Maya Sites Travel Services - Tour of Tulum, Cobá, Chichen Itzá & Ek Balam

Day 1: At 8 am your driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel (any hotel between Cancun and Tulum) and take you to spectacular Tulum, the most visited of Mayan archeological sites. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, it is a photographer´s dream come true! Colorful iguanas bask lazily on rocks in the sun; gentle waves caress the shore. The pristine beach is so beautiful it is almost surreal. It is easy to imagine the ancient Maya landing at this bustling seaport with their canoes filled with trade goods

The Mayan ruins at Tulum have a number of interesting structures from the ancient Mayan world. Graceful columns and elegant carvings give one an appreciation for the architectural achievements of the Maya. Inside the Temple of the Frescoes are fantastic 13th century murals depicting ancient ceremonies. One of the few surviving images of the Mayan goddess of fertility and medicine, Ixchel, can be found here. Red paint still clings to the stucco on the outside of the temple. It is believed that at one time all the buildings in Tulum were painted red. After a guided tour you'll have time to explore on your own. Bring a swimsuit to swim or sun at Tulum´s gorgeous beach or shop for local crafts at one of the many shops at the entrance to the ruins.

After lunch you´ll continue on to Coba for an afternoon guided tour of these extensive ruins. You may explore the ruins by foot, bicycle or human-powered tricycle. Coba is situated in a lush natural setting filled with many species of animals, birds and butterflies and is a real nature lover´s delight. It is also home to the tallest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan. From its top you can see above the jungle canopy for miles in each direction. On these quiet and peaceful grounds it´s hard to imagine that Cobá may have once had the largest population of all the ancient Mayan cities. This vast Mayan archeological site dates from 600-900 A.D. and there were an estimated 100,000 people living in its domain. It was the heart of a large metropolis composed of many cities within the eastern Yucatan. Then on to the Villas Arqueologicas Hotel with excellent restaurant, pool & bar located near the archeological site in Chichen Itzá. After dinner you´ll attend the entertaining light and sound show at the ruins.

Day 2: By overnighting in Chichen Itza you'll beat the "big bus" crowds this morning while you visit majestic Chichen Itzá, the most famous of Mayan archeological sites and one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World". Chichen Itzá has numerous monuments for a visitor to explore. El Castillo, or the grand pyramid, has a staircase on all four sides, each with 91 steps that totalled with the last step on top equal the 365 days in a solar year. Other not to be missed destinations of this great ancient city are: the Main Ball Court, which is the largest discovered from the ancient Mayan world; the Sacred Well or Cenote, where archeologists have discovered a number of well-adorned skeletons of sacrificial victims; the Temple of the Skulls, with its numerous skulls adorning its facade; the Temple Of The Warriors, with its 1,000 columns dedicated to the warriors of Chichen Itzá; and the Caracol or Observatory. In the afternoon you'll explore "Old Chichen Itza". Overnight at Villas Arqueologicas Hotel in Chichen Itzá.

Day 3: This morning you visit one of the beautiful natural geological treasures of the Yucatan, Cenote Ik'Kil. Then you´ll make a visit to the charming and historically significant colonial city of Valladolid for lunch, shopping and sightseeing. After lunch we´ll continue on to Ek Balam, a newly uncovered Mayan archeological site with some very distinct features. The wonderfully preserved state of the sculptures and frescos Ek Balam are some of the most outstanding examples of the art of the ancient Maya. Some figures are winged, some in the meditative ¨lotus¨ position, one sits headless above the center of the "monster mouth". All are beautiful and exquisitely crafted. At the end of the day we´ll return you back to your coastal hotel.