Beyond the famous names
Most visitors to Cancun see Chichén Itzá, Tulum, Cobá or Ek Balam, and those great temple cities are covered by our sister catalogue, Temples Atlas. This guide is about the Maya sites beside and beyond them: smaller, quieter, often set in forest, and in several cases easy to fit into a beach holiday. Distances in Quintana Roo are long, the heat is serious and most sites close by 4 or 5 pm, so pick one area per day and be at the gate when it opens.
In Cancun and on Cozumel
El Rey Ruins sit at km 18 of Boulevard Kukulcan in the Hotel Zone, opposite Playa Delfines, and the R1 and R2 buses stop outside every few minutes. An hour is enough for the small plaza, platforms and resident iguanas; come at the 8 am opening or after 3 pm, as there is almost no shade. Add the Museo Maya de Cancun, ten minutes north, for a half day without a car.
San Gervasio, the old pilgrimage centre of Cozumel, is reached by the 45-minute passenger ferry from Playa del Carmen and then a 20-minute taxi inland, as no bus runs there. The paths are shaded by forest, but the fee is higher than at most Maya sites and cruise-ship days bring jeep tours between 10 am and 1 pm. Arrive at 8 am, allow one to two hours and finish on the wild east coast.
Muyil and the Tulum coast
Muyil lies beside Highway 307 about 20 km south of Tulum, roughly an hour and a half from Playa del Carmen and two hours from Cancun airport. Colectivos heading to Felipe Carrillo Puerto drop you at the gate. The temples stand in forest at the edge of the Sian Ka'an reserve, and a boardwalk, a viewing tower and boat trips on the lagoons, paid separately, turn an hour of ruins into half a day. It opens at 8 am, before the Riviera Maya tours, and pairs well with Tulum in the early afternoon.
Bacalar and the south
The southern sites are too far for a day trip from Cancun, about four and a half hours by road, so base yourself at Bacalar, which also has a Tren Maya station. Chacchoben is 40 minutes away and open only from 9 am to 3 pm; on days when cruise ships dock at Costa Maya it fills with coach groups, so arrive at opening. Ichkabal, a vast city opened to visitors only recently, is 45 minutes to an hour inland; check its hours, which are still settling.
Kohunlich and Dzibanche, west of Chetumal, make a second day of ruins and lie about 40 minutes apart. Kohunlich is known for its large stucco masks of the sun god and needs two to three hours; Dzibanche has tall temples in the forest and lintels of carved sapodilla wood. There is no public transport to either, so drive or hire a taxi for the round trip, carry pesos for the gate and fill the tank before leaving the highway.
Mérida and the Puuc loop
A longer loop runs west to Mérida, about four hours from Cancun by toll road. Dzibilchaltun, 25 minutes north of the city, has a temple aligned with the equinox sunrise, a cenote for swimming and a good museum, closed on Mondays. Mayapan, the last great Maya capital, is 50 minutes south-east and pairs with the cenotes of Homun. Xcambo, near the pink salt pans of the coast, is an hour north-east of Mérida.
Two hours south on highway 261, past Uxmal, Kabah has a palace whose facade is covered in masks of the rain god Chaac, and Sayil lies 15 minutes further on the Ruta Puuc. Neither has a reliable bus, so a hire car from Mérida is the practical choice. Both open at 8 am and see few visitors before midday, when tours arrive from Uxmal.
Seasons, hours and money
November to April is the dry season and the best time for every site on this list. From June to October afternoon storms, humidity and mosquitoes increase, and the hurricane season peaks in September and October, when boat trips and tours can be cancelled. Most sites run by INAH open from 8 am to about 5 pm with last entry earlier, and Sunday free entry applies only to Mexican residents. Pay in pesos, carry repellent and water, and do not plan more than two sites a day.
Where to book
El Rey Ruins: no booking, pay at the gate and take the R1 or R2 bus for an early hour before the beach. San Gervasio: on cruise-ship days book a guided or jeep tour from the pier, otherwise take a taxi from San Miguel and arrive at 8 am. Muyil: pay at the gate, but book the lagoon boat trip a day ahead in high season and start at opening.
Chacchoben: cruise passengers at Costa Maya should book a tour with transport; from Bacalar, drive 40 minutes and arrive at 9 am. Kohunlich and Dzibanche: one long day by car or private tour from Bacalar or Chetumal, starting at Kohunlich at 8 am. Kabah: drive from Mérida or join a Puuc route tour, allowing an hour and a half on site.
