Mayan ruins of Coba and Tulum

Coba and Tulum are two fantastic Mayan ruins nearby to Playa del Carmen – below are some photos from both.

Tulum gets a lot of tourists because it’s so close to Playa and Cancun (and has a beautiful beach) – whereas Coba is a bit further away, and a bit quieter (if you arrive before or after the tour groups do). Coba is also a much larger site – there’s about 6km of walking needed to access all the ruins. If you’re not up to walking, you can hire a bicycle (35MXD) or get someone else to drive you around in a cyclo/bicycle-taxi (140MXD normally but 70MXD in the low season).

These sites are both worth checking out!

Tulum is a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city which served as a major port for Cobá. Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans, and was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The beautiful Carribbean by the Tulum ruins

Central ruins in Tulum

La Iglesia at Coba

A ball court in Coba

The Nohoch Mul pyramid, the tallest in the Yucatan at 42 metres

View from the top of the Nohoch Mul pyramid (42m high)

A series of stone and plaster roads run from central Coba to various smaller sites in the area. These are known by the Maya term sacbe – the longest is over 100 kilometres.