PUUC ROUTE

An interesting tour that gives you an overview of the Mayan civilization awaits you just 50 miles south of Merida. Known as the Puuc (hilly) Route, the sites include Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labna and the caves of Loltun. Each of the sites has restored Mayan pyramids and other structures, covered with brush, tree and jungle, much the way early explorers and archaeologists found them.

There are three ways to make this trip: rent a car with a car rental company and follow our map; take a tour with a travel agency; or take an air conditioned bus from the terminal at Calle 69 between 68 and 70.

LOLTUN
To begin the trip, follow the signs south to Uxmal. At Muna, turn left and follow the signs to Loltun. We like to start in Loltun. This way you can do a guided tour of the caves in the morning. Tours are the only way you can get into the caves and they start at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

LABNA
The next stop (18 miles down the road) will bring you to Labna, once a city of some 1,500 to 2,500 people, inhabited between 750 to 1000 AD. Presently 4 buildings are in a restored state. Notice the caretakers open thatched roof home as you enter the site. The palace at this site has 70 chultunes (water cisterns) that are not visible. There is also an artistically intricate arch at this site.

X-LAPAK
Ten miles down the winding road you will come to X-Lapak (shla-POCK) which means "unglued walls", a site of some 14 mounds and three somewhat restored pyramids. This site and Sayil are less restored and manicured so you can see what the sites looked like when they were discovered. Notice the many carved stones just laying around on the ground.

SAYIL
Eight miles from this turn is Sayil (say-YEEL), which means "The Place of the Ants". At the entrance you will see an outdoor museum under a thatched roof. Check out the huge stellar dating from 800-1000 AD. This site is home to a beautiful palace that included 90 bedrooms for some 350 people. From the top level of the palace you can see the church at Santa Elena and across the way a tiny ruin on the side of a mountain, which is called "The nine masks". There are restrooms here.

KABAH
Continuing on with the route, your next stop will be Kabah. You will have to turn right 5 kilometers out of Sayil at the "T" in the road. The road are very well marked. Kabah is famous for its "Palace of Chaac Masks" (Chaac is the Mayan rain god). Also here is the much photographed arch that is thought to be the center of the city and the entrance to the sacbe (white road or Mayan highway) that went to Uxmal.

UXMAL
Just a few miles down the road is Uxmal. The most "manicured" of the sites and last stop in this route, Uxmal means "the thrice built city" with the colossal "Magicians Pyramids", impressive "Governor´s Palace", intricate "Doves Temple" and the grand "Nuns Quadrangle".

Uxmal has a tourist center with shops, restaurants and bathrooms.

Uxmal is the only place in the route that has hotels. We recommend the delightful Mision Uxmal, Club Med and the Lodge at Uxmal (both at the entrance). If you are spending the night, be sure to see the spectacular Light & Sound show that happens every evening.

  PLACES TO VISIT