we walked into the forest. As we first entered, we saw several ruins that had been taken over by the jungle. As we walked further into the jungle, we came across others that had been beaurtifully restored.
One in particular, the 3rd in the group of photos of this section is dedicated to Ixchel the same goddess of fertility that that the San Grevacio ruins in Cozumel honor.
It's not the largest temple we've ever seen but it really is one of the prettiest.
After a 20-minute walk us through the jungle with stops to climb observation towers, we came out on a large lake. The tour we were own had chartered several of the small fishing boats there to take us across the lake and eventually dropped us for a float down a canal leading from the lakes towards the ocean. It is possible to drive straight to the lake but you can't count on hiring a boat there on your own as all of the boats are usually booked by the tours.
We were put into pangas and as we approached the other side of the lake, it looked like we were going to ground the boat but at the last second, a small canal appeared. Then it opened up onto another lake. Same routine with a slightly larger canal at the other side. But then they gave us life jackets and suggested that we lay on them or wear them like a diaper and we floated down the canal for about half an hour. That was really fun (but we got a little sunburn.) Then they served lunch and stopped by a cenote for a swim on the way back to Tulum.
Centro Ecologico Sian Ka'an (CESiaK)is another company that has accommodations within the park and offers similar tours.
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| Others |
| Wherever you travel in Quintana Roo or the Yucatan, you will likely see vestiges of the Mayan civilization. From the ruins of San Grevesio in Cozumel to the giant stone masks found in Kohunlich , more and more ruins are being discovered and reconstructed. As you drive down the small roads or highways of the area, most small hills or pile of rocks that you see probably represents an "undiscovered" remnant of the Mayan culture.
Some, like the un-named temple in the top photo on the right can be viewed from your car as you drive down Highway 307 through the small town of Limones.
Others like the next photo are from smaller restored ceremonial areas like San Gervasio on the island of Cozumel. While it is not as impressive as many of the larger ruins on the mainland, if you find yourself on the island, it makes for an interesting exploration.
Still others like the ruins of Chacchoben (also near the town of Limones) in the 3nd picture ot the right are being restored by the History and Anthropology National Institute partly to satisfy the demand for land excursions for cruise ships that are calling on the new pier in Majahual.
Where ever you find yourself, keep an eye open and talk to people and you may enjoy the thrill of discovering your very own lost city of the Maya.
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