HOW TO VISIT THE COBÁ ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA IN MEXICO

Those of theancient city of Coba They are the last Mayan ruins we visited on our trip through the Yucatan Peninsula, and perhaps because of that they were the ones we liked least. However, we recommend your visit if you are close, if only to contemplate the highest pyramid in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula: the 42-meter-high Nohoch Mul pyramid. In addition the enclosure has a couple of structures and the environment is very pleasant. In this guide we tell you how to visit the archaeological zone of Cobá, with practical information and advice.

The ancient Mayan city of Cobá is located halfway between Tulum and the all-powerful Chichen Itza, in an area surrounded by 5 lakes, which helped the development and subsistence of the city. However, its population is quite earlier than those cities. There is evidence that there was a human settlement as early as 100 BC, although it was between 500 and 900 of our era when Coba exercised its power throughout the region, being one of the largest Mayan cities of that time, with a population of about 55,000 inhabitants and an area of ​​70 square kilometers.

At its peak, it maintained commercial relations through the sacbes (white roads) with large developed centers such as Calakmul, Tikal (in Guatemala), or even the Aztecs of Teotihuacan. But from 900 Cobá entered into a hard dispute with Chichen Itza, from which he was defeated and began to lose political importance in the territory.

The city lasted until the fourteenth century, and at the time of the arrival of the Spanish Cobá was completely depopulated. Apparently, it is one of the few cities that kept the original Mayan name, "Cobá" means "murky water."

* Video from inah.gob.mx

After leaving the car in the parking lot and going through the ticket office, we start our journey through the archaeological zone of Cobá. The first thing we are going to find on our right is Grupo Cobá. with the Ball game and the Church Temple. We recommend you see its front face but also go through its back side, where you will see lush vegetation between the stone walls of the old buildings.

From here you will take the flat main road in the middle of the jungle to head towards its main building, the Nohoch Mul pyramid. You actually have the option of turning right towards the Las Pinturas group, although we leave it for the return.

On the way to the pyramid you will pass by another Ball game, less impressive than the first, but with a couple of curious elements: the skull on the ground and the reliefs of its walls.

Next and near here is the Oval Temple, one of the most curious we saw in a Mayan site. It has actually been restored, that's why it looks so beautiful. It is not a big building.

And now we will reach the Nohoch Mul pyramid. It is an imposing mass of stones 42 meters high, which rises in front of you to the sky and it is difficult to see the end. If when you visit it still allow you to climb to the top do not think about it, yes, be careful not to fall and take a few innocent people ahead of you, you will be in the news all over the world! Take your time, look carefully at the state of the steps where you put your foot, make stops if you see that you get tired, and let people who want to overcome you pass. You will see that it is not so complicated!

In the esplanade in front of it some are preserved stelae interesting. They are a kind of stone tombstones where they used to sculpt important facts of the upper class of society. Thanks to them they have been able to analyze the customs of the Mayan civilization.

Back, if you've left the group of paintings It's time to visit it. You have to take a path through the forest of about 500 meters to reach it. Then it splices again with the main path. There is another group of ruins a little further away than we did not go, the Macanxoc group.

To make the visit you can do it on foot, or by renting a bicycle at the entrance of the enclosure. The third option is to hire a guide who takes you on tricitaxi.

From the entrance to the pyramid of Nohoch Mul are about 1.5 km. In total, it took us about 2.5 hours to make the whole journey on foot, going quite a bit of traffic.

The total entry is from 75 pesos (option to pay by card for 35 extra pesos). The parking costs 50 pesos.

These are the most important buildings in Cobá:

Ball Game and the Church Temple

They are the most important buildings of the so-called Cobá Group (which has up to 43 structures). The Church Temple is one of the oldest in the entire site, being built between 300 and 600, and the second highest with 25 meters (after the great pyramid).

The Ball Game has two parallel walls, with a protruding base, and where you can still see the hoops where the teams had to enter the ball. These games were very common rituals in the Mayan world, and not always the winners took the best prize (sometimes their honor was death!).

Second Ball Game

It is one of the most beautiful Ball Games we saw, for its two peculiarities: the reliefs carved on its walls, which make reference to the built-in captives, and two stones placed in the central part of the hall, one in the shape of a skull and another the relief of a jaguar.

Oval Temple (or Xaibé)

It is a small stepped pyramid, with a front staircase that reaches the top, and with rounded corners. Its base is therefore semicircular.

Nohoch Mul pyramid

The name "Nohoch Mul" in Maya means "large mound", and they could not be more right: this 42-meter pyramid is the tallest of all the archaeological sites in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula (overall it is only surpassed by 50 meters of the structure II of Calakmul). It is a 7-level structure, with rounded sides, whose top is crowned by a temple of later construction. In the niches of this temple you can see the engraving of the image of a deity.

In front of the building, Stela 30, the best preserved of Cobá, was carved and was carved on November 30, 780.

Paintings set

They are the newest buildings on the premises and belong to the last era in which Cobá was occupied. We see first the remains of some altars and columns and behind the main building of the complex, a small pyramid with a temple on the top, which should have the interior decorated with wall paintings, hence the name. There are also several steles in the area and at the end of the road that joins the main road.

Here are some recommendations to enjoy 100% of your visit to the archaeological zone of Cobá:

- His schedule It is from 08:00 to 17:00, we arrived about 08:45 and there were already enough people. The first tourist buses (although few) have arrived, but above all people who did it for free. We don't want to imagine how it gets later. So you know, come very early!

- The parking It is quite large, we do not believe that there are problems to find a site. It costs 30 pesos.

- When we went (November 2018) you could climb to the pyramid of Nohoch Mul, but we understand that in a few months they will ban it. Although it is the best experience in Coba, if the steps can become dangerous, and we fully understand the decision.

- What to wear It is best to go with light and comfortable clothes, although most of the road is done in the shade, the heat and humidity can be brutal. So you know, bring sunscreen and water. The road is not difficult, so you can go perfectly in flip flops (however we recommend going with closed shoes or closed sandals).

- We recommend visiting for free (and once there, assess whether to rent a bike or do it on foot). But there is also the option ofhire a tour which picks you up in the Riviera Maya area (Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum) and also includes the visit of a cenote and buffet lunch.More information and reservation.

- More information on its official website.

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As you can see, the archaeological zone of Cobá is an ideal getaway if you are on vacation in the area of ​​the Riviera Maya, near Tulum and Playa del Carmen and a good example of an ancient Mayan city. We hope that with our Coba guide we solve some doubts of how to visit the archaeological zone of Cobá. And if you want to ask us something, you know, leave a comment!