Have Yourself a Mayan Little Christmas

I think a lot of our friends and family think we are “full-time tourists”.  And although we do get to see and experience a lot, most of our time is spent doing rather mundane ‘life’ things. This has been especially true here in Mérida.

Thus, we were excited for the arrival of our beloved friends, Andrew and Michael- both to see them and to put our tourist hats back on and go exploring.  Having read extensively about Mayan culture and archeology, I was very excited to get to some of the most historic sites in the Yucatán. Thankfully, we lucked out with a guide. We found Raul on the Tours by Locals website, and we were so grateful that we had him lead us.

Many of us were taught in school that Mayan is an extinct culture. Living in the Yucatán these past three months has proven to us how untrue that is. Our guide Raul is Mayan, and his insight, knowledge, and reverence for the places we visited proves not only how rich the culture was, but how rich it continues to be.

December 20^th:  Chichén Itzá

Even if it wasn’t overrun with crowds (which it was), one could tell immediately upon arrival that Chichén Itzá was an important place- even if one doesn’t know much about Mayan history. The founding of the city dates back to 300 BCE (+/-), but it really reached its peak between 800 and 1200 CE. The first half of that time it existed as many other major Mayan cities did, led by a ruling family. But later in its peak, the city was taken over by top military leaders and was governed as a military city-state. Regardless of who was in charge, over that 400-year period it served as a political, religious, and economic center.

Walking through the site, what stands out is how organized and intentional everything feels. There are temples, plazas, a massive ceremonial ball court, and buildings thought to be used for governance, astronomy, and daily life. The Mayan were highly skilled engineers and astronomers, and that shows up everywhere—from how the buildings are aligned with the sun, to the way sound carries across the open spaces. It’s impressive not because it’s flashy, but because it’s so precise and purposeful.

What makes Chichén Itzá especially interesting is that it reflects a mix of cultures. Over time, influences from central Mexico blended with local Mayan traditions, resulting in some structures and carvings looking different from what you see at other Mayan sites. Another fascinating thing is how evident the different epochs of the city are. It’s a city that lasted almost 1500 years, and it’s obvious that it is a city that evolved, adapted, and mattered deeply to the people who lived there.

After several hours at the site, Raul took us to the Yokdzonot Cenote, to cool off. A cenote is a natural sinkhole formed when limestone collapses, exposing groundwater and creating a freshwater pool. There are over 10,000 cenotes in the Yucatán. It's believed that this vast network was created millions of years ago by a meteor impact.

December 24^th:  Uxmal and the Puuc Trail

Even though it was also a major city, Uxmal (pronounced USH-mal) is quieter and more refined than Chichén Itzá. Located in the Puuc region of the Yucatán, it reached its height around 700 to 1000 CE. Unlike cities that grew through outside influence or conquest, Uxmal seems very deliberately planned, as if aesthetics and balance really mattered to the people who built it. From the moment you enter, the buildings feel cohesive, almost elegant, rather than overwhelming.

What immediately stands out at Uxmal is the architecture. The structures are lower and wider than those at Chichén Itzá, but they’re richly decorated with detailed stone mosaics—especially the repeated masks of Chaac, the rain god. Water was scarce in this region, so rain was essential to survival, and that dependence is literally carved into the walls. The Pyramid of the Magician, with its unusual rounded shape and steep sides, anchors the site and gives it a slightly mysterious, almost storybook quality.  Its rounded style is still a part of the traditional architecture, reflected in the roof lines of village houses in the region.

Uxmal feels…. Expensive. It seems like a giant Santa Barbara to Chichén Itzá’s Los Angeles (it’s believed Uxmal’s population topped out around 25,000 to Chichén Itzá’s around 50,000-plus). As we walked through courtyards and palace buildings, it was obvious to me that it was a city focused on governance and ceremony. For us, Uxmal was a calmer, more contemplative experience—one that highlighted how varied and sophisticated Mayan cities could be, even within the same region.

Uxmal is the pinnacle example of the Puuc architectural style. Our visit there also included stops at four other sites: Kabah, Labná, Xlapak, and Sayil. With the exception of Xlapak (which was really more of a neighborhood of Labná), it’s believed these towns housed around 10,000 people, and were essentially suburbs of Uxmal. Like Uxmal, they display much of the Puuc architectural style, which features plain lower walls and highly decorated upper walls. (One exception was an elaborate building in Kabah, with over 80 faces displayed across the façade of the building).  Just as Uxmal was far less busy than Chichén Itzá, each of these smaller sites got less and less crowded- so that by the end, we were the only people at the final site.

These two days felt like a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I don’t think any of us were truly prepared for how magical and breathtaking these sites would be. We had originally planned on just doing one day of touring, but we were so glad we did both.