Chichén Itzá, Yucatán
Chichén Itzá is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Mayan culture. Among its main structures are the Castle "El Castillo", the Snail "El Caracol" (Mayan Observatory), the Temple of the Thousand Columns, the Ball Game. In the sacred cenote of Chichén Itzá, various offerings and bones were taken from the maidens and warriors sacrificed in honor of their gods.
Palenque, Chiapas
Palenque nestled in the state of Chiapas, among its most important buildings are the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, the Temple of Inscriptions and the Great Ball Court. The magnificent sculptures of Palenque tell us the story of the man who tries to understand and explain the universe. In the tomb of Pakal II, we find the famous stela (stone or wooden slab) that is associated with an astronaut in a spaceship, but for many experts it is the tree of life is portrayed, pointing the roots towards the underworld that was mysterious and attractive for the Mayans.
Tajín, Veracruz
Tajin and its pyramid of the Niches is one of the prettiest pre-Hispanic buildings and representatives of the Totonaca culture are located in the state of Veracruz. Its niches, murals, reliefs and various ball games its tell us about the history of the place that also is known as the city of the smoking temples since copal was constantly burned in its buildings .
Montealbán, Oaxaca
Montealbán is a beautiful vestige of the Zapotec and Mixtec city culture founded around 500 BC. C. at the top of a hill between the central valleys of Oaxaca only at 10 km from the current city of Oaxaca. Among its main structures we find the Dancers Building and the South Platform as well as the Ball Game. In the esplanade called Gran Plaza the merchants were located to set up the market.
Uxmal, Yucatán
The archaeological zone of Uxmal is one of the maximum exponents of the route Puuc (route that connected the ancient Mayan cities of Kabah, Sayil, Labná and Xlapak). Among the main buildings of Uxmal we find the imposing Pyramid of "El Adivino" The Fortuneteller, the mystic Quadrangle of the Nuns and the House of Doves "La Casa de las Palomas" nestled in the Yucatan jungle. As well as the masks of Chaac (god of the rain) and his stela's with hieroglyphics they enlighten us important facts about the city.
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Tulum is a walled city and sacred site for the Mayans that draws its silhouette of beautiful geometric shapes on the edge of a cliff, in front of the turquoise colors of the Caribbean Sea and that despite being so close to the sea. "Zamá" Maya name of Tulum that means sunrise, and has murals and structures in very good condition, like El Castillo "The Castle", on the highest part of the cliff, sculptures of the god Chaac, the god of rain, and the temple of the frescoes in whose corners can also be seen masks of Chaac.
Bonampak, Chiapas
In the Acropolis of Bonampak, there is Building one and its three rooms inside which you can see the famous mural paintings that houses Bonampak, and that are of greater historical importance to be the most representative and best preserved in the Mayan world. Through their numerous studies they have been able to provide key elements to know and understand more of this, magnificent and important pre-Hispanic civilization.
Calakmul, Campeche
Calakmul and its splendid palace that dominates the jungle and its blanket of fog at sunrise. This beautiful archaeological site is located in the middle of the biosphere reserve of the same name "Calakmul" and which is surrounded by the flora and fauna of the region. Calakmul has captured its history in its stela's and in the beautiful mural paintings (they are not open to the public yet as they are being prepared to be exhibited). Its extensive ceremonial plazas and places destined for the homes of the inhabitants can be traveled as well as climbing to its main pyramid.
Ek Balam, Yucatán
A magnificent Mayan arch welcomes Ek Balam and its Acropolis, which contains one of the most impressive examples of the stucco work carried out by the Maya. That palace was built as a tomb for one of its kings, whose interior contains a ramp that was used by its rulers to ascend to the top of the palace without being seen by the people. In one of the main doors the jaws of a jaguar adorn its entrance and humans with wings like angels, protect Ek Balam that its name in Maya means Star-Jaguar.
Coba, Quintana Roo
Coba is a Mayan city quite extensive, among its main buildings is Nohoch mul is the highest pyramid and its impressive and well-preserved game of ball, from the top of the pyramid (when allowed to climb) tou can observe freshwater lagoons that used the Mayas to supply themselves and the centenary trees that grew on the structures, endowing them with an overwhelming air. The stela's of Coba tell us the Coba's story in the Mayan world.
Dzibilchaltún, Yucatán
The archaeological site of Dzibilchaltún houses its most famous structure the pyramid of the Seven Dolls, the ruins of an open Spaniard chapel of the sixteenth century and a cenote Xlacah, in which it is possible to bathe as well as a museum, which contains many Mayan artifacts , stela's, as well as inscriptions of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal sites, an armor of the conquistadores, Mayan dresses representative of Chiapas, Yucatan and Guatemala and original fragments of a colonial church. At the equinox of spring and autumn at sunrise the sun can be seen through the east and west gates. The temple is connected to the rest of the site by a long sacbé. Dzibilchaltún in Maya that means "Old town".
Yaxchilán, Chiapas
The access to the archaeological zone of Yaxchilán is through the Usumacinta river in a boat with motor and in its buildings they emphasize the Acropolis, the Labyrinth neither the Game of Ball, but their texts found in their stela's, altars and lintels, narrate the history of that city state, with everything and its warlike conflicts, its alliances and the exploits of its governors. From the top of one of the tallest buildings in Chiapas archeology, it is possible to see the Guatemalan Petén another area where the Mayan culture flourished and the serpentine Usumacinta River witnessed the Mayan splendor.
Chacchoben, Quintana Roo
Chacchoben means in Mayan, the place of the colored corn and it was one of the most important settlements of the zone of the lakes of the Mayan world that began to be populated before the arrival of Christ 200 B.C. Among its buildings, there is a large "pyramid" temple that welcomes the Archaeological Zone and two stela's, but there are still places to explore. Also it is possible to emphasize its fauna and vegetation since it is surrounded by underground rivers typical of the region that its exits to the surface we know them with the name of cenotes.
Comalcalco, Tabasco
Comalcalco was an important commercial city to the west of the Mayan world, its trade extended to the north of Mexico and Central America, its merchants well known for the cultivation of cocoa that until now is one of the most fruitful economic activities, and created a beautiful city. The North Plaza, the Acropolis and the Tomb of the Nine Lords are some of the main buildings and create an astonish contrast to the green vegetation with grayish tones and walls with yellowish tones.
Mitla, Oaxaca
Mitlan city of Mixtec and Zapotec origin, also known as "place of the dead" its meaning in Nahuatl, has beautiful facades made of limestone mosaics that form fretwork and other decorative motifs and monolithic columns for structural and decorative purposes. After the fall of Monte Albán it was the most important site in Oaxaca and has five sets of monumental architecture and a church (the church of San Pablo) on one of its main palaces, its stones were obtained from the destruction of other structures and pre-Hispanic temples, common activity in times of the colony.
Teotihuacán, State of Mexico
One of the most representative archaeological sites in Mexico is undoubtedly Teotihuacán, which in Nahuatl means the city of the gods. Among its main structures we will find the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, the Citadel, the Causeway of the Dead, the Temple of the Plumed Serpent, which gives its privileged location in a valley rich in natural resources. Teotihuacán was an economic center , political, religious and cultural of the time for diverse cultures that occupied this sacred city.
Cholula, Puebla
Cholula is well known for its church of "La Virgen de los Remedios" on a mountain "pyramid" whose base of 450 square meters and the Popocatépetl as majestic background, for it the Spaniards destroyed the ancient temples and prehispanic buildings for their stones to build churches, that in the region of Cholula and Puebla there are more than 300 temples. But Cholula also has the archaeological zone of Tlachihualteptl (hill made by hand in Nahuatl) with well preserved murals and the pyramid on which the church is built and has one of the largest bases in all Mesoamerica, being the Toltec's its builders.
Tula, Hidalgo
Tula is well known for its giant or atlantics that are tall sculptures that represent warriors who looked after this ancient and important commercial city of all Mesoamerica, where products from other latitudes such as Chiapas and Guatemala. Cocoa, jaguar skins, precious metals, jade and ceramics were marketed also them controlled the turquoise trade and their occupation began to happen at the same time that Teotihuacán began its decline. The Ball Games and its undulating snake rings as well as The Burnt Palace are structures that you should not miss as well as its spectacular Tula giants.
Cantona, Puebla
Cantona commercial rival of Teotihuacán, is considered the most urbanized city of pre-Hispanic Mexico, with 24 constructions for the sacred game of ball, more than 500 streets and thousands of residential patios as well as its causeways of more than one kilometer in length. So far they have been discovered, which shows the great importance of this site. Because of its privileged position, it controlled the trade between the center and the Gulf slope, goods that had to reach that city, which contributed to its decline as well as a climate change that dried up the lands and forced them to emigrate.
Cacaxtla, Tlaxcala
Cacaxtla houses murals in its Gran Basamento that could be confused with those of Bonampak for its aesthetic, in one of the most striking the scene of a battle between Olmec jaguar warriors and Huastec bird men. Cacaxtla has different ceremonial buildings and priestly homes. This city fortified with walls and defensive pits for the areas inhabited by its elite became a hegemonic city in the Puebla-Tlaxcala area after the fall of Cholula.
Xochicalco, Morelos
Xochicalco was one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica after the fall of Tenochtitlán, among the buildings are the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Feathered Serpents and in the central square, the South Ball Game. Loss moats and walls tell us the warmongering of an era where each city wanted to control their own territory and protect their civic, housing and religious buildings.
Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán
Ciudad Tarasca whose name is associated with the hummingbird, a bird of great importance for both the Mexicas and Tarascans, the latter being a parallel culture in relevance to the Mexica and whose domain extended from the Lerma River to the Balsas and which without being as warlike as the Mexicas if they infringed important defeats to the empire of the triple alliance which could never penetrate their lands. In the city of Tzintzuntzan stands out the sobriety and austerity that contrasts with the ornamentation of the temples that the Spaniards had the Tarascans built.
Paquimé, Chihuahua
Paquimé is located in the state of Chihuahua in the north of the country, being one of the few archaeological sites in northern Mexico. Its labyrinthine adobe constructions remained as a reminder of the architectural and commercial richness in the Chihuahuas Desert, thanks to its water distribution system and animal breeding sites such as turtles, parakeets and macaws among others, to elaborate shell and copper feather crafts.
La Campana, Colima
La Campana is located between the Colima and Pereira rivers and is one of the few archaeological sites located in northern Mexico, since despite having little rain during the year, entering between the rivers, it assured them the supply of water through of its network of drainage and distribution of water, which tells us about an advanced hydraulic engineering, in its circular or quadrangular buildings it is possible to appreciate a Ball Game and innumerable hieroglyphics, and is so named because before the excavation, the hill seemed a bell for its trapezoidal shape.
La Quemada, Zacatecas
La Quemada is located in the Municipality of Villanueva, in the state of Zacatecas and is an archaeological zone that was the point of origin and rest of the Nahua migrations that arrived from the north to the center of Mexico. In the place there is a large Hall of Columns with its square, a large court for the ball game and a basement of the Votiva pyramid and the rest of the hill was adequate with large terraces to level and build several squares and large halls.
Tamtoc, San Luis Potosí
Tamtoc is a primordial archaeological site for the Huastec culture, its buildings with circular base with rounded corners take us to know the economic activities of Tamtoc, such as bean and corn agriculture, hunting and fishing, as well as the carving and work of obsidian, flint, gold, basalt and copper among other minerals. Its inhabitants were also mainly engaged in astronomy and hydraulic engineering.
La Ferrería, Durango
La Ferrería Durango is located in the Guadiana Valley, being one of its most important settlements. This ancient city has more than twenty religious structures, housing, pyramids, courtyards, and evidence of astronomical observation. La Ferrería used canals to evacuate rainwater and in the House of the Leaders "La Casa de los Dirigentes" their original drains are preserved. In the area are located several engraved rocks that tell stories of daily life, hunting scenes and fertility rituals as well as a representation of the birth of the sun, among others.