Uxmal

Located in the gently undulating Puuc hills, midway between the colonial cities of Campeche & Merida, Uxmal is considered one of the most important of all Mayan sites, on a par with Chichen Itza, Palenque, Calakmul & Tikal.

Founded around 700 AD, Uxmal reached the height of its power towards the end of the 9th century but, by 1200, the city lay largely abandoned, perhaps as a result of the rise of Chichen Itza to the east.

If deciding how to pronounce Uxmal is difficult (it’s Oosh mahl) then trying to get the experts to agree on where the name comes from is no clearer. Most people subscribe to the idea that it means ‘three times built’ while others claim that it means ‘what is to come, the future’.

Uxmal’s primary importance comes from the fact that, for most experts, it represents the high-point in Mayan architecture and art. Perhaps no single building better represents this than the magnificent Pyramid of the Magician which, unlike almost every other Mayan pyramid, has a much softer, more cylindrical design.

Other important buildings within the site include the Quadrangle of the Nuns, the Governor’s Palace, the House of the Tortoises and the Ball Court. As with most Mayan sites, much of Uxmal still remains covered by dense vegetation, including the extensive Southern Complex.

As one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s key Mayan sites, Uxmal receives its fair share of visitors although nothing like the numbers drawn to Chichen Itza; Uxmal is simply too far from the east coast to attract day trippers from the numerous beach hotels. Staying locally will generally allow you to visit the site before or after the majority of visitors.

Unlike most other sites in the Yucatan Peninsula, one pleasing feature of Uxmal is that it is situated in gently hilly terrain, within the Puuc Hills. In addition to Uxmal, the surrounding area is home to a number of other impressive Mayan sites, all of which receive very few visitors, namely Kabah, Labna and Sayil. Collectively, this area is often referred to as the Puuc Route / Ruta Puuc.

Uxmal is approximately 90 minutes’ drive from both Merida to the north and Campeche to the south.

For ideas as to how one can include Uxmal in a holiday to the Yucatan Peninsula please refer to our Itineraries page and, as an example, The Yucatan Peninsula Loop.