Far from an ordinary Maya city, Uxmal Archeological Site displays buildings that are works of art. The exquisitely designed properties are decorated with detailed patterns and figurines. A visit to both Uxmal as well as the yellow city of Izamal, make great day trips from the city of Mérida.
Uxmal Archeological Site
Set deep in the Yucatan jungle, about an hour from Mérida, is the very pretty Maya site of Uxmal. The detailing on their buildings makes the site stand out amongst all of the other Maya ruins. It has more than earned its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The architectural style in this thousand-year-old city is called Puuc. It was a new type of construction in Mesoamerica where concrete was used to make walls instead of large stones found in other cities. The concrete was then inlaid with thinly cut strips of stone in a variety of decorative geometric patterns. In addition to these designs, sculptures of gods, mythic beings and animals adorn the outer walls of the single story buildings. Uxmal is one of only four known Maya cities that used this Puuc architectural style, so we felt honoured to visit this one.
Puuc is the Mayan word for hill. There are not many hills in Yucatan, but the Mayas found one and built a Uxmal on it.
Although the city was originally founded in ancient times by the Xiues tribe, it wasn’t until 600 AD, when it became an important centre. Around 850 AD the city grew substantially and there was an increase in construction. At that time the city had a population of up to 25,000. Similar to nearby Chichen Itza, the Mayan city was invaded by the Toltec people around 1000 AD. These new residents affected some of the designs and even deities seen in the buildings. By the 14th century, Uxmal was abandoned, likely due to drought.
Uxmal is pronounced oosh-mawl and it is a fantastic site to explore. Here are some of our favourites spots in the site.
Quadrangle of the Birds
The first buildings we saw were set in a quadrangle around an open grassy lawn. These were our first introduction to Puuc designs. Quadrangle of the Birds (Plaza de los Pájaros) received its name from the bird sculptures on the buildings’ walls. In addition to these birds, the walls have stone lattice designs and interesting columnar shapes, often called rolled mats.
Another design feature in these buildings are their arched entryways. They are not usually found in Maya construction and are called false arches, or Maya arches, because they are not supported by keystones.
Pyramid of the Fortune Teller
Immediately above the Quadrangle of the Birds is one of the most unique pyramid we’ve ever seen. Pyramid of the Fortune Teller (La Casa del Adivinot) has rounded corners giving it an almost elliptical shape. Construction of the pyramid began in the 600s and was built onto for the next 400 years. In fact, the name Uxmal means ‘built three times’ in reference to the rebuilding of this pyramid.
The most fascinating part of the pyramid is the intricate details on top of the 35 m tall structure. The Puuc style temple with detailed stone work is very striking. Like most Maya pyramids, the temple would have been the site of rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices performed by priests.
Quadrangle of the Nuns
One of the most stunning examples of Puuc architecture can be seen in the Quadrangle of Nuns (Cuadrangulo de las Monjas). The name was given to it by the Spanish who thought it looked like a convent. Similar to Quadrangle of the Birds, this one has four low level buildings around an open area.
These stone buildings are richly ornamented in exquisite lattice work designs made from thin strips of stone. In addition to these details are a wide array of 3D carvings of owls, turtles, warriors, monkeys and the planet of Venus. The heads seem to be poking right through the concrete walls.
Unlike most Yucatan Mayan cities, there were no natural cenotes around Uxmal for fresh water. To make up for this, in Uxmal they built cisterns to collect rain water. The people of Uxmal relied on agriculture therefore rain was critically important to them. Masks of Chaac, the rain god, can be found on many of the buildings in Uxmal. They are often on the corners of buildings where the elephant-like nose can be seen. There are also masks of Tlaloc who was rain god in other parts of Mesoamerica. Researchers believe this deity may have been brought by the Toltecs.
The last picture below is of a mask of Chaac that we saw in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
There are also a few masks of Kukulcan, Maya’s feathered serpent. The deity is called Quetzalcoatl in other parts of Mesoamerica and was likely introduced to the Maya by the Toltec people around the 10th century. The Mayas adopted the deity, and renamed it Kukulcan. In Maya culture, Kukulcan became very important as the creator god who represents the sky and the underworld. The deity connects the physical world with the spiritual world. This is another example of how much exchange there was between the Mesoamerican cultures. We saw a different version on the feathered serpent in Teotihuacan. You can see that image here.
Governor’s Palace
Another pretty building in Uxmal is the Governor’s Palace. Located on top of the small hill, the palace is a long, single story building with a frieze of intricate stone designs wrapped around its top. With recessed doorways and a balance in the layout it is said to be the most aesthetically pleasing building in Uxmal.
In front of the palace is a double-headed cougar throne. The cougar represents royal lineage in Mayan culture and this stone was used for sacrifices.
House of Turtles
Beside the palace is a cute building with turtle sculptures decorating the roof. Turtles were associated with the rain god Chaac.
Pigeon House
The interesting roof of Pigeon House (El Palomar) catches your eye. It reminded archeologists of dovecotes, which is how it got its name. Not much is left of the building other than the interesting roof which is likely why not much is known about its use. It did remind us of the dovecotes we saw in Cappadocia.
Sacred Tree Ceiba
Ceiba trees were sacred to the Mayans because the represent the three cosmic levels: heaven, earth and the underworld. A legend about this Ceiba tree in Uxmal says that the king used the tree to test a ‘dwarf’s’ wisdom. The king asked him how many fruits are on the tree. The dwarf replied that there are ten times one hundred thousand, plus three times seventy, plus three times three. Then he said to the king, if you don’t believe me you can climb the tree and count them yourself.
Another legend surrounds this ‘dwarf’. This one is about the main pyramid. Legend says that the dwarf built the pyramid overnight. Even stranger, the dwarf is said to have been hatched from an egg. (Note the legend uses the word ‘dwarf’, so we chose not to alter it.)
Ball Court
Like most Mesoamerican cities Uxmal has a ball court. It is not a large one, but the hoops are still in quite good condition. We could even still see hieroglyphics carved into them. Like most Mayan Ball Games it was used by the leaders to humiliate warrior captives and to increase their prestige. The ball court is just below the Quadrangle of the Nuns which gives it a nice setting.
How to get to Uxmal
Its not a bad drive to reach the site located 80 km south of Mérida. Traffic in the city will be your biggest headache. If you prefer to take a bus, they leave ADO Central Terminal 3 times a day (6am, 8 am, and noon; except Tuesday when there is one bus at 9am). Buses return to Mérida twice a day (3 and 5 pm). There is also a colectivo that arrives at the Uxmal bus stop at 2:55 pm. The bus isn’t usually on time and arrives between 3 and 4 pm so if you don’t have a return ticket you can take the colectivo. It’s a good business for the colectivo driver so I’m sure he’s there everyday. The colectivo drops you off at Parque San Juan in Mérida.
Izamal
Another great day trip from Mérida is Izamal. Since it is nicknamed Yellow City, it was no surprise that Izamal’s centre is filled with yellow buildings. Street after street are lined by brightly painted yellow homes including City Hall. Why are they yellow? No one really knows. It may be a tribute to Maya Sun God, or maybe it’s to keep the mosquitos away.
This city does well to live up to its stature as a Pueblo Magico.
Parque Itzamna is the main square and has low roofed yellow buildings on three of its sides. If you want a different experience in the city, you can hire horse drawn carriages in the square. We felt sorry for the poor horses though. They were dressed in ridiculous outfits and had to work in the searing heat.
The show stopper though, is the grand 16th century San Antonio de Padua Convent. This massive yellow building almost looks like a palace overlooking the city’s two squares. At the top of the ramp is a large grassy atrium. It is the second largest atrium in the world behind San Pedro in the Vatican. Unfortunately, they did nothing with this large space so its a bit of an eye-sore. Around its edge are three galleries each with their own arched pillars. The main church takes most of the attention. It must have been very grand in its day, but today it looks like it needs another coat of yellow paint.
It is free to enter the church but the rest of the convent is a museum with a 5 pesos entry fee. It is very small and only has a few ceremonial habits on display.
Kinich Kak Moo Pyramid
Izamal was an important Mayan city until the 16th century. Originally there were six pyramids and a ceremonial plaza in the city. Unfortunately we’ll never see most of them because Spanish colonial buildings were built on top of these Mayan monuments. Two of the pyramids are still standing though. We visited Kinich Kak Moo Pyramid (400-600 AD). There’s not much left of it today, but from its top you have a nice view of the yellow town.
How to get to Izamal
If you have a car it is an easy 1 hour drive from Mérida. Otherwise Oriente buses leave from Noreste Terminal in Mérida a few times a day.
Mérida
Mérida is the capital of Yucatan State. Its moniker is The White City, although we didn’t see many white buildings. It was apparently based on the white limestone that was used to build the homes.
Some people seem to love Mérida, but it is not nearly as nice as other colonial cities we’ve visited and is a little worn around the edges. The buildings haven’t been well maintained and it’s not as clean as other cities. Litter swirls around the streets and sidewalks, but at least that means there’s a breeze in this steamy jungle city.
It was built as a walled city and you can still find a few of the old gates.
Plaza Grande, the main square, is a busy meeting place. The largest building is Cathedral of San Ildefonso. On the other side a large clock tower on City Hall seems to be competing with the church for attention. Along the edge is Casa de Montejo, said to be the oldest building in the city.
To give the city credit, there are a few grand old buildings that likely made this city lovely in its heyday.
Getting to Mérida
As the capital of the state of Yucatan, it is very easy to reach Mérida. It has an airport and busy bus station and is connected to the rest of the Yucatan peninsula by ADO buses.
Where to Eat and Stay in Mérida
This capital city has many choices for food and accommodations for all budgets. Find a hotel near Plaza Grande as this is where the majority of restaurants are located.
Remember, Mérida is on MST zone, whereas the rest of Yucatan Peninsula is on CST.
Safety in Mérida
While the streets around the main plaza are safe, there are a few questionable neighbourhoods not far away. It is safe to walk during the day, but take extra precautions at night.
To read more of our adventures in Mexico, click here.
Coming Next – Explore The Wonders Of Chichen Itza
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