The Ruta Puuc is a 41 kilometer stretch of road that winds through the low rolling hills and dense forests of the Yucatan, linking some of Mexico’s beautiful and most remote Mayan ruins. The Yucatan was a Mayan stronghold for centuries, and the size and complexity of the region’s archeological sites bear testament to the power the ancient empire once commanded.
The journey, which encompasses four major ancient cities, begins in Uxmal, a 40 minute drive from Merida and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meaning”the thrice-built city,” it’s a massive complex, easily comparable to more well-known sites like Chichin Itza, but almost devoid of other travelers, despite its location along a few bus routes and proximity to Merida. The architecture is stunning and well-restored, the grounds vast. Uxmal has several key structures, including the Magician’s Pyramid and the Governor’s Palace, a long, low, multi-sided building boasting the longest facade in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
Intricate, beautifully restored carvings cover both these two buildings and many of the others, depicting images of Chaac, the Mayan rain god.
The importance of rain, and by extension the worship of Chaac, cannot be underestimated. Located far from the coast and lacking any sources of groundwater, the 25,000 inhabitants of Uxmal depended entirely on rain for their water supply, as evidenced by the the elaborate system of underground cisterns scattered throughout the region. It was the development of these resevoirs between the 8th and 10th centuries that allowed Uxmal to flourish, transforming it from a village into a political and economic force to be reckoned with.
Unlike Chichin Itza, visitors are still permitted to climb some of Uxmal’s structures; the view from the top of the Great Pyramid, for example, is breath-taking, well worth the steep climb. The Great Pyramid marks the beginning of the Southern Complex, much of which is yet to be fully excavated, and overlooks the stunning House of Doves, of which only one wall and a partial foundation remains.
There are a few trails that meander into the jungle behind the House of Doves. If you’re feeling adventures enough to brave the uneven ground, weeds, and possibility of giant jungle spiders, the trails, if at times challenging, are incredible. They wrap around a series of low mounds, which upon closer inspection reveal themselves to be crumbling ruins buried beneath centuries of rain forest. They are, in some ways, more beautiful, more amazing, than the fully restored temples, reclaimed by the jungle, but not destroyed, symbolic of the empire’s lasting influence.
We found one temple that, despite being covered in grass and vines, had maintained its overall shape and height, the top jutting above the trees. It’s worth a climb to the top, if you dare, to see the Uxmal complex for once looking small, engulfed on all sides by the forest.
Kabah is the next stop on the route, just a few kilometers southeast of Uxmal. It’s much smaller, composed of only a few fully restored temples, to include the ornately decorated Palace of Chaac Masks. Kabah was at one time a bustling metropolis, but many of its structures remain un-excavated. During the height of the Mayan reign, a 18 km long raised pedestrian causeway connected Kabah to Uxmal, marked by massive arches on either end. The arch at Kabah has been restored to its former glory, providing the few visitors that venture to the ruins a sense of Kabah’s historical significance, despite its comparitively remote location.
The sprawling city of Sayil is a short drive away. Much of the natural environment around the structures, all in various degrees of restoration, has been preserved, with palaces and temples hidden among groves of trees and connected by winding dirt paths. The most impressive ruin is the Great Palace, which stands at the northern end of the complex and at one time housed 350 members of the royal family in 90 rooms. The scale of the building is enormous and, unlike many other archaeological sites, visitors are still permitted to climb to the roof.
Though the remaining buildings are hidden by trees, the roof of the palace provides a 360 degree view of the jungle and the surrounding mountains. Behind the palace, just visible in the distance, is another ruin clinging to the hillside. Far from civilization and located deep in the forest, that ruin continues to be relatively inaccessible and visible only from the palace roof top, jutting off the mountain like a window into the past.
Labna is the last historical site on the route. Once home to approximately 2,000 people, only a few buildings have been fully restored. The large palace that forms the apex of the site is one of the longest contiguous buildings in the Puuc region and is covered in an intricate motif. A raised causeway leads from the palace to the elaborately-carved arch that at one time marked the entrance to the famous Mayan highway. A pair of grapefruit trees shades the entrance to the palace; you can smell the citrus on the wind.
The Ruta Puuc is worlds away from the typical tourist destination. It’s usually accessible only by rental car, but the roads are well-marked and easy to navigate. Your rental car agency or any of the tourist offices in Merida can provide you with an English-language map. The sites are open 365 days a year, and the entrance fee ranges from 45 to 180 pesos, depending on the site itself. A bus travels the circuit on Sunday mornings, but the magic of these sites lies partly in their solitude. We saw only a handful of other visitors during our journey, and at several of the sites, we were alone. This isolation allows the visitor to establish a more immediate, almost intimate connection to the ruins, to feel alone and at the same time feel the heavy presence of a thousand years of history. There is an energy in the lonely ruins. It’s easy to imagine them alive, bustling with activity at the height of the Mayan reign. No amount of undergrowth or crumbling stairways or collapsed arches can undermine their impressive strength, even in their solitude.
Let’s be fearless,
Jen