Going on vacation to the Costa Maya Mexico? Want to see the world famous archeological ruins? Our guide to the Mayan ruins gives you the facts & information you’ll want to know.
The Costa Maya has it all. Beautiful scenery consisting of golden sandy beaches, clear blue warm waters, lovely nature trails bursting with life and even underground fresh water cave pools are all on offer in the Costa Maya. In many ways the Costa Maya is the perfect location for a vacation and whether you are going there via land or hopping off your cruise ship for a couple of days you wont be disappointed. One of the most interesting attractions that the Costa Maya has are the world famous archeological ruins located in the area. These ruins date back to the Mayan civilization whose people lived in this part of Mexico nearly 4,000 years ago.
Costa Maya Ruins at Kohunlich
These ruins were only discovered as recently as 1967 which leads one to wonder on the possibility of other ruins yet to be uncovered. The ruins at Kohunlich are particularly known for the Pyramid of the Masks where carvings of faces are set into a large stone pyramid.
Costa Maya Ruins at Dzibanche
These Mayan ruins are probably the most famous and popularly visited of all the ruins along the Costa Maya. The ruins are located not far from Majahual which is a major town on the southern tip of the Costa Maya from where many excursions along the Costa Maya embark. For such an important ruins site you’ll probably be surprised at how freely you can wonder the site at your own leisure with very few other tourists around. The ruins at Dzibanche are one of the largest in the Costa Maya and noted primarily for the Temple of Masks, similar to the Pyramid of Masks at Kohunlich except the faces are carved into a series of stone slabs.
Costa Maya Ruins at Oxtankah
The ruins at Oxtankah date back to between the 3rd and 7th century AD. Reaching the ruins at Oxtankah requires a bus journey south of the Costa Maya, usually leaving from Majahual, towards the border with Belize. The period in which these ruins were built are believed to coincide with the zenith of Mayan architecture so you’ll be seeing the best of what the Mayans had to offer, and chances are you won’t be disappointed. At these ruins you’ll geta real feel for what city life must have been like with a whole host of buildings including temples and private dwellings still surviving.
