As yet unrestored ancient artefacts in one of Mexico’s largest Maya archaeological sites
Once an important Maya city in the eighth and ninth centuries AD, the village of Cobá lies on either side of Lago Cobá, surrounded by dense jungle, 47 km inland from Tulum. It is a quiet, friendly village, with few tourists staying overnight. However, Cobá is becoming more popular as a destination for tourist buses, which come in at 1030; arrive before that to avoid the crowds and the heat (on the 0430 bus from Valladolid, if not staying in Cobá). Take insect repellent.
The entrance to the ruins of this large but little-excavated city is at the end of the lake between the two parts of the village. A second lake, Lago Macanxoc, is within the site. There are turtles and many fish in the lakes and it’s also an area good for birdwatching. Both lakes and their surrounding forest can be seen from the summit of the Iglesia, the tallest structure in the Cobá Group. There are three other groups of buildings to visit: the Macanxoc Group, mainly stelae, about 1½ km from the Cobá Group; Las Pinturas, 1 km northeast of Macanxoc, with a temple and the remains of other buildings that had columns in their construction; the Nohoch Mul Group, at least another kilometre from Las Pinturas. Nohoch Mul has the tallest pyramid in the northern Yucatán, a magnificent structure, from which the views of the jungle on all sides are superb. The delight of Cobá is in the architecture of the jungle, with birds, butterflies, spiders and lizards and the many uncovered structures that hint at the vastness of the city in its heyday (the urban extension of Cobá is put at some 70 sq km). An unusual feature is the network of sacbés (sacred roads), which connect the groups in the site and are known to have extended across the entire Maya Yucatán. Over 40 sacbés pass through Cobá, some local, some of great length, such as the 100-km road to Yaxuná in Yucatán state.
At the lake, toucans may be seen very early; also look out for mot-mots in the early morning. The guards at the site are very strict about opening and closing times so it is hard to get in to see the dawn or sunset from a temple.
The paved road into Cobá ends at Lago Cobá; to the left are the ruins, to the right Villas Arqueológicas. The roads around Cobá are badly potholed. It is possible to drive into the reserve from Tulum village as far as Punta Allen (58 km; the road is opposite the turning to Cobá; it is not clearly marked, and the final section is badly potholed); beyond that you need a launch. From the south it is possible to drive to Punta Herrero....
