Private visit to the ruins of Xel-Ha - an amazing Mayan site in Mexico

Private visit to the ruins of Xel-Ha - an amazing Mayan site in Mexico

Thousands of tourists visit the famous Xel-Ha Park in eastern Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula every year, but few are interested in the area's historic Mayan city ruins.

The garden is a natural aquarium that was built about 10 years ago as a tourist attraction and is located on the edge of the sea in a very exotic setting. The lake within the park is one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots on the peninsula, with crystal clear waters rich in multicolored fish of various species. Even today, after being visited by many tourists, the lake still has pure water.

However in the area, there is a lesser attraction visited by tourists coming to the water park, but of great historical interest. It is the ancient archaeological site of Xel-Ha whose name in the Mayan language means "son of water".

In ancient times Xel-Ha was one of the most important ports of Maya Coba among others such as Tulum and Tancah. Some of its ruins date back to the classic period of the Mayan civilizations, from the third to the sixth centuries AD.

After being abandoned for centuries during which time it was simply taken over by the jungle, the site of Xel-Ha was discovered by explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1841. They described the voyage on the peninsula in the famous book Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan.

Some of the ruins have since been rebuilt but most of them still remain under the massive vegetation of the jungle.

Compared to other ancient sites on the peninsula, Xel-Ha is relatively small. It consists of only three groups of structures so it can be visited in about an hour. By accessing the site, you have the opportunity to go in two different directions. To the left, the main road leads to the Palace Ensemble, where you will find two ancient structures: the Mercado and the Palacio. Both structures date back to the ancient classical period (1200-1500 years).

The path to Mercado goes further to the Pyramid of Birds. This is the oldest building in Xel-Ha dating from 300 to 600 AD. The reason it is still so well preserved is that it was covered by a new structure. As the building's exterior deteriorated, the ancient pyramid came to the surface revealing murals that have been amazingly preserved to this day.

The Jaguar House is the best-preserved building in the entire Xel-Ha site, and archaeologists came to this conclusion by studying the frescoes on one of its walls. The building has two intact columns in front and the interior walls have been painted. Although the paint and plaster are in very good condition, interior access has been restricted in recent years to keep the frescoes intact.

Also worth noting are the amazing vesicles (ancient Mayan way) that connect the area of ​​the Mercado Jaguar House. Archaeologists believe that this bag had the role of connecting Xel-Ha to the shore on one side and Koba on the other side.

There is also an interesting fountain on the archaeological site, very close to the Jaguar House. Stop for a few minutes here to admire the green, full of birds.

How to get to the archaeological site Xel-Ha :

The site is located just off Highway 307, which connects Cancun and Tulum. Xel-Ha is 122 kilometers from Cancun. When you see the Xel-Ha Park sign, look closely to the right and head toward the ticket office in the ancient Mayan city.