A Guide to Exploring the Maya Puuc Region in 2024
The term Puuc, or “hill” in Yucatec-Maya, refers both to a region southwest of Yucatán and an architectural style that flourished in the region from roughly the 5th century BCE to the 10th century CE.
For a century now, this region has been one of the greatest magnets for tourism in Yucatán, with Uxmal and Kabah usually being considered the crown jewels.
But the Puuc is home to several dozen known sites, some of which are open to the public, including Labná, Sayil, Oxkintok, and Chacmultún.
Much has changed since the first tours out to the Puuc region started to become popular in the 19th century. For one, the infrastructure now makes it possible to visit several sites in a single day. Since the ’70s and ’80s, several archaeological projects have unearthed and restored hundreds of examples of ancient Maya architecture.
During the past couple of years, a new flurry of excavation and restoration projects has been kickstarted by the PROMESA program funded by the Tren Maya. As a result, several archaeological sites in the Puuc have had significant upgrades made to their infrastructure, and some have even opened up entirely new areas to explore.
Uxmal
Given its enormous size and the fact that Uxmal is the second most visited archaeological site in the state, a considerable part of PROMESA’s budget has been allocated to it. As a result, an entirely new plaza known as El Palomar is now restored and open to tourists.
Aside from El Palomar, several other structures have been restored, including a series of elite residential structures, steam baths, and religious temples.
However, as work is still ongoing at Uxmal, some sites that used to be accessible are currently off-limits, including the Casa Vieja complex.
Kabah
Major excavations are still currently underway in Uxmal, especially on the section to the west of the highway that bisects the ancient city.
Several of the structures still being worked on include what appear to be kitchens, civic plazas, and a never-restored pyramid roughly equal to the temple of the Magician in Uxmal.
Labná
Though no new areas of Labná have yet to be opened to the public, the site’s impressive monuments have all received a good deal of TLC over the past few years, making the city shine unlike it has in centuries.
Labná’s massive palace complex is looking particularly spectacular these days, with its remarkably preserved rain god masks brought back to much of their former splendor.
Sayil
Aside from the beauty of its architecture, Sayil is special for the several jungle paths open to exploration. Even more of these paths have been opened to the public, which is fantastic as aside from their natural beauty they lead to some truly remarkable Maya structures.
Sayil’s jungle paths are extremely fun to wander around. Just make sure to keep your wits about yourself and avoid tripping on roots or other hazards.
If it were not for the great signage at Sayil, getting lost would be quite easy, but fortunately, recent renovations have taken the guesswork of where to go … unless you wander off the established paths.
Chacmultún
Because it is the most distant from Uxmal, Chacmultún is the least visited of the Puuc region’s sites. But make no mistake, Chacmultún is well worth the effort.
Chacmultún is also rather special as surrounding its structures, people continue to live and farm much the way they have for thousands of years.
Oxkintok
Surrounded by soft rolling hills and many caves, Oxkintok lay to the north of Uxmal. Still, given some of its oddball architectural features, it is often not considered part of the official Puuc route, though it is.
Oxkintok is seen as an example of the transition from traditional Classic period architecture to the Puuc style. It is truly an interesting mix of early, late and terminal classic techniques. The Puuc influence is the most immediately apparent with the use of corbel arches and stone-carved geometric designs.
Many people heading out to Oxkintok decide to also check out the Calcetok caves, located just five minutes east. Just keep in mind that the Calcetok caves can be grueling to explore as they require visitors to move through on all fours at several points. If you are up for it, bring old clothes you don’t mind ruining.
If you go
One thing to keep in mind, especially if visiting Labná or Sayil is that because new facilities like bathrooms are still under construction, the closest public restroom is all the way in Kabah or the nearby town of Santa Elena.
Several more off-the-beaten-path sites in the region, including Xcoch, Mulchic, Aktún Usil, Sacbé, and Muna Sur, lay in the region’s surrounding countryside. But remember, these sites are not officially open to the public, so if you plan to go, it’s best to do so with the permission of a local ejidatario (farmer) who knows his or her way around.
If you are looking for a guided tour of these or any other ancient sites in the Yucatán feel free to drop us an email.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
