Uxmal

Uxmal tickets and tours: which one to book

Uxmal lies in the Puuc hills about 62 km south of Merida, roughly an hour's drive, and entry is paid at the visitor centre at the gate, where tickets combine the federal INAH fee and a state fee. There is no need to book ahead, and buses from Merida's second-class terminal stop at the entrance, but most visitors either hire a car or book a day trip. Day trips from Merida are the most common product. They usually include transport, an English-speaking guide at the site and a lunch, and add a second stop: a swim in a cenote, a visit to a restored henequen hacienda such as Sotuta de Peon or Mucuyche, or the chocolate museum next to the entrance, where you can learn about Maya cacao.

Some tours continue along the Ruta Puuc to the smaller sites of Kabah, Sayil and Labna, or to the Loltun caves. There are also private visits with a trained archaeologist, sunrise trips in a four-wheel-drive car with a Maya breakfast, and longer tours from Campeche that pass through Uxmal on the way to Merida. Licensed guides wait at the entrance if you arrive on your own and are worth hiring for an hour or two. Check whether tour prices include the entry fees, which are often excluded.

Visiting Uxmal: what to see and how to behave

Uxmal was one of the great cities of the Puuc region and reached its height between about 850 and 950, when it dominated the western Yucatan. Its buildings are the finest examples of the Puuc style: plain lower walls topped by elaborate friezes of carved stone mosaic, with lattices, columns and long-nosed masks of the rain god Chaac, essential in a region with no rivers where water was stored in cisterns. Uxmal and the nearby Puuc sites are inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Right after the entrance stands the Pyramid of the Magician, about 35 m high, with unusual rounded corners and an oval base; legend says a dwarf built it in a single night.

Behind it opens the Nunnery Quadrangle, four long palaces around a courtyard, whose facades are covered with serpents, masks and lattice patterns. A path leads south past the ball court to the Governor's Palace, set on a huge artificial platform, with a frieze about 100 m long that is considered among the masterpieces of Maya architecture, and the small House of the Turtles beside it. Further on, the Great Pyramid and the Dovecote, with its tall comb-like roof, are partly restored. Climbing on the buildings is not allowed. Paths are of uneven stone and there is little shade, so bring sun protection, and watch for iguanas on the walls. Drones require a permit.

Uxmal: opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The site opens daily from about 8 am to 5 pm, with last entry an hour or so before closing; check INAH for current hours and for the evening light and sound show, which has been offered in some seasons. Arrive at opening, when the light is soft and the temperatures still bearable, and you will have the Nunnery Quadrangle almost to yourself before the day trips arrive from Merida and Cancun in late morning.

Late afternoon, when the sun turns the stone golden, is the other good window. November to March is the most comfortable season, with dry and milder days. April and May are extremely hot, and the rainy season from June to October brings afternoon storms and humidity, with the risk of hurricanes later in the season. Mexican holidays such as Easter week are crowded. Allow two to three hours at the site. Spend the night in one of the hotels near the entrance to see it early, and the next day follow the Ruta Puuc through Kabah, Sayil and Labna.