Mexico ruins-got a favorite and why

[yukonron]

Not sure how far we will travel on this trip, but ruins are a definite wanna see. Just wondering if you have a favorite one to visit and why? Thanks!

mary

[MikeMike]

La Cantona, Puebla - was the ball game capital.
Quiahuiztlan (Quiahuixtlan)- was where modern Mexico all began.
Both very important and both usually missed. Google them.

[yukonron]

Will do! Thanks Mike Mike.

[Neil]

Currently down here in Mexico, there are heaps of places to go and see depending on where you are arriving from and where you intend on going to there is a vast selection of beautiful places to see. Personally I entered thrugh Baja California and made my way down to La Paz, across to mainland and then made my way to Mexico City. Been here almost 3 months, seen a whole bunch hardly scratched the surface.

If you're into colonial towns, magnificent churches/cathedrals then you'll have no problem finding those. Pyramids, they're scattered everywhere also!

I recently was down in Tepoztlán and climbed up to the Tepozteco pyramid, that made for a great day out!


However, if you just want to sample beautiful colonial towns, Zacatecas is gorgeous!


Mexico despite being so far south is home to such diverse weather! Lately here in Mexico city i've been wearing a wool sweater to stay warm in the evenings. While in Baja California, I could hardly function with the heat.

Although beautiful all the same!

[yukonron]

Thanks, Neil! Love the pics, especially the last one!
mary

[mollydog]

Palenque and Chitzen Itza are the traditional favs ... and both are good. Years since I visited, some are bit like Disneyland these days from what I've seen in recent reports/comments.

Guatemalan ruins next door are the real "stars" of the area . Tikal, IMHO, contains best ruins in all of Latin America (including Machu Picchu). Keep in mind that not even half of ruins that exist around Tikal have even been uncovered. Sadly, many have been plundered by locals.

But Tikal is still a magnificent setting. It's not just the temples that will blow your mind, it's also the spectacular setting around them and the remoteness of it all. High canopy jungle, Monkeys and Coatemudu's everywhere. Tikal also has a major Ball Court ... where ancients played a form of Soccer with the heads of unfortunate captured enemies.

My favorite setting near ruins in Mexico is Tulum. Right on the Caribbean, but I understand it is now quite commercial. Shame, was paradise when I was there in 1974.

[LD Hack]

I have very fond memories visiting Calakmul in southern Mexico, just north of the Guatemala border. Rode in early, down a paved jungle road, arriving at the site with one or two other cars there. We had the site to ourselves for several hours. The previous day we came in from the east and stayed in Chetumal, in order to get to Calakmul early. There is also camping in the area if you prefer.


Later at Tikal, we were told where to look for Calakmul from a Tikal pyramid. I'd like to go back to Guatemala and camp near Tikal, in order to ride to Uaxactun; both for the moto adventure and to see those ruins.


Mayan ruins are very inspiring.

[yukonron]

Thanks mollydog and LD!

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Tulum the ruins site is actually " less commercial" than it was 20 years ago because all the messy souvenir vendors lean-to s were relegated to areas outside the ZA perimeter. In their place there is an organized and tidy tourist pavillion with shuttle buses to the ruins site and the former village of Tulum has grown into a tourist service town with a lot of hotels and restaurants.
Such is the price of overpopulating a world and turning sightseeing into a mass industry.
Anybody going to Calakmul or the other deep jungle ZA nowadays would be better advised to not overnight in Chetumal , it just adds hours of riding.
Take a room in one of the 6 ( or more) hotels in Xpujil. Chetumal is however a fine place to relax, lots of good hotels, and modern neighbourhoods give an entirely different visage to the Yucatan. The main shopping boulevard ,Ninos Heroes, was being remodelled this past winter and should be a shiny new pedestrian friendly-er zone by now.
. Think about doing a wandering- roads ride around central -Yucatan state and Quintana Roo where there are many small Mayan towns and smaller ZA and cenotes to explore.Some surprises too , such as small towns with a big pyramid right in the center, e.g. Iazamal , or old hacienda ruins where you can just ride through and restored haciendas/ museums you may now visit for a small fee.
Wander the single lane asphalt roads and you will discover many more small Mayan villages, see jungle with marked chicle trees , howler monkies, parrots , all with very little traffic to worry about.

[yukonron]

We are on a Victory Cross Country Tour so we do stick to the asphalt roads. My husband loves the jungle (too many Tarzan movies as a boy)! So I hope we can explore there a bit and small Mayan towns sound wonderful. Me, I am always happiest on a beach! Guess Mexico is a good place for the both of us.

[MikeMike]

The Ball Courts were NOT used for playing a form of soccer with victim's heads, like someone mentioned previously. The pelota game was played with a natural small ball and players tried to put it through a small elevated hoop using only wrist and hip movements. I have watched re-enactments. The epicenter of the ball game? The ruins I mentioned above, La Cantona. They had more than 20 courts.