Cancun, Mayan Ruins and the Mayan Riviera and Indiana Spock

[Spock]

1) (Mrs. S and I) are going tothe Yucatan(Mid Feb)

2) We are staying in a smallish town south of Playa Del Carmen (Port Aventuras, or some such) Mrs. S did the reservations-she wants sun and I said preferably not Cancun itself.

3) 4 full days there-I plan to fish at least one day-torn between deep sea and bonefishing in

4) Maya Ruins recs-Mrs. does not want Chichen Itza-We are thinking Coba. My reading about Tulum does not endear me.

5) I have to be one of the few tourists there that day-or any other time-who has gotten paid for looking for lost Maya cities. The archeology prof that I did the big Oman GIS project for also does stuff in Belize and I spent a day or so processing Belize satellite images for him. So I got that going for me, anyway.

6) We are staying at an all-inclusive-I am not a fan of that so we will not let that limit our meal choices.

Any thoughts and recs on the area are appreciated.

[Bob Juch]

Puerto Aventuras can be thought of a smaller version of Cancun. It's pretty much a tourist area carved out of the jungle on the coast. There are much fewer little shops and restaurants however, so it's a good thing you're going to an all-inclusive resort as you'd have a hard time finding anything to eat. You can take the ferry to Cozumel and wander around a "real" town there.

Why not go to Chichen Itza? That's the most superb example of Mayan ruins around. You're right about Tulum, it's just a bunch of pyramids in the middle of the jungle. Coba is worth an hour wandering around.

Do you have a sofa in your room I can sleep on?

[bazodee]

Tulum is situated in a stunning location, but as far as ruins go it really isn't that significant. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and take a look.

Coba is much more significant, but suffers from a lack of visitor interpretation. It's much less touristed and there area ample opportunities to walk around. The individual ruins just pop up out of the jungle; there really isn't one perch where you get a sense of scale. It's very jungly, if that is a word.

Chitzen Itza, despite the number of tourists, is really quite fantastic. The ruins are all in an open field, so you can get a sense of scale that you don't get in Coba.

[tanstaafl2]

Tulum is quite rare in that few ruins have been found right on the coast. But not a whole lot there.

Coba can give you a excellent sense of what it might have been like to first stumble upon the ruins before they were cleared. Less crowded so many people find it very peaceful and pleasant.

Chichen Itza is by far the most developed and thus has the most tourists but if time is limited probably gives you the best sense of the scale of what was built.

With limited time I would recommend Chichen Itza even though it is potentially more crowded.

With more time I would want to see them all. Then again that is coming from some one who went to the Yucatan and never set foot in Cancun. Instead I flew to and stayed in Merida, seeing more of the colonial slice of the region as well as traveling to other ruins that most folks never see, like Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun. Uxmal was by far my favorite.





Unusual in that the primary temple, the "Pyramid of the Magician", is built on an oval base rather than square. But it would be hard to get to in a day from Cancun. Much too far. But well worth it to stay overnight in the area. Beautiful region of the country.

[silverscreenselect]

From where you are, Uxmal is a bit further than Chichen Itza, but some of the ruins there are more spectacular. They don't let you climb on Chichen Itza's main pyramids any more. I did climb up one of the smaller ones, and the steps can be tricky, especially if you're not as young as you used to be. Also, the heat and humidity are not nice on digital cameras either. Overall, Chichen Itza is worth the trip.

Depending on your tastes, there are a couple of theme parks near where you'll be. These aren't Disney styled theme parks though. Xcaret is near where our cruise ship docked, close to Playa del Carmen. It's got a fake Mayan village, an underground river, various animal exhibits, a beach, various daytime shows and a nightime show with lights and a recreation of the Mayan ball game.

Xel Ha is closer to where you'll be staying. It's more of a natural water park (Xcaret is more of a tourist show), emphasizing the beach and lagoons. Both parks offer dolphin swims. Depending on your tastes, you might find either of them a fun way to spend a day, and transportation from where you are won't be a problem.

For shopping and multiple dining choices, Playa del Carman is a lot closer than Cancun from where you are.

[mellytu74]

Spocky!

This sounds marvelous.

I have never been so I cannot offer advice.

Will you send me a postcard for my collection?



Thanks in advance.