You can easily visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza
, which was recently named a “New Modern Wonder of the World”. Each of the best Mayan ruins is easily visited as a day trip from Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
How do you get to the Mayan ruins?
Most people take a taxi
to reach the ruins, but you can also sign up for a tour. What’s great about El Rey is that you’ll hardly ever find the site crowded. Most tourists are on the buses headed to destinations like Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba.
Can you drive to the Mayan ruins?
Since the Mayan ruins are such big tourist attractions, you’ll find that it’s relatively easy to find them right off the main roads of the Yucatan peninsula.
You can use a map to drive to the ruins of your choice
; or if you’re on a tour, simply show up at the designated meeting point at the appropriate time.
How much does it cost to go to the Mayan ruins?
When you arrive at the ruins, tickets are sold at the entrance. The entrance fee is
65 pesos (about $3.50)
. If you bring a video camera, you’ll have to pay an extra 30 pesos. If you purchase one of the many Tulum bus tour packages, your Tulum ruins entrance fee should be included.
Can you go inside Mayan temples?
No, unfortunately you can’t enter the pyramids
. over a year ago. only outside, they are actually fenced in.
Can you climb Mayan pyramids?
Yes, Coba is the only Mayan pyramid you can still climb and tour
. The pyramid is 42 meters (138 feet) tall with 120 stone steps that can get pretty steep towards the top. There is a thick rope in the middle for safety. When you arrive at the top, gaze off at the lush jungle and landscaping that make the climb worth it.
Are there any Mayans left?
Descendants of the Maya still live in Central America in modern-day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and parts of Mexico
. The majority of them live in Guatemala, which is home to Tikal National Park, the site of the ruins of the ancient city of Tikal. Roughly 40 percent of Guatemalans are of Mayan descent.
Is it safe to visit the Mayan ruins in Mexico?
To answer your question though –
yes, the ruins are safe
. Chichen Itza is a bit of a trek (3 hours drive each way) and being inland in the jungle, it can be extremely hot there. Tulum is much closer and the setting is spectacular (the ruins are on top of a cliff).
What do you wear to the Mayan ruins?
Wear
comfortable clothing
, sunscreen and bring water.
It can get hot during the day, and you should be prepared to do a lot of walking when exploring the sites.
Where to stay if you want to see the Mayan ruins?
Playa del Carmen
is the most centrally located place to stay and there is plenty of fun and wonderful food to be had there. Our top pick for a home base when you’re touring the Yucatan Peninsula or Cancun area, particularly if you’re planning to visit the best Mayan ruins, is Playa del Carmen.
Why do people visit the Mayan ruins?
Tulum Mayan Ruins is the best place to visit once in a lifetime. The Mayan city is
popular for its archaeological sites and artifacts
. They depict not only the Mayan art and culture but also cultural diffusion of the earliest times in history.
What is the best Mayan ruin to visit in Cancun?
Chichen Itza
is the best known, and therefore the most popular Mayan Ruins excursion from Cancun and Riviera Maya. However, as with most top tourist attractions, there is good reason for its popularity and therefore we consider it a must-see when you’re in Cancun.
Are the Mayan ruins worth seeing?
Everyone who visits or has plans to visit the Maya Riviera in the Yucatan knows about Chichen Itza. Being a World Heritage Site and home to the Pyramid of Kukulcan, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, this is no surprise. Dominating the center of the site,
the Pyramid of Kukulcan alone is worth the visit
.
How old are the Mayan ruins?
Massive
3,000-year-old
ceremonial complex discovered in ‘plain sight’ An enormous pyramid-topped platform, unnoticed until detected with the help of lasers, is the oldest and largest structure in the Maya region.
Which is the best Mayan ruin to visit?
Chichen Itza’s El Castillo (a.k.a. the Temple of Kukulkan)
is probably the most recognizable of all the Mayan ruins. It doesn’t hurt that this sacred historic site is located in the Yucatan Peninsula, just a couple of hours drive from Cancun.
Can you climb the pyramids?
The short answer is no –
you are not legally allowed to climb the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza
. In fact, there are reportedly strict rules against scaling pyramids, and you can even be sent to prison for three years. The entire site is out of bounds after 5pm, with guards patrolling the area.
Can Tourists climb Chichen Itza?
Unfortunately for visitors,
no, Chichen Itza Pyramid is not allowed to climb
. Luckily for all the locals and culture lovers, the main Mayan Building of Chichen Itza can’t be climbed. In this way, we contribute to preserving this sacred site. Years ago, the Chichen Itza Pyramid used to be claimed by tourists.
Is there anything inside the Mayan pyramids?
In the 1930s, however, a group of excavators began exploring and discovered that another pyramid-temple was nestled within the larger pyramid. Further excavations revealed that it had
nine platforms, a single stairway, and a temple containing human remains, a jade-studded jaguar throne, and a so-called Chac Mool
.
Why did they ban climbing Chichen Itza?
Last chance to climb: Check out the view from the tallest Mayan temple in Mexico at Coba Back to video. Indeed, nearby—and much better known—Chichén Itzá closed its pyramid climb in 2006 when
a woman died after tumbling down on her descent
.
What is at the top of a Mayan pyramid?
The first type of pyramid had
a temple
on the top and was meant to be climbed by the priests to make sacrifices to the gods. The stairs going up the sides of these pyramids were steep, but not too steep for the priests to climb. The most important religious ceremonies were held at the top of these pyramids.
Can you go inside El Castillo?
The older pyramid inside El Castillo has a red jaguar throne with inlaid eyes and spots of jade; also lying behind the screen is a chac-mool (Maya sacrificial stone sculpture). The entrance to El Túnel, the passage up to the throne, is at the base of El Castillo’s north side.
You can’t go in, though
.
Is apocalypto a true story?
True,
a movie is a fictional account
that, in most cases, places the drama ahead of the historical verisimilitude. But the distorted story of the Maya is likely the only exposure a generation of moviegoers will get to the ancient civilization, and the film does the Maya a disservice.
What killed the Mayans?
“The main finding was that
a prolonged drought
contributed to the collapse of Classic Mayan civilization,” environmental archaeologist Douglas Kennett told LiveScience two years ago. Droxler and his colleagues published their findings in Scientific Reports.
What language do Mayans speak?
Yucatec language, also called Maya or Yucatec Maya, American Indian language of the Mayan family, spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula, including not only part of Mexico but also Belize and northern Guatemala.
How safe is Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen is a
generally safe destination for solo visitors
, though they should exercise caution as petty crime and scams have been known to occur in Mexico. Tips for solo travelers include sticking to main tourist centers, staying in hostels, and not walking alone at night.
Is driving to Chichen Itza safe?
From Cancun it is an easy route, just south of the airport you will see a sign for Chichen. Take the Cuota(toll road)
It is very safe and patrolled by the Federales not local police
. The toll is about $25.00 USD each way. It is about 2 1/2 hours there is a rest stop on the highway.
How safe is travel from Cancun to Chichen Itza?
For the most part,
it will be pretty safe to travel to Chichén Itzá
, I would just take extra precaution if you are choosing to drive to this remote location, as some of the roads in Mexico can be quite treacherous and unpredictable, if you also don’t know the roads or area very well I would definitely reconsider …
