Archaeological Sites
Maya archaeological sites spanning five nations — from the iconic pyramids of Mexico's Yucatán to the jungle-clad temples of Central America.
13 sites
Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Chichen Itza
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza was a major Maya city that flourished from the 7th to 13th centuries. The site showcases remarkable architectural achievements and astronomical knowledge.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $28 USD
Chiapas, Mexico
Palenque
Nestled in the lush jungle of Chiapas, Palenque is renowned for its exquisite architecture and detailed sculptural art. The site provides invaluable insights into Maya hieroglyphic writing and dynastic history.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $5 USD
Yucatán, Mexico
Uxmal
A masterpiece of Puuc architectural style, Uxmal is characterized by its elegant proportions and intricate stone mosaics. The site's buildings are among the finest examples of Terminal Classic Maya architecture.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD
Campeche, Mexico
Calakmul
Hidden deep in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, this ancient Maya superpower was one of the two great rival cities (along with Tikal) that dominated the Maya world. The remote location ensures a more intimate experience.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $8 USD (plus biosphere entry fee)
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Tulum
The only Maya city built on the coast, Tulum served as a major port for trade and a walled city. Its stunning location overlooking the Caribbean makes it one of the most photographed archaeological sites.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $6 USD
State of Mexico, Mexico
Teotihuacan
One of the largest pre-Columbian cities in the Americas, Teotihuacan was a major urban center that profoundly influenced Maya culture and politics. Its monumental Avenue of the Dead and towering pyramids remain among the most visited archaeological sites in the world.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $5 USD
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Cobá
Hidden in dense jungle and connected by an ancient network of raised stone causeways (sacbes), Cobá was one of the largest Maya cities. Its Nohoch Mul pyramid offers one of the only remaining climbable summits in the Yucatán.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $5 USD
Yucatán, Mexico
Ek Balam
Ek Balam ('Black Jaguar') is celebrated for its extraordinary stucco sculpture, including a massive winged figure flanking the entrance to the royal tomb. The acropolis is one of the best-preserved and most elaborately decorated structures in the Maya world.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $5 USD
Oaxaca, Mexico
Monte Albán
Perched on a leveled mountaintop overlooking the Oaxaca Valley, Monte Albán was the capital of the Zapotec civilization for over a millennium. The site's grand plaza, ball court, and carved danzante figures testify to one of Mesoamerica's first true urban centers.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $4 USD
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
El Rey
Located within the Cancún Hotel Zone, El Rey is a compact Postclassic Maya site featuring over 47 structures. The site is particularly notable for its resident iguanas that bask atop the low platforms, and its accessibility makes it a convenient complement to a beach visit.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $3 USD
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Chacchoben
One of the oldest Maya sites on the Yucatán Peninsula, Chacchoben flourished during the Early Classic period. Its partially restored pyramids rise dramatically from dense jungle and are a popular shore excursion from Costa Maya cruise port.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $5 USD
Hidalgo, Mexico
Tula
The ancient Toltec capital of Tollan, Tula is famous for its iconic Atlante warrior columns that once supported the roof of a temple. The site had profound cultural connections to Chichen Itza, and its warrior imagery appears replicated across the Maya world.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $4 USD
Mexico City, Mexico
Templo Mayor
The great temple at the heart of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, Templo Mayor was uncovered beneath the streets of modern Mexico City in 1978. Its dual shrines dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc and the surrounding museum hold thousands of remarkable offerings and sculptures.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $4 USD (includes museum)
7 sites
Petén Basin, Guatemala
Tikal
One of the largest and most powerful ancient Maya cities, Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms in Maya history. Located in the rainforest, it features towering pyramids that rise above the jungle canopy.
Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $20 USD
Chimaltenango, Guatemala
Iximché
The former capital of the Kaqchikel Maya kingdom, Iximché was established in the 15th century on a defensible plateau. It was here that Spanish conquistadors allied with the Kaqchikel against their rivals and established the first capital of colonial Guatemala.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $4 USD
Izabal, Guatemala
Quiriguá
Quiriguá is renowned for possessing the largest collection of carved Maya stelae in the world. The site rose to prominence when its ruler Cauac Sky captured and beheaded the great king of Copán, allowing Quiriguá to assert independence.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $6 USD
Petén, Guatemala
Yaxhá
Yaxhá sits on a hill between two stunning jungle lakes and was the third-largest Maya city in the Petén basin. Its dramatic lakeside sunsets from atop Pyramid 216 are among the most memorable experiences in the Maya world.
Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $8 USD
Petén, Guatemala
El Mirador
Deep in the remote Mirador Basin jungle, El Mirador was the largest Maya city of the Preclassic period and home to the largest pyramid complex ever built — La Danta. Reaching it requires a multi-day trek through pristine rainforest.
Hours: Accessible year-round with permit
Entry: Permit required; multi-day trek with guide is essential
Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Zaculeu
The former capital of the Mam Maya kingdom, Zaculeu is situated on a natural plateau surrounded by deep ravines. The site was heavily restored in the 1940s by the United Fruit Company, giving it an unusually smooth, plastered appearance unlike any other Maya site.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $2 USD
Petén, Guatemala
Topoxte
Located on a small island in Lake Yaxhá, Topoxte is one of the largest and latest occupied Maya sites in the Petén lowlands. It remained inhabited into the 15th century, long after most lowland sites were abandoned.
Hours: Accessible with Yaxhá site permit
Entry: Included with Yaxhá entrance fee
8 sites
Cayo District, Belize
Caracol
Belize's largest Maya site, Caracol was once home to over 140,000 people. The site's Sky Palace pyramid is still the tallest man-made structure in Belize, rising above the jungle canopy.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $15 USD
Cayo District, Belize
Xunantunich
Perched on a ridge above the Mopan River near the Guatemalan border, Xunantunich ('Stone Maiden') features El Castillo, the second-tallest structure in Belize. The site's elaborate stucco friezes are among the finest surviving examples of Classic Maya relief art.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD (Belizean)
Belize District, Belize
Altun Ha
Altun Ha is Belize's most visited Maya site and home of the famous jade head of Kinich Ahau — the largest Maya jade object ever found. The site's twin plazas and accessible pyramids make it a popular stop on the Northern Highway.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD (Belizean)
Cayo District, Belize
Cahal Pech
Sitting on a hilltop above San Ignacio town, Cahal Pech ('Place of the Ticks') is one of the oldest Maya sites in the Belize River Valley. The site's royal acropolis and closely packed temples provide an intimate glimpse into elite Maya domestic architecture.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD (Belizean)
Corozal District, Belize
Santa Rita
Located on the northern tip of Belize near the border with Mexico, Santa Rita is believed to be the ancient Maya city of Chetumal. The site features important murals and served as a major Postclassic trading center between the Yucatán Peninsula and the rest of the Maya world.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Free
Orange Walk District, Belize
Lamanai
One of the longest continuously occupied Maya sites in the world, Lamanai ('Submerged Crocodile') spans over 3,000 years of history. The dramatic boat ride through the New River Lagoon past wildlife is itself a highlight of any Belizean itinerary.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD (Belizean) plus boat tour cost
Corozal District, Belize
Cerro Maya
Cerro Maya (also known as Cerros) is a rare example of a lowland Maya site occupied primarily during the Preclassic period. Built on a peninsula jutting into Corozal Bay, it features some of the earliest monumental Maya architecture yet discovered.
Hours: Accessible by arrangement
Entry: Small donation requested
Toledo District, Belize
Lubaantun
Lubaantun ('Place of the Fallen Stones') is remarkable for its unique construction technique — its large stone blocks were fitted together without mortar and without the use of carved stone monuments. The site gained notoriety as the alleged (and disputed) origin of the famous Crystal Skull.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily
Entry: Approximately $10 USD (Belizean)
1 site
7 sites
Ahuachapán, El Salvador
Cara Sucia
Cara Sucia is El Salvador's westernmost archaeological site and shows evidence of Olmec influence before transitioning to Maya and later Pipil cultural traditions. Its coastal location suggests it was an important link in Mesoamerican trade networks.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
Entry: Free
Chalchuapa, Santa Ana, El Salvador
Casa Blanca
Part of the greater Chalchuapa archaeological zone, Casa Blanca features pyramid mounds from multiple cultural periods spanning over 3,000 years. The excellent on-site museum explains how Maya traditions overlapped with earlier and later Mesoamerican cultures in western El Salvador.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $3 USD
San Francisco Lempa, Cuscatlán, El Salvador
Cihuatán
Cihuatán ('Place of Woman' in Nahuatl) was El Salvador's largest pre-Columbian city and one of the few sites showing clear Toltec influence in Central America. Its large ceremonial center with a ball court and pyramid suggests a powerful city that was violently destroyed around 1000 AD.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $1 USD
La Libertad, El Salvador
Joya de Cerén
Called the 'Pompeii of the Americas,' Joya de Cerén is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where a Maya farming village was buried and perfectly preserved by a volcanic eruption around 600 AD. No human remains were found, suggesting the villagers escaped, leaving behind an extraordinary snapshot of daily life.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $3 USD
San Miguel, El Salvador
Quelepa
Quelepa was a major pre-Columbian center in eastern El Salvador, associated with the Lenca people rather than the Maya. Its distinctive platform mounds and a unique U-shaped ball court illustrate cultural connections reaching into Honduras and beyond.
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily
Entry: Free
La Libertad, El Salvador
San Andrés
San Andrés was the largest pre-Columbian city in the Zapotitán Valley and likely a regional capital. Its acropolis and plazas show strong Maya influence, and the excellent on-site museum illustrates the site's role in the broader Mesoamerican trade network.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $1 USD
Chalchuapa, Santa Ana, El Salvador
Tazumal
The most complete and best-known Maya archaeological site in El Salvador, Tazumal features a stepped pyramid whose construction spans over a thousand years. The site shows cultural influences from the Maya, Teotihuacan, and the Pipil, reflecting El Salvador's position at a Mesoamerican crossroads.
Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, closed Mondays
Entry: Approximately $3 USD
