Archaeologists believe this ancient site near Chetumal was once the capital for the powerful Calakmul rulers known as the Kaan dynasty.
Stories by Thilini Wijesinhe
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Becán’s remains hint at the story of an important pre-Hispanic trade center
You can visit this city, whose strategic location, in what is now Campeche, meant that the Maya here controlled transport routes.
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Yucatan’s ‘Yellow City,’ Izamal, an enchanting mix of time periods
This Magical Town, featuring ancient Mayan structures, Spanish colonial buildings and mysterious golden-colored walls, is a great day trip.
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Yucatan’s Xcambó is a peek inside prehistoric Maya commercial life
These ruins, once the largest trading port on the Yucatan’s north coast, reveal the ancient civilization’s capitalist side as salt traders.
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Don’t overlook Dzibilchaltún, one of Mexico’s earliest Maya settlements
Although perhaps best known for their spectacular equinox phenomena, these ruins of an ancient city are worth visiting at any time of year.
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Campeche’s Hormiguero ruins offer feast of Mayan zoomorphic facades
Although this ancient city has structures still to be excavated, what can be seen here provides stunning examples of Río Bec architecture.
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Maya ruins of Uxmal boasts Puuc style architecture at its best
The Governor’s Palace located here is considered by many to be a masterpiece of the pre-Hispanic civilization.
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Already seen Chichén Itzá? Meet its ancient sister city of Mayapán
The structures in these Maya ruins near Mérida bear intriguing resemblances to the older, more famous pre-Hispanic city.
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Tulum’s ruins offer glimpses of ancient Mayan religious life
Many of the site’s structures pay homage to a descending god, portrayed upside down on temples, tombs and homes in the pre-Hispanic city.
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Ancient city of Palenque boasts remains of a powerful Maya dynasty
The remains of a “Red Queen” are just one of many outstanding discoveries made by archaeologists at this site in the forests of Chiapas.
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Ancient Maya site explorers will find fertile ground in Cobá’s lengthy history
At its peak, from A.D. 600–1000, the city commanded 70 square kilometers and an estimated population of 50,000 people.
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Maya ruins of Ek’ Balam pack much to see in a small footprint
The ancient city’s perimeter only measures one kilometer, but with 1600 years of occupation, it left behind a visual feast for visitors.
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A recently discovered Maya site in Campeche’s jungle gets few visitors
The Maya site of Balamku in Campeche holds perhaps one of the most beautiful surviving stucco friezes from the ancient Maya world.
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Calakmul, deep in Campeche’s jungle, holds clues to ancient Maya life
Only 35 kilometers from Guatemala’s border, in the state of Campeche, Calakmul is a ruin of one of Mexico’s most significant old Maya cities.
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An ancient Maya site off the beaten tourist path, Edzná is a hidden gem
This fascinating pre-Hispanic city not far from Mérida is culturally and architecturally significant yet receives surprisingly few visitors.
