Xpujil, Mexico – For anybody passionate or curious about the Maya civilization, a journey along Hwy 186 in Campeche will be a highlight of Mexico. This southern peninsular area was the earliest-established, longest-inhabited and most densely populated region in the Maya world. Here are the most elaborate Maya archaeological sites on the Yucatán Peninsula.
In their younger years, the twins were super intrigued by archaeology, engaging with books and projects about Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome. At age 7, when we couldn’t swing a trip to see the pyramids of ancient Egypt, we decided to come to Mexico to explore the pyramids of the ancient Maya. The picturesque seaside ruins at Tulum were nice, but they loved the jungly site at Cobá, where we could still climb the Nohoch Mul pyramid. (Thus leading me to post this important observation for those traveling with kids: Ancient ruins are infinitely more interesting if they are climbable. I think this still applies to teenagers.)
Guess what? In this lesser-traveled corner of the Yucatan, almost all of the pyramids are climbable. I have spent the entire week thinking “I wish my boys could be here to experience this.”
The Sites Around Xpujil
I started with the trio of sites that are located right near Xpujil. They are easy to reach, and each one is a little different. I saw them all in one day. (Phew!) They each show off somewhat unusual architectural features that are characteristic of the so-called “Río Bec style” that pervades this region. For example: the tall twin towers at Becán and the monster-mouth doors at Chicanná. Right in the center of town Xpujil, the ruin Xpuhil is unusual for its triple towers – all three flanked by staircases that are too steep to climb and topped with temples that are impossible to enter. Pretty wild.
Hormiguero is a fourth archaeological site that is about 25km out of town, set amid lush rainforest. This one was harder to reach, but once there, I relished the isolation. Indeed, I had the place to myself (aside from the workers). Incidentally, this is also where I had my run-in with a nest of angry hornets.
Calakmul, the Jewel of the Maya World
This was all in the lead-up to Calakmul, seat of the fearsome “Snake Kingdom,” which was a Maya superpower throughout the Classic period. Set amid the dense forests of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, the extensive site is replete with intriguing structures, including one of the highest Maya pyramids, at 45 meters. Contrary to what I wrote seven years ago, Nohoch Mul at Cobá is not the tallest Maya structure on the Yucatan Peninsula. Structure 2 at Calakmul has it beat by three meters.
There are actually three massive pyramids that tower over the forest canopy at Calakmul, some offering views all the way to Guatemala on a clear day. You better believe I climbed all three. Who knows how much longer we’re going to be allowed to do that?
Before heading home, I took a short detour to Balamku, a relatively small site with one of the Maya world’s most impressive surviving pieces of artwork. This is a 15m stucco frieze with fantastic detail and traces of its original paint. It is intricately and ornately decorated with jaguars, reptile creatures, god-like figures and glyphs, all celebrating the richness and fertility of the earth.
Any other site might feel anticlimactic after visiting Calakmul, but this frieze is unlike anything else at the larger site – so entirely worth the stop.
Río Bec
The last Maya ruin of the trip was at Río Bec–the site that inspired the moniker for the regional architectural style. Set deep in the rainforest, Río Bec requires an hour of 4×4 driving through forest and farmland on a non road. (The guide brought a machete to clean up the route as we traveled through.) The site is extensive but mostly unexcavated, although there were a few cool buildings uncovered. I felt like a real explorer riding in the back of a pickup and traipsing around the jungle looking for ruins. My kids would have loved it (for the first hour, at least).
Truly, they would have loved every single one of my outings this week. But I have to admit, somewhere around archaeological site number 3 (out of 8), I started to appreciate – just a little – that they are not here. There’s a real risk of archaeology overload here, and I feel certain my twin-agers would have succumbed. (And I would have too, if I had to listen to them complain.)
Instead, I discovered that each site offers something special – a unique structure, a magnificent mask or a fantastic frieze – to stoke curiosity and enhance understanding of the mysterious, ancient Maya world. There is something to be said for solo travel.