As beautiful as it was on the beaches of Mexico… after a few days I suddenly had the urge to immerse myself in some of the country’s culture and history. Where can you do that better than in one of the numerous Mayan ruins of the Yucatán Peninsula. We had already visited the most famous Mayan site Chichén Itzá 10 years ago, this time we were drawn to the jungle.
One of the main reasons we wanted to explore Cobá was that it gives you the opportunity to climb the Nohoch Mul Pyramid and enjoy the amazing views of the Yucatán Peninsula. Although I had already heard that this was not possible during the Corona period, all measures had only recently been lifted in Mexico – this gave me some hope.
Since we wanted to refresh our knowledge of the Mayan culture (the last visit was 10 years ago), we booked a small group tour including a guide. We stumbled upon a great day trip that even combined 2 Mayan sites (Tulum & Cobá) and as a bonus there was also a short trip to the Choo-Ha Cenote included.
The day after, we were picked up from our accommodation as agreed (well… actually 20 minutes late, but that’s taken into account in Mexico anyway 😉). Our tour guide knew his job and kept our small group entertained from start to finish. He also told us a lot about Mayan culture in a very creative and lively way.
The first stop was the Tulum Archaeological Zone.
The Mayan ruins of Tulum are located on the seafront. Originally named Zama (sunrise), the fortress was a Mayan economic center strategically placed to control coastal trade routes. Thanks to the high and vertical cliffs, it served as a natural fortress for the Mayas.
It’s easy to understand why the Maya settled on this beautiful piece of land back then. The view of the turquoise sea can impress. Unfortunately, we couldn’t enjoy the view as much as the brown algae plague started at the end of April. Nevertheless, we were enthusiastic about the many stories of the tour guide and we let the ruins have an effect on us.
After a traditional Mexican lunch, our journey continued to the ancient Mayan city of Cobá. Cobà is about 40 km from the Caribbean coast, nestled beautifully in the jungle.
During its heyday between 500 and 900 AD, Coba had a population of 50,000. The ruins cover an area of about 35 square kilometers. Around 900-1000, Cobá engaged in a power struggle with Chichén Itzá and was defeated.
The area is very spacious, but walkable. You can also rent a bike or a bike taxi for a few pesos.
We found the Cobá ruins more interesting than the Tulum Mayan site. Of course it’s all a matter of taste 😉
The bike taxi then took us to the highlight of Cobá, the Nohoch Mul pyramid. The name means “big hill” in the Mayan language. The tension increased… the desire to climb the pyramid was great… But unfortunately no chance… some say because of Corona, others that it is no longer allowed because a person fell down. Anyway, it’s a pity 😔 So we only admired the 42 meter high pyramid from below.
After so much culture, we definitely deserved a cool down. Finally, our guide took us to the nearby Cenote Choo-Ha. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting too much, but I was blown away by the beauty of this closed cenote. I don’t want to bore you any longer with explanations, it’s best to just let the pictures work on you 😍
Here is the link to the day trip, which we can absolutely recommend:
Of course we also filmed extensively for you on this excursion😍
