Uxmal

Uxmal is where Maya architecture goes refined: the great city of the Puuc hills, flourishing roughly between 600 and 1000 AD and inscribed by UNESCO in 1996, traded raw mass for facades of astonishing precision. The Pyramid of the Magician rises around 35 metres on a unique oval footprint, its steep faces rounded like something poured rather than stacked, while the Nunnery Quadrangle wraps a courtyard in stone lattice, serpents and rain-god masks. Finest of all is the Governor's Palace, its long facade a continuous mosaic of thousands of cut stones ranked among the supreme achievements of pre-Hispanic America. Chaac, the hook-nosed rain god, repeats obsessively - logical in hill country with no cenotes, where rain was life. Compared with Chichen Itza the site is calm, and the Puuc route continues to Kabah and smaller ruins through quiet forest.

Highlights

• The Pyramid of the Magician - the steep oval pyramid of legend.
• The Nunnery Quadrangle - four lattice-carved facades around a court.
• The Governor's Palace - the mosaic facade, masterpiece of the Maya world.
• The Chaac masks - the rain god stacked corner upon corner.

When to go

November to April for drier, cooler days - though the Yucatan is always hot, and arriving at opening beats both heat and tour timing. Summer brings humidity and afternoon storms.

What to expect

The heat is real and shade is scarce - water and an early start are essential. Climbing the Magician pyramid is not allowed, though parts of the site remain more accessible than Chichen Itza's roped monuments. Vendors are few; facilities are simple - Merida is an hour away.

Nearby

The Puuc route ruins of Kabah and Sayil, the Loltun caves and colonial Merida.

Key facts