TULUM RIVIERA MAYA MEXICO

Tulum sits on the edge of a cliff facing looking out over the vast turquoise ocean. No wonder Tulum is one of the most-visited Mayan ruins in Mexico -it truly is one of the most magical places on Earth.

Tulum is located 82 miles south of Cancun on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on the edge of the Caribbean Sea and was formerly know by the name Zama, meaning City of Dawn.

Tulum - the walled city

Tulum is also the ancient Maya word for ‘wall’. This is apt because the walls surrounding the site allowed the fort in Tulum to be used as a defense against invasion. Tulum was protected on one side by steep sea cliffs and on the other by a wall that averaged about three to five meters in height. The wall was about eight meters thick and 400 meters long on the side parallel to the sea. This shows how important defense was to the Mayan people. There are also small structures used as watch towers showing again how well defended the city would have been.

El Castillo (the Castle)

El Castillo stands some 7.5 meters tall and has a small shrine which appears to have been used as a beacon for incoming canoes. This shrine marks a break in the barrier reef that is opposite the site. Right below El Castillo there is a cove and landing beach in a break in the sea cliffs that would have been perfect for trading canoes coming in. This characteristic of the site is probably one of the reasons the Maya founded the city of Tulum here in the first place, for later Tulum would become a very prominent trading port.

El Castillo as well as the Temple are decorated with figures of the Mayan ‘diving god’. You see stuccos and figurines of this god all around Tulum. He was associated with the god of the bees and to the planet Venus, guardian of the coast and of commerce. Many ancient murals are visible, some vivid enough to make you wonder how recently the Maya actually left this amazing place.

Tours to Tulum

Its naturally beautiful surroundings, easy access and daily tours to Tulum from Cancun have made it the third most visited Mayan archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacan, and Chichen Itza.

TULUM AND XEL-HA

COBA

Coba is an ancient Mayan city in the state of Quintana Roo, located 172 km from Cancun, and about 90km from Chichen Itza. Enveloped in the deep green of the tropical jungle, this ancient Mayan city rises up between two lagoons. In its era of splendour the site extended over 75 sq. km.

History of Coba

During its history, Coba had more than 50,000 inhabitants, and was as important as Tikal in Guatemala, with which it maintained tight cultural ties. Coba exercised economic control over the region through a complex network of elevated stone and plaster roads, known in Maya as sacbe, radiating from the center of Coba to many other Mayan cities. The longest of these ran over 100km and led to the city of Yaxuna. Coba traded extensively with other Mayan communities, particularly the ones further south along the Caribbean coast in what is now Belize and Honduras. It utilized the ports of Xcaret, Xel-Há, Tancah, and Tulum.

Mayan Archaeology in Coba

Coba remained an important site in the Post-Classic era. The Mayan archaeology in Coba is truly inspiring. New temples were built and old ones were maintained until at least the 14th century, probably as late as the arrival of the Spanish. The site remained relatively unknown due to its remoteness, until the first modern road was opened up to Coba in the early 1970s. Once the major resort of Cancun was planned the Mexican government realized that clearing and restoring some of this enormous Mayan archaeological site would make it an important tourist attraction.

The city is composed of various Mayan communities: Cobá, Chumuc Mul, Nohoch Mul, Las Pinturas, Macanxoc and Kukulcan being some of them. From Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid on the north of the peninsula with its 42 metres (46 yards), the view over the jungle that extends to infinity is unbeatable. This is the one shown in the photo.

Tours to Coba

To visit Coba it is advisable to take a tour with one of our recommended tour operators (see below). It takes about 2.5 hours to get there from Cancun, and the guided visit takes at least 1.5 hours to cover the main buildings. Tours to Coba are often combined with a visit to Tulum for archaeology lovers, or with one of the ecoparks or other natural attractions in the zone to make it a full day’s excursion.

XPLOR PARK

¡New coolest park in the Riviera Maya!

The brand new 50-hectare complex is located two kilometers away from Xcaret Park and has a daily capacity for 1200 visitors. Xplor Park features an underground river with stalactites, water caves and cenotes for rafting, and also has the longest zip-line in Mexico with an extension of more than 500 meters, as journeys with amphibian vehicle through the jungle.