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Get to know the main attractions of the Puuc Route

2023-01-24 | merida

If you are staying at the Mérida hotels, you must take the Puuc Route, a journey to the Maya past and the origins of Mexican culture before the European conquest; in general, it is a set of monuments that are connected through a tourist passage and where you will be immersed in sacred territories that marked the development and outcome of one of the most prosperous cultures in Latin America.

This tour begins about 80 kilometers south of the boutique hotels in Mérida, so it is almost mandatory that it is on your to-do list for your next trip to the Yucatan capital. So, to give you a clear idea of what you will find on this route, we have prepared this article with the highlights of each of the points of interest in the archaeological zone of Uxmal, with temples, observatories, villages, caves, and more.

General recommendations for the Puuc route.

The best way to begin this tour is to stay in the historical center hotels in Mérida, which are located at a strategic point to start the Puuc route; from here, you have several possibilities, but it is advisable to do it a few at a time, that is, visiting one or two monuments a day to enjoy them and not worry about lodging, since you will always be near the Hotel Künük.

As for transportation, there are several options; if you have your own or rented vehicle, the Puuc route is accessible for cars, although if this is not your case, you can always use the urban transportation of the areas you visit; remember that Mérida is the capital of Yucatán, so finding one that will take you to these important archaeological sites is not something complicated.

What's on the Puuc route?

Uxmal.

After Chichen Itza, this is the most important archaeological zone in Yucatán and Mexico; it is a complex of ancient buildings that constituted some of the most important for the Maya. Among the most outstanding is the Temple of the Soothsayer, the quadrangle of the nuns, and the Governor's Palace, all of great size since they represented significant political, scientific, and social power spaces.

This area is the one that gives its name to the route since it is built right next to small hills that in Mayan were known as "Puuc"; besides, it is the most important of the region.

Kabah.

It is located 25 minutes southeast of Uxmal and is characterized by being one of the largest in terms of its built area; made of carved stones, it is currently divided because of a road that crosses the archaeological site. Its most prominent building is the Codz Pop and directly connects with Uxmal since roads connect these two citadels.

Currently, it is close to Ticul and Santa Elena, two towns that stand out for their large number of buildings, restaurants, and handicrafts, which will allow you to take a short detour to eat or take a souvenir of your trip through the Puuc route in two of its most important archaeological sites.

“this is the most important archaeological zone in Yucatán and Mexico”

Sayil.

If the previous one was the enormous citadel, in this case, we find the one with the highest population density since it is estimated that at least 20,000 people lived simultaneously in this city. However, despite its large capacity, life in this place was not easy because its geographical location did not allow them to be supplied with water by wells as was common in other areas, so they had to have the ingenuity to make cisterns.

Labná.

Loltún Caves.

It is worth mentioning that in the Puuc route that starts at the Mérida hotels, not only cities and human constructions are visited, but there is also room for the natural wonders that the Maya communities used as a refuge and religious activities. This is the case of the Loltún Caves, where cave art has been found, and a vault known as La Catedral that forms interesting light effects as the sun enters through the cavities.

Ecomuseum of Cacao.

A little more modern, in the town of Ticul is this museum that will take you to know the history of cocoa and how the treatment of this bean is an essential part of the Maya culture and its development as one of the largest in Latin America. Overall, it is a building with an ecological touch, full of gardens with native flowers, where organic chocolate production is evident.

You should know this about the Puuc route, but if you want to live the most enchanting experience, stay at the Mérida Hotels, where we will give you luxury accommodations and rescue at every opportunity the cultural values of Yucatán.