Ruta Maya – Part Six
This is part six of a series of articles about Central America’s Aztec and Mayan pyramids and ruins. Updated Sep 2022.
Uxmal
Uxmal (pronounced Oosh-mal) is one of the best stops on the Ruta Maya. The city was founded about the year 500. By 900, the population had increased to about 20,000. However, no new structures were built after about 1200, and the site was abandoned soon after the Spanish conquest, about 1550.
Chichen Itza is probably the most popular of the Mayan sites on the Ruta Maya. It has a lovely pyramid. However, the grounds are very manicured and park-like, and it is sometimes overcrowded with tourists from the cruise ships and hotels in Cancun.
Click photos to enlarge,
Uxmal is too far away for day trips from Cancun, so there are fewer tourists. It would involve an overnight trip. Also, there are more trees which makes it look more like a jungle than a city park. Chichen Itza has many interesting structures besides the pyramid, but then I found the buildings at Uxmal larger and more ornate (with the exception of the ball court. The pyramid at Uxmal is much larger than the one at Chizen Itz. It is 69 x 49 metres at the base, with a height of 35 metres. The large temple on the top is in good condition.
The Governor’s Palace
The Governor’s Palace at Uxmal has the longest façade of any Mayan structure. The wall above the doors is carved in ornate patterns for the whole length of the building.
The Quadrangle
Called the Nunnery Quadrangle by the Spanish, the square located directly behind the pyramid is the largest and finest. It has elaborate carvings all around the square. It was a government centre for the running of the city and had nothing to do with religion.
The Ballcourt
The Ballcourt at Chichen Itza is larger, but the one at Uxmal is also a great example of the Mayan sport. Mayan football was a type of soccer. The goalposts are round and high up on the sloping sides of the court, making scoring a goal extremely difficult.
House of the Doves
This structure was named the House of the Doves by the Spanish. It is the remaining wall of a quadrangle that no longer exists. It must have been a very beautiful place in its day.
Uxmal and the Ruta Maya
Uxmal is an outstanding stop on the Ruta Maya. You can skip some of the smaller sites, but you simply cannot leave out Uxmal on a tour of the Mayan sites in Yucatan. Even if you don’t tour other Mayan archaeological sites in Central America, you should see Chichen Itza and Uxmal. These two sites were the most important of the Mayan cities. Uxmal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
There are bus tours from the city of Merida, which is about 80 km away. However, I recommend staying in the area if you have the time and spending a whole day at Uxmal and another day at the other nearby Mayan sites (which I will write about in my next article on the Ruta Maya).
Another great archaeological site is the city of Tikal in Guatemala. For a list of all the sites on the Ruta Maya, click here.