See the ancient cultures of the Mayans, with exotic ruins, and indigenous cultures, close yet breathtakingly foreign
Welcome to the glory of old Mexico. Starting in Cancun, this adventure trip is based on the peoples and cultures which comprised the Maya civilization spanning more than 2500 years of Mesoamerican history. The Maya civilization occupied a vast area covering southeast Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
Mayan Ruins – Visit the Mayan-Toltec ruins of Chichén Itzá the largest of the archaeological cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
It is one of Mexico’s most visited tourist destinations. It was granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. See the Castle Pyramid. Visit the Ballcourt, the Sacred Cenote and the Group of a Thousand Columns. Learn about achievements made by the Maya more than 1500 years ago, including the 365 day, 19 month Mayan Haab calendar.
Palenque is magical. Here, mysterious Mayan ruins are set against a natural backdrop of jungle foliage. See the Main Plaza, the Temple of the Inscriptions and the Group of the Cross. See the four story observation tower rising from the huge rectangular palace. Unique in the Mayan world, this observation tower is believed to have been constructed to view the winter solstice. Other magical Mayan sites are Uxmal, Tulum and Tikal.
Mayan culture & architecture – Mayan culture began to develop in the Pre-Classic period, around 1000 B.C. and was at its heyday between 300 and 900 A.D. The Maya are well known for their writing, of which a great part can now be read, as well as for their advanced mathematics, astronomy and calendrical calculations.
The Mayan Calendar was not the original Mesoamerican calendar, but with the refinements the Mayans made, it became the most sophisticated. The Mayan calendar along with the Aztec calendar are the the best documented and most completely understood of all the Mesoamerican calendars.
Below are links to more travel information such as locations, what to see and do, activities, how to get there, and a history of the myth and legend. Use custom search engine to find your bookings.
The Kingdom of the Maya • Locations & Activities