Day Trips from Xcalak – Muyil
Overview
A bit of a misnomer as this is a ruin that is just south of Tulum. So it is more of a stop on the way driving from Cancun, or on your way back than a day trip. It is a smaller site. Compared to Tulum, or Coba, the two large ruins nearby. The advantage is that it is less crowded. If you get 30-40 tour buses of your best friends at Tulum and 20-30 tour buses at Coba, you may find another handful of people at Muyil. Muyil is one of the oldest and longest inhabited areas on the Yucatan, having artifacts dated as old as 350 BC and as recent as 1500 AD.
Our Visit
Muyil is located about 15 KM south of Tulum. So as you are driving south from Tulum, you will drive right by it. It is the first town with topes south of Tulum. There is a small parking lot and a ticket booth. The highlight of the site is the main pyramid in the Peten style with steep sides and narrowly pitched stairs. In the past they have allowed people to climb it but recently they have roped off the pyramids to protect them. Since it is a smaller site it is a great ruin to take smaller children to as it doesn’t take a long time to get around, and there are enough interesting things to see. The thing that I liked about it, is if you look into the jungle off the path, you can see mounds with trees growing out of them, that you know are unexcavated buildings. There is a lot more to discover here.
Don’t Miss
The main pyramid. It is a lot smaller than say Coba or Chichen itza but has an interesting style and architecture.
