Muyil

Tickets and tours: all the options

Entry to the ruins, MXN 145 for foreign visitors and less for Mexicans, is paid at the gate to INAH, the federal heritage institute. A separate fee to the Sian Ka'an reserve covers the boardwalk through the forest to the lagoon and the observation tower. Boat trips across the lagoons and through the ancient canal are run by a local cooperative from the jetty at the end of the boardwalk and are paid separately; they usually last about two to three hours and include life jackets for the float.

Tours sold online are mainly half or full days from Tulum, Playa del Carmen or Cancun. The usual formats are a guided visit to the ruins with the boat trip and canal float, a tour that adds a cenote swim, early-morning birdwatching walks in the reserve with a specialist guide, and longer days from Cancun that pair Muyil with Tulum. Most include transport and the reserve fees; lunch is sometimes added.

With a car or a colectivo from Tulum, the ruins are easy to see on your own in an hour, and you can buy the boat trip at the jetty if space remains. In high season, from December to April, a booked tour is the easier way to guarantee a place on the boat.

A short history

Muyil, also called Chunyaxche, is one of the oldest and longest-occupied Maya sites on the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula. Pottery shows people were living here by about 350 BC, and the site stayed in use until around 1500. Its tall pyramids follow the Peten style of the southern lowlands, and for much of its history it seems to have been closely tied to Coba, 44 km to the north-west. Muyil prospered on a trade route that used canals and lagoons to reach the Caribbean, moving jade, obsidian, cacao, honey, feathers and salt. Excavation and restoration in recent decades have uncovered only part of the site.

Getting there

Muyil lies beside Highway 307, about 20 km south of Tulum, on the road to Felipe Carrillo Puerto. By car it is about 20 minutes from Tulum and 1 hour 30 minutes from Playa del Carmen; there is a parking area at the entrance. Without a car, colectivo minibuses heading south to Felipe Carrillo Puerto leave from Tulum and will drop you at the gate if you ask; to return, flag one down on the highway, which is easier in the morning. The new Tulum airport is a short drive away, and Cancun airport is about 2 hours north. Taxis from Tulum can be hired for a return trip with waiting time, but agree the price first.

Rules and what to bring

Climbing the pyramids is not allowed, and drones need a permit from INAH. Mosquitoes are fierce in the forest and near the lagoons, especially in the rainy season, so bring repellent and long sleeves, but avoid applying repellent or ordinary sunscreen before floating in the canal. Bring water, a hat and a change of clothes for the boat trip. Toilets are at the entrance; there is no café, only a few drinks stalls.

When to go

Muyil receives far fewer visitors than Tulum, but tour groups from the Riviera Maya arrive from about 10 am, and the boat trips are busiest in the late morning. Arrive at the 8 am opening for the coolest temperatures, the best birdwatching and the quietest paths, and plan the boat trip directly after the ruins.

The dry season from November to April is the most comfortable time, with clear water in the lagoons and fewer mosquitoes, though Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks. The rainy season from June to October brings heavy afternoon showers, high humidity and more insects, and the hurricane season peaks in September and October, when boat trips may be cancelled. Allow about an hour for the ruins alone and a half day for the boardwalk, the tower and the lagoon trip together.