How to visit Uxmal

Going up the stairs to the top of the ancient pyramid is not easy. The steps are high and shallow – and it’s more like climbing than stepping.

I don’t know how the Mayans used to be able to do it – they were not tall people so it must have been twice as hard for them.

But maybe that was the point.

The pyramids and temples in cities like Uxmal were important religious structures and it was from the top of them that the high priests would perform ceremonies to protect the residents. Making it difficult to get to the top added to the eminence.

For visitors like me, climbing to the top is not about asking for protection. Instead, it offers a more appropriate gift – an incredible view out across the Uxmal ruins.

Here, from the summit of the Great Pyramid, I look out over the ancient city of Uxmal and the Mayan ruins that remain here.

Mayan priests

You can see many of the individual buildings from the top of the pyramid but this is also one of the best vantage points to get a sense of the layout of Uxmal.

Unlike many other Mayan cities that were designed using geometry, Uxmal was designed using astronomy. And this was one of the most important parts of being a priest.

The Ancient Maya are thought to be the only civilisation that, before the invention of the telescope, was able to track astronomical cycles like the movement of Venus. The priests were excellent astronomers and they used this to their advantage – sometimes rather cynically.

For instance, if they were going to have a big religious ceremony to ask the gods for something, they would try to time it with an event they knew was going to happen. An eclipse, for instance.

Can you imagine what it would be like for a priest to offer their own blood or sacrifice someone to the gods and then, almost straight away, the sun started to disappear?! There is no way the average uneducated citizen would doubt the power of their priests!

And so that’s what many of the grand buildings at places like the Uxmal Mayan ruins are for.

They don’t necessarily have a practical function. They are about inspiring awe from the common people to keep the ruling class in power. Although, presumably, the priests and kings do believe most of what they preach.

The Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal

The most impressive structure here – and certainly the best thing to see at Uxmal – is the Pyramid of the Magician.

It got its name because it is at the centre of a famous Mayan legend. The story is that it was foretold that a new king would rule the city when a magical instrument was played in the jungle. One day, the sound of the instrument was heard and then a magic dwarf appeared.

The king issued this magician a series of challenges that he had to pass before he would hand over control. One of them, which he assumed would never be possible, was to build a grand pyramid overnight.

When everyone woke up in the morning, this pyramid was standing! It’s why the Pyramid of the Magician is also sometimes called the Pyramid of the Dwarf.

Archaeologists aren’t huge fans of legends, though. If you ask one of them, they’ll tell you that the 35-metre-high structure that you see today was actually built in up to five stages between the 6^th and 10^th centuries.

Regardless, it’s one of the most spectacular Mayan buildings you’ll see in Mexico and is rather special because of its smooth curved design (compared to most, which are square or rectangular).

Chichen Itza or Uxmal

I have previously written about visiting Chichen Itza and how those Mayan ruins are so popular. As I said at the time, it’s not surprising seeing as it’s so easy to get to Chichen Itza from Cancun or Playa del Carmen.

Visiting the ruins of Uxmal is also easy – but it’s a little bit further away. It’s at least an extra two-hour drive from Chichen Itza.

However, it is convenient to get to Uxmal from Merida, which is only an hour’s drive, and I would recommend staying there for a couple of nights and doing a day trip if you have time.

But if you had to make a choice between Uxmal or Chichen Itza, I think it’s an easy decision. The Uxmal ruins are so much better in so many ways and, as I said, I think they are the best Mayan site in Yucatan.

Part of the reason it’s so enjoyable to visit Uxmal is because there are far fewer people here.

I have come as an optional extra on my G Adventures Mayan Discovery Tour and our guide very sensibly suggested we arrive early. There is almost nobody else here for the first hour and I am completely alone in some parts of the site that I explore.

But the other reason that I think Uxmal ruins is a better site is because of the artwork that you’re able to see here.

The Governor’s Palace, Uxmal

As I travel through the world of the Ancient Maya, I will come to realise that the different kingdoms had very different styles of art. Much of it has been lost to us because it was not strong enough to survive the centuries of neglect.

But here at the Uxmal ruins, we can see some of the finest and best-preserved of the Mayan art anywhere in the world. The best example at the site is at the Governor’s Palace.

This long building is set on a raised platform near the Great Pyramid and all along its facade is a beautiful stone decoration.

There are more than 20,000 individual stones that are each specially shaped to create flowing mosaics when they are put together.

When you look closely at the mosaics, you can see things like snakes, astronomical symbols, and representations of gods (particularly the rain god Chac).

Astronomy plays a large part in the design. The building is aligned in such a way that Venus would set at a particular spot every eight years. There are then patterns in the art that represent the number eight, which are connected to symbols of rain… that would normally begin after Venus set at that spot.

All through Uxmal, you can find these incredible elements. Art connected to astronomy. Astronomy connected to architecture. Architecture connected to the gods. And the gods connected to the weather.

It’s no wonder the Mayan high priests were such important figures. They were the human links between all of those things.

With all this knowledge, they probably didn’t even need the height of the pyramids to elevate them in the eyes of the population. But I’m sure they appreciated the views as well.

Visiting the Uxmal ruins

Firstly, getting to Uxmal. Although it is technically possible to visit Uxmal from Cancun or Playa del Carmen, I would really recommend against it. The drive is at least four hours in each direction, so you’ll spend most of the day in the car.

A much better option is to visit from Merida, which is only an hour away by car and is where most tours leave from. (There are also lots of great things to do in Merida.)

Another option is to visit from Campeche, which is two hours’ drive away but makes for a fun base, because there’s lots to see in Campeche and it’s a beautiful spot to stay.

If you don’t have a car or don’t want to drive, it is possible to get the bus, which goes between Merida and Campeche every few hours. It’s cheap but not particularly convenient because it’s not frequent and often delayed.

I think a better option is to take a tour – even if it costs more than the bus, it will be much more comfortable and save you a lot of time (which you can use to do other things that day).

Most tours leave from Merida, and I would recommend this excellent day tour that covers all your transportation and includes a stop at Kabah.

There are some other good options here, that have stops at some other places as well:

I would recommend about two hours on the site. There are quite a lot of things to see at Uxmal and you’ll want to take your time climbing up to the top of some of the monuments.

You’ll be able to wander around yourself, but if you prefer to have a guide, you can arrange that here in advance.

The ticket price is quite expensive, I think, so that’s something to consider. This is because you essentially have to buy two tickets – one for entrance and one for the taxes. It’s a weird system so be prepared.

Although the ticket office usually takes credit cards, I would recommend having enough cash for a ticket just in case.

A few other bits of useful visitor information:

• Large backpacks or luggage are not allowed inside, but there are some lockers available.
• Tripods and drones are not allowed inside the Uxmal ruins.
• Pets are not allowed
• There are free toilets available in a few places around the archaeological site.

When it comes to accessibility, Uxmal is not great. Wheelchairs can get around the main area after the entrance, which includes being able to see the Pyramid of the Magician. But the other three quarters of the site is not accessible unfortunately.

For more information, see the official website of Uxmal ruins.

When it comes to food at Uxmal, there is a restaurant at the entrance called Yax-Beh, which does a good range of meals and snacks, although (as you would expect) it is overpriced.

Within a few hundred metres, there are a couple of other food options, but none of them are fantastic. They’ll do for a meal if you’re hungry, but you may want to consider bringing some snacks with you.

While you’re out here, there are a few other things to see. In particular, I would recommend a museum called Choco-Story, which is not just about cacao but how it fits into the story of Mayan tradition and colonial heritage.

I travelled on this tour with the support of G Adventures in my position as a G Wanderer. All the opinions expressed are my own – I truly believe G Adventures is one of the best tour companies that you can use for a trip to Mexico and Central America.