All about Mayapán in Mexico

The Mayan ruins of Mayapán are a bit of an insider tip, or at least under-rated. The site is not huge and not as popular as many others, but it is a beautiful site, not far from Mérida, you can climb up the temples and have a beautiful view.

There are usually only a few other visitors on site and the entrance fee is only a fraction compared to Chichén Itzá or Tulum. As you can see, there are many good reasons for a visit.

The world of archaeology

Some interesting figures about Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula:

The last great capital of the Maya

The walled city of Mayapán is considered the last great capital of the Maya culture in the Postclassic period (1200-1450 A.D.). Mayapan was surrounded by a 9 km long wall.

Twelve gates allowed the access to the interior of the city. About 12,000 people lived at about 4 square kilometers, protected by the fortification.

Important structures

Overall, more than 4,000 buildings have been found in that area. In the site and through the architecture you can observe the strong influence of Chichén Itzá, an example of this is the main building or better known as Castillo de Kukulkan, which is the same as Chichén Itzá, only smaller.

In the Central Plaza are the civic, administrative and religious buildings, as well as the residences of the ruling class. These are buildings built on foundations that have corridors with columns, temples and oratories with an altar at the back and a banquet on the sides.

Also representative are the round buildings, known as observatories and small sanctuaries. Mayapán was inhabited from the beginning of our era until the fall of the city around 1450 A.D. It is known that people lived around the site from the Preclassic and Early Classic periods (300 B.C. to 600 A.D.).

We have more background information and travel tips on Mayan archaeological sites.

How do you get to Mayapán from Mérida?

You can reach Mayapán, about 50km south of Mérida, very well by car. Public transportation can be used as well. The bus from Merida to Mayapán leaves from the bus station "Terminal de Autobuses Noreste", Calle 67, No. 529 (Calle 67 x 50).

Buses leave about every hour and driving time by bus is around 1,5 hours. Be sure not to confuse the ruins of Mayapán ("Zona Archeologica de Mayapán") with the village of Mayapán, which is a different place.