Looking for info on the Mayan ruins near Playa del Carmen....?

Question

I'm heading down with a friend at the end of the month. We plan on just lounging around the hotel most of the time...but I've heard there are Mayan ruins not too far that you can tour. Just curious, best to book that thru the hotel or going into town would it be be cheaper? Also about how long of a drive and what's the name of the ruins?

Thanks!

Answer 1

From playa del Carmen you have a trip to go to chichen Itza ruines (west), it's super touristic but really beautifull, the easy way for you if you are not a back packer is to book the trip throught your hotel, it's gonna be a bit more expensive but a lot easier.

And try to arrive there as early as you can.

For the driving time i am not sure because i went an other way but it's not too far maybe one or two hours in bus.

You also have some others nice ruines in the south in Tulum but it start to be far from playa del carmen.

Enjoy

Answer 2

Click the link below for a map of the Yucatan peninsula and all the pre-Columbian sites.  Chichen Itza is impressive. Most people take the air conditioned bus tour over. You can't climb the pyramid anymore since an eighty year-old woman fell down the steps and died.  At Coba, you can still climb the pyramids (nice view). Many people go to Tulum, but it's small and not nearly as impressive as some of the other sites. But it does have a nice little beach below the main temple. Cristopher Columbus saw Tulum from his ship on one of his voyages.

Answer 3

The best place to go is Chitzen Itza.  The way I did it was schedule a bus trip through my hotel.  When I went it was a little over $200 a person and you got the bus ride, a lunch at a buffet, admission to the ruins/with tour guide and return trip.  It was well worth the money.  It was, if I remember, about a 2-2 1/2 hour ride.  I would do it through this as if you rent a car and do it yourself, you are bound to get lost.  There are also men with automatic guns on the roads to there.  It would be pretty nerve racking and scarry to try and attempt it yourself.  However, that is just my opinion.  If you want to, I have pictures of the ruins so you can see if that is what you are looking for.  I went during the spring equinox so that I could see culculcan come down the side of the ruin.  Very impressive.  It was crowded at that time because of everyone wanting to see culculcan...they said that there was approximately 25,000 people there that day.  There is also a place called Tulum that you can go see.  I am thinking about going back next month and may go to Tulum this time.  If you want to see the pics, email me [e-mail].  Oh, one more thing, if you take the ferry from playa del carmen to cozumel there are small ruins on the north of the island.  They are not touristy and charge a small fee to get in.  You have a personal mayan tour guide at that place. I have been to both (as I try to get there once a year)....love the place....and I have been to many areas in the world and playa del carmen and cozumel are my favorite!  Hope this helps you plan your trip.

Answer 4

It's called Tulum and took us about 45 minutes to drive down there from Playa del Carmen. You can tour alone or pick up a guide at the entrance for an extra fee. Our guide was great, very informative. Ruins and beach beautiful. Lots of tourists and very hot so probably better to go earlier in the day.

Answer 5

The Mayan ruins in Tulum are about an hour south of Playa del Carmen and are easily accessible either by car, bus or colectivo (public mini vans that run up and down the highway). They're well worth a visit. Very impressive, particularly for their incredible coastal location. They are currently also doing tours there by night (REALLY badly advertised - the very occasional posters you find don't even include price / time information or anything!) - I did it recently and thought it was great. And because it's so badly advertised there are not many other tourists which is really nice (during the day Tulum ruins can get heaving with tourists). You get a headset with a really good commentary and the ruins are beautifully lit up. Turn up at the ruins (not just the car park - you have to actually go up to the ruins from the crossroads "El Crucero" entrance) any time between 8pm and 10pm, I believe. I think they close at 5pm if you're planning on going during the day (and if so, I'd recommend paying for a guide so that you know what you're looking at).

A short drive south of Tulum towards Chetumal are the little known Muyil ruins. Great if you want to explore quietly by yourself - when I went there was absolutely no-one else there and I think that's the norm.

If you are hiring a car, the ruins at Coba are about a 45 minute drive inland from Tulum and also well worth a visit - you can actually still climb the high pyramid there - views that will take your breath away if you have any breath left after the climb! It's really cool to hire bikes when you arrive and cycle between ruins around the site. And there is a big lagoon outside with impressive wildlife including crocodiles!

With all of these ruins you're better off paying the entrance fee (and a guide if you wish - you will always find guides at the entrance) directly when you get there, unless you want to pay a lot more and do the all-inclusive-style, tourist-sheep thing. I guess it depends on your travel preferences. Having said that, there are some good small companies that will take you on a tour - Manzano's Expeditions, for example. If you want a guided tour you're much better off going with a good small company like them than doing the big tour bus thing... but then I guess that's just my opinion and my travel preferences! I'm not your all inclusive kind of gal!

I'd also highly recommend you check out some cenotes while you're in the area, since that's something else that's unique to behold in this beautiful paradise. The Yucatan Peninsula is home to some of the longest underground river systems in the world. These cenotes are basically natural wells occurring along these river systems in the jungle, in many of which you can swim, snorkel or dive. Cenotes were considered sacred by the ancient Maya and an important source of fresh water. There are many cenotes, all unique and different, but some of the most beautiful are located at Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park (about 30 - 40 minutes south of Playa del Carmen towards Tulum). The stalagmite and stalactite formations there are incredible and the guides are very knowlegeable, friendly and professional. The cenotes are prisine and exclusively available to visitors to the park, unlike many of the others in the area which are open to Joe Public. They also have some fantastic jungle adventure activities like zip lines, rappel and a cable bicycle "Skycycle" jungle canopy tour - check out their website for more info.

If you want to know any more about the area / things to do while you're here, etc. there are a few really helpful local websites, such as In The Roo and Loco Gringo. Also, do you know about Trip Advisor? That's a really good site because you get to read what other travellers really think about your destination and their top tips.

I hope you enjoy your visit to this beautiful paradise I feel so privileged to call my home! :)

Answer 6

Are you talking about ruins near Arizona or Nevada? I'm pretty sure I'm getting this confused with something else, I remember going to either Mayan or Aztec ruins somewhere along there while I was sleepy as h**l.

Well, if you are talking about the ones near Arizona, then it's a load of bullcrap. I was exited at first, but basically, it's a bunch of rocks and holes in the ground. I'm serious, it looks completely normal, nothing astray, except what seem like square holes in the ground, and these rocks piled up. Don't waste your time.