Memorably set on a bluff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the ruins of Tulum are perhaps the most picturesque on the peninsula. The site itself is small and compact, and none of the surviving buildings are particularly large, but this doesn't make the place any less impressive.
The third ancient city which we visited on our trip along the Yucatán's Ruta Puuc was Sayil. Long since abandoned to the jungle, this extraordinary site is still paying silent testimony to the magnificence of the Maya civilization.
The lack of awe-inspiring temples on Cozumel belies its true importance to the Maya civilization. Home to the goddess Ix'Chel, the island was a sacred place of pilgrimage and a major center of commerce. We took a tour of Cozumel's main cluster of ruins at San Gervasio, in the center of the island, and learned more about the beliefs of this fascinating people.
