The Riviera Maya in southern Mexico is an area blessed with lovely beaches, tasty food, friendly people as well as a deep, rich history. With world-famous natural wonders like Chichen Itza and prominent beach ruins like Tulum, it’s no surprise that over 4 million tourists see this sun-drenched shoreline each year.
But with so many tourists, the major sites can be packed with people. That’s why today I’m going to listing 3 alternate ruins that are just as fascinating, however not as full of visitors, as well as likewise provide you a few tips to make sure that you make the very best of your trip to stunning southern Mexico.
When To Visit
The finest time to see the Yucatan Peninsula as well as the Mayan Riviera is during the dry season begins in late November as well as ends in February. There is far less rain during this time around as well as the temperature isn’t as hot as it can be in the summertime months.
Where To Stay
There are lots of locations to stay all throughout the Mayan Riviera. We liked Cancun, Isla Holbox as well as Isla Mujeres, however for visiting ruins you may be much better to base yourself in Merida, Tulum or Valladolid, where there are many tours to close-by sites as well as excellent lodging options. If you’re on a budget, inspect out a few of the very best hostels in Merida as well as if you’re a high-end traveller, LuxuryRetreats.com has some lovely properties in the region.
Hva skal man ta med
Whenever you’re visiting ruins in Mexico, you should always bring a great deal of water, sun screen as well as bug spray. a few of the ruins in Mexico are set in dense jungles where the sun may not be as much of an issue, however the insects can be a pain. never underestimate the extreme climates in the Yucatan (even in the winter time). stay moisturized as well as out of the sun as much as possible, particularly while exerting yourself climbing steps as well as checking out temples.
1. Ek Balam
Location: Temozón, Yucatán, Mexico
Entrance Fee: 181 MXN ($9.80)
Construction Date: 100 BC
Time To Visit: 2-4 hours
Probably our favourite site in the entire Yucatan Peninsula, Ek Balam (meaning Black Jaguar in Mayan) boast the greatest pyramid in the northern Yucatan at 31 meters. The site is just 41 km northeast of Chichen Itza and it’s house to the tomb of Alfonzo Lacadina, a Mayan king buried in the primary pyramid.
Visitors can walk around the archeological question for hours, seeking out ancient rock carvings, paintings, defensive walls as well as archways. You can likewise climb the 106 steps to the top of the primary pyramid for stunning views over the northern Maya Lowlands.
2. Dzibilchaltun
Location: North of Mérida
Entrance Fee: 134 MXN ($7.25)
Construction Date: 200 AD
Time To Visit: 1-2 hours
A extremely difficult ruin to pronounce (tzibil-chaltoon) this ancient Mayan site is one more one that rivals the awe factor of Chichen Itza, as well as yet only sees a fraction of the crowds. found about 30 km north of Merida, this site was strategically developed close to the coastal salt-producing region, while still being found in a fertile as well as habitable landmass.
This site was continuously occupied for countless years, right up up until the time of the Spanish Conquest in 1519. Its most famous structure is the temple of the seven Dolls, so named since of seven little (and somewhat creepy) effigies that were found inside the temple when it was very first excavated in the 1950s.
Visitors can still view the dolls at the on site museum as well as there are likewise numerous other buildings to check out including the ruins of a colonial open chapel. Each building is linked by the Sacbe (white road) as well as there’s a lovely cenote on the grounds, so make sure you bring your bathing suit.
3. Mayapan
Location: 40 km Southeast of Mérida
Entrance Fee: 35 MXN ($1.80)
Construction Date: A.D. 1200-1542
Time To Visit: 3 – 5 hours
If you want to prevent the crowds of Chichen Itza, while still enjoying a similar style of Mayan ruin, you may want to find to Mayapan because the primary structure right here was modeled after Chichen Itza’s famed pyramid.
Mayapan is 4.2 square kilometers as well as has over 4000 structures to explore, so provide yourself great deals of time. Most of the buildings were residences, packed into the compound within the city walls. Built-up areas extend about 500 meters beyond the city walls in all directions. The stone perimeter wall has 12 gates, including seven considerable ones with lovely vaulted entrances.
According to Dr. Bradley Russell’s survey, which was published in 2008 as his doctoral dissertation, i Mayapans høyresidsperioder var det mellom 15 000 samt 17 000 mennesker som bodde innenfor bymurene.
Bilde via Flickr
Det primære tempelet her, så vel som det som ble modellert etter at Chichen Itza er forstått som tempelet til Kukulcan (aka Castillo av spanskene), så vel som det finnes øst for Cenote Ch’en Mul, som du også kan planlegge å svømme på under besøket ditt.
Unngå folkemengdene, fordyp i historien
Med færre mennesker på hvert av disse nettstedene, vil du ha en mye bedre sjanse til å virkelig fordype deg i historien. Det er enkelt å gå rundt disse historiske stedene, samt se for seg hva livet må ha vært som for 2000 år siden.
Noen ganger er det verdt å ansette en guide, mens andre ganger er det bare morsomt å gå rundt i ruinene i tillegg til å prøve å brette sammen historien selv. En ting er helt sikkert, disse 3 Mayan -ruinene holder seg utenfor den primære turiststien, så du får en følelse av opplevelse mens du sjekker dem ut. Nyt!
Hva er dine favoritt arkeologiske nettsteder? Vis oss i kommentarene nedenfor.
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