Key Mayan Sites in Mexico
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are key Mayan sites in Mexico. Mundo Maya is a tourism initiative linking the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Tabasco. This region is home to 6 of Mexico’s 27 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the most found in any other country in the world. Mexico estimates that 52 million tourists will visit southeastern Mexico in 2012, spending approximately $23 million.
Chichen Itza is a day trip from Playa del Carmen, but you can no longer climb to the top.Tulum is a much more accessible Maya site, and is located on the water an hour’s drive from Playa del Carmen
Tulum is much more accessible than Chichen Itza, and is only an hour away from Playa del Carmen
CNN’s World’s Treasures asked Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of the Global Heritage Fund to compile a list of key Mayan sites in Mexico. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Chichen Itza in the state of Yucatan and Palenque in Chiapas made the list, as did the seaside site of Tulum, in Quintana Roo.
Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Palenque, in Chiapas, Mexico, is nestled deep in the jungle, the tops of its many temples often wreathed in mist.
The site boasts stepped pyramids, including the impressive Temple of Inscriptions, carved stone walls and even the burial site of Pakal the Great, Palenque’s 7th-century ruler.
Palenque is in the woods, often surrounded by mist
Stay in nearby Playa del Carmen and do day trips to the above sites. Contact Laura for rates and availability at El Taj Ocean, Porto Playa, Maya Villa, El Taj Beach, and Villas Sacbe, or call 630-664-3904. All properties are 4 & 5 star, on or just off the beach, and offer transportation to the UNESCO/Maya sites.