Route - Puuc

An interesting tour that gives you an overview of the Mayan civilization awaits you just 50 miles south of Mérida, known as the Puuc (hilly) Route. Puuc is the Maya name given to a series of low-lying hills with a unique culture and style.

The sites include Uxmal, Kabáh, Sayil, X-Lapak, Labná and the caves of Loltún.

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.

Some characteristic elements include pyramids finished with crest work, small, false columns embedded in the facades, and drawings of stylized Mayan huts. Repetitive geometrically-cut stones and motifs are commonly used. Other figurative components also appear, such as snakes and masks of the rain god Chaac, recognized by his bulging eyes, large fangs and snout-like nose which curve like a trumpet.

Several cisterns or chultunes in this area serve to collect rainwater. These are the only source of storage for this vital liquid. The reason why Chaac is held in such high esteem and representations of him abound: The Maya population worshipped Chaac to ensure sufficient rain.

Kabah

This city is known as the second largest religious center in the Puuc style and flourished around the year 800 AD. It is connected with Uxmal by a sacbe which begins right in the Arch, a kind of main door to the city. The Palace is a building of great beauty, located on a high esplanade forming a quadrangle. The most remarkable construction, however, is the Palace of the Masks, with an impressive façade comprised of over 250 masks of the god Chaac, all finely cut from stone and positioned in a magnificent baroque-style extravagance.

Kabah is situated 23 km southeast of Uxmal along Highway 261.

Sayil

An extensive urban center, Sayil lived between 600 and 900 AD. The city is distributed in three zones: the first is the nucleus of the site and includes buildings for the elite society members. The second contains residences which were once inhabited by the ancestors, while the final zone stretches towards the outlying settlements of people who paid tribute to Sayil.

Mosaics cut from stone stand out on the decorated facades. The Palace, the most noteworthy building of the zone, boasts around 70 rooms where different architectural techniques can be appreciated. The second level is decorated with mosaics depicting the descending god.

Sayil is roughly 33 km southeast of Uxmal along Highway 261.

Xlapak

Here is one of the greatest jewels of Puuc architecture. Also known as The Palace, this building has a magnificent facade of stone mosaics with repeating motifs and other geometrical designs. In the corners and the center are spectacular masks of the god, Chaac. In this case the decoration is quite unique since the masks jut out from the false arch.

Xlapak lies 38 km southeast of Uxmal along Highway 261.

Labná

A small but important city, this Mayan center reached its glory between 600 and 900 AD. It is famous around the world for its beautifully carved stone archway, one of a group of buildings scattered around a small valley. The most important of these buildings were “The Palace” and “The Mirador” (vantage point) which were connected by an ancient Mayan path.

Labná can be found 42 km southeast of Uxmal along Highway 261.

Visiting times to these archaeological zones are daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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