Mysteries of the Mayans

Venture from the tourist resorts to explore Mexico's ancient civilizations

For a modest price, visitors to Coba can pay for a rickshaw ride to the ruins or rent a bike to make the sprawling city more manageable.

It’s a steep, narrow 120-step climb, making the Nohoch Mul pyramid the tallest in the Yucatan. Much energy is required to make the long journey to the top of this behemoth.

The steps, hot to the touch under the sun’s beating rays, are smooth, worn from many years of thrill-seeking visitors climbing their way to one of the most scenic views in Mexico. The top platform of this pyramid is high above the tree tops, which eventually blur together into a mass of lush, leafy green as far as the eye can see.

The Mayans built the city of Coba near four lakes from around 600 to 900 AD. Other prominent buildings at Coba include a pyramid nearly as large as Nohoch Mul called La Iglesia, or “The Church,” a ballcourt and several smaller structures with lovely carvings that help tell the story of this long abandoned civilization.

Tulum’s coastal location attracts visitors in droves. Perched atop limestone cliffs that overlook warm Caribbean water, Tulum is arguably the most picturesque site in the Yucatan.

Tulum once served as sort of a primitive lighthouse, guiding ships through dangerous coral reef clusters not far from shore. Its structures are, relatively speaking, small and unimpressive, but the grounds are beautifully landscaped with blooming bougainvillea spilling over trellises and gravel paths guiding the crowds of tourists from one building to the next.

Recently-built stairs give easy access to the beach, so bring a bathing suit and enjoy the ruins from another vantage point — peacefully floating over warm ocean waves.

From any angle, Tulum is simply beautiful.

Muyil isn’t the most spectacular of the ruins in the Yucatan, but it may be the most peaceful. The site is off the radar for most of the tourists crowding nearby Tulum’s grounds. It’s rare to pass another visitor here.

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