Few places in the world have witnessed such a striking history in the relationship of man and the land as the Yucatan Peninsula. For centuries, this vast and flat expanse of land situated in between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea was the heart of the ancient Maya civilization; a society that went from a dramatic rise to a fatal collapse in barely a few centuries leaving after them many traces of its monumental splendor that are still standing today. Yucatan maintains an astonishing Maya flavor in every corner, not surprisingly, as many of its inhabitants are proud descendants of the Mayan people, and their languages are still widely spoken. However, the influence of colonialism was strong, and today the Peninsula represents a delightful mixture of the colorful and elegant colonial buildings –with churches and haciendas scattered here and there—and the magical presence of the Maya in the people of the cities and in the magnificent tropical forests.

UXMAL, THE ‘THREE TIMES BUILT’ CITY — Considered the most beautiful city in Mesoamerica, and one of the most impressive puuc (meaning ‘hill range’) architectural examples, typical of the region in which Uxmal was built. The 394 feet long building surrounding the ‘House of the Nuns’ –named by the Spaniards that visited the enigmatic city for the first time–, the Governor’s Palace, the ‘Square of Birds’ and the ‘House of Tortoises’ are amongst the more than 15 breathtaking buildings full of refined geometric ornaments of perfectly polished and adjusted stones. Conches, turtles, jaguars, birds, men, monkeys and snakes are stone remnants of the enormous biodiversity that sustained this ‘thrice built’ city. An ancient legend tells that the main pyramid at Uxmal was built in only one night by the dwarf son of a sorcerer that bet the ruler of that time the power over the city. Ever since, the round ‘Magician’s Pyramid’ welcomes us to the region’s most splendorous city of the Maya classic period.

TULUM, THE WHITE SAND PORT — Sheltered by the invisible reef that rests under the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean, and by its walls, built on the tallest point in the eastern coast, the independent city of Tulum was an unavoidable spot for Mayan sea trade, stimulated by the immense variety of life provided by the Mesoamerican Reef. The small boats had to wait until sunrise, when the new sun’s rays shone over the point in which to dodge the reef and safely reach port. Today, the fortresses’ two towers that served for centuries as observation spots, gift us with an endless view that extends over the sea, inviting us to rest below, on the white sand beach.

The town of Tulum is only a few kilometers away from Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and 47 kilometers away from Coba, one of the greatest and most powerful Maya cities and also the archrival of Chichen Itza. You can also visit the nearby cenote Dos Ojos.

KABAH AND LABNA, IN THE MAYA HILL RANGE — South of Uxmal, two of the most ancient classic cities can be found: Kabah and Labna. The first, only a few kilometers away from Uxmal surprises us with its beautiful puuc style, which can be admired at the ‘Templo de los Mascarones’ –temple of masks–, which’s spectacular façade is overcharged with the image of the god Chaac. Further south, in the very ancient city of Labna (Old Houses in Maya), –on the sacbé (ceremonial white path) that connects the buildings–, stands the legendary ‘Arch of Labna’, one of the most elegant puuc style constructions that has caught visitor’s attention for centuries. Both cities have sophisticated chultunes, underground rainwater storage systems that allowed the bloom of maya civilization in an area lacking rivers and cenotes.

EK BALAM, AN UNDISCOVERED MYSTERY — Accessible through five beautiful sacbé –white sacred paths—stand the double-fortified city of Ek Balam. A path looks to the west, where the sun sets, another to the north, heading for Chichen Itza, one more to the east, in direction to Coba, and two others head south. Perfectly secured, the capital of the Tah Empire begins to emerge from its centuries old shelter of trees. This magnificent 45 structure complex outstands for its unique style, in which the cult of Kukulcán is not as present as the cult of the city’s rulers, who were richly immortalized in masks, sculptures and friezes. There are also abundant allusions of jaguars, and images of conches, sea shells, crustaceans and fish. The huge ‘Acropolis’ at Ek Balam (Maya for black jaguar) is composed of several overlapped constructions, and a labyrinth of rooms in several levels, intercommunicated by secret passages. This medieval-like Maya construction is breathtaking with its exquisite decoration full of unique sculptures –like the so called hieroglyphical snakes, and angel-like shapes—that make this a true artistic wonder.

DZIBILCHALTUN, WINDOW OF THE SUN — Dzibilchaltun in Maya means ‘the place where there is writing on the stones’, in which the history of one of the most ancient Maya cities is shown, occupied since 500 BC until the Spaniard’s arrival, when it was still inhabited. Several sacbé interconnect the city with its periphery, and one of them is headed directly to the sacred cenote Xlakah, in which many antique bones and stone remains have been found. For centuries now, during every equinox the perfectly aligned sun shines through the beautiful ‘Templo de las Muñecas,’ entering through the main door and exiting through the back windows in a beautiful light phenomenon.

MAYAPAN, THE SNAKE’S EMBRACE — Surrounded by a stone wall inspired in the feathered snake, Kukulcán, the last great Maya capital stands discreet: although more than 4000 buildings have been found, none of them is very big. Small shrines and round observatories are stone witnesses of the great Mayan devotion for nature and the cosmos. At the center of the city, a small replica of Chichen Itza’s castle offers the same light and shadow spectacle –but only during the winter equinox– in which the image of the feathered snake descending can be watched in the northeastern side of the pyramid.

CALAKMUL, THE EMPIRE OF THE SERPENT — According to the most recent studies, Calakmul (which in Maya means ‘two adjacent mounds’) was the largest and most populated city of the classic period. Settled on a 30 square kilometer area, this magnificent center of power is located near an akalché (large pool) from which surged one of the most sophisticated water supply systems of the Maya world: water bodies interconnected through channels and small dams that irrigated the farmlands that provided the food for the 50,000 inhabitants. The enormous amount of carved stone steles found in this area tell the story of the dynasty that ruled the ‘Empire of the Serpent’, eternal rivals of Tikal, with which constant wars over control of the Peten area were carried out, until the final decline of Calakmul, which vanished in the dense jungle of Campeche for 600 years, sheltered by monkeys, eagles, jaguars and serpants.

RIO BEC, SMALL CITIES TO DISCOVER — Not very far from Calakmul, the archaeological area known as Rio Bec encompasses many small cities like Becan, the capital of this region, particularly known for its moat, which is evidence of the highly elitist society on one hand (since the moat divides nobility buildings from the rest of the people), and of the intense warmongering in the region on the other. Other interesting cities are Chicaná – which’s name (menaing ‘mouth of the snake’) is due to the impressive mask of Itzamná, the creator, located on one of its main buildings—and the city of Balmaku, with its polychrome stucco frieze , unique in the whole Maya area.