Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the Maya civilization was one of the most developed and sophisticated in the western hemisphere. It flourished during the years 300 to 900 AD and once consisted of about 40 cities in the region comprising southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and northern Belize, where there are some of the most impressive ruins of these ancient cities that can be visited today, but today show the pyramids near Cancun.
The towering temples and pyramids that adorned the Mayan cities were primarily used for ceremonial purposes and the majority of the Mayans were farmers who lived in rural areas and relied on priests for advice on planting, harvesting, and marriage. Mayan are renowned for their outstanding grasp of astronomy and mathematics, which they incorporated into their religious practices and offered human sacrifices in order to placate the wrath of their gods or to pleasure them.
There are so many archaeological and pyramids near Cancun that choosing which ones to visit might be challenging, especially if you’re short on time, therefore we’ve chosen the best archeological sites and pyramids near Cancun to help you.
The Most Important Pyramids in Cancun
El Rey. This is one of the largest archaeological sites and most important pyramids in Cancun that dates from the year 300 and, according to a study, was inhabited up until 1550. It has been established that it was between 1200 and 1550 AD, the Middle Preclassic to the Late Postclassic when it was at its flourishing period.
Each building is fairly unique due to the causeway’s meticulous construction, which from north to the south features platforms with residential rooms that can be easily distinguished by their various features on either side. Because the platforms of the North Causeway are aligned with the pyramidal base of the archaeological zone known as San Miguelito, it is believed that the two sites are a part of a single settlement that extends up to three kilometers and that many astronomical practices of ancient civilizations are connected to the 47 buildings at this region.
The Meco. The location’s original name is unknown, however, according to biographers’ writings from the sixteenth century, the place may have been known as Belma. El Meco is a nickname given to a local citizen from the 19th century with a malformation in his lower limbs, that looked after a small ranch on the shore near where the current lighthouse is now.
Between 1200 and 1500 A.D., between the Early Classic and the Late Postclassic, was when it was most prosperous, being this location crucial to Mayan navigational strategy. There are 14 structures but the most notable is El Castillo, a pyramid with five stories and a height of 12.5 meters; It also houses the main plaza, which has a shrine in the middle where various political and ceremonial activities took place.
Visit The Mighty Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza
The Kukulkan pyramid, named “El Castillo,” by locals is Chichen Itza’s main attraction. At this 75-foot-tall temple, where Mayans also practiced astrology, ancient Mayans and the majority of Mesoamerican people adored the great Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god, one of the three main gods who the Mayans believed created the cosmos.
Since the Classical Period, the temple of Kukulkan has been the primary attraction in Chichen Itza due to its remarkable architecture, which reveals the Mayans’ extensive grasp of mathematics, astronomy, geometry, and acoustics, it attracts a lot of historians and tourists all year long.
Unfortunately, due to conservation concerns, the Federal Government has forbidden tourists and visitors from climbing the pyramids or any other surrounding structures since 2008. If you’re still interested in visiting this historical place, though, we have a fantastic Chichen Itza tour that will let you peacefully take in the pyramids from above while learning about their mythology and culture.
Discover The Pyramid of Coba Hidden on The Caribbean Jungle
The pyramid of Coba, an impressive construction that has been standing for more than 1000 years in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of the many pre-Columbian ruins that can be found in the Riviera Maya in addition to its paradisiacal beaches and lush vegetation. his spectacular building was once the heart of a city with more than 50,000 residents at its height of splendor, around 40 kilometers inland from Tulum. There are still numerous regions to be explored, even though some of it has been dug.
Despite being called the Cobá Pyramid, its actual name is Nohoch Mul and I t is the tallest structure in the Yucatan Peninsula, with a total of 120 steps and a height of 42 meters. Although it is a very steep structure, it can be scaled to enjoy breathtaking views of the jungle as well as some lagoons and other archaeological structures nearby that can be explored by foot.
Visit The Wonderfull Tulum Pyramid and Its Mayan Ruins
El Castillo is one of the largest and oldest buildings at this Mayan archaeological site, in contrast to the majority of the constructions, which were constructed between 1200 and 1450 during the post-classic Maya period. Its walls are made of limestone and reach above sea level, and acted as a guide for navigators rather than a watchtower and a lighthouse.
The Spanish sailors arrived unaware of the Mayans’ technique to light up two windows of the Castillo in Tulum at dusk, signaling that it was safe to turn and head for shore without being shipwrecked, keeping them from reaching Tulum. As a result, Tulum served as a major commercial port for the Maya and served as a gateway for products coming from the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and South America.
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