These Mayan ruins near Cancun are off the beaten path, yet super close by and away from crowds.
Obviously some of the biggest draws of traveling to Cancun are for the INCREDIBLE beaches and sunny weather. Those are pretty much a given.
There’s another attraction too though – and that’s the chance to see some history in the form of ancient Mayan Ruins. I mean, you can’t say that having the opportunity to see pyramids in Mexico isn’t a pretty cool thing to do.
While it’s awesome to book an excursion for this, the thought of spending hours on a tour bus might not sound overly appealing to everyone. Most of the well known Mayan ruins near Cancun are quite far (hours) away from the main resort areas.
Luckily, you don’t have to venture far from your hotel or spend all day out in the blazing sun in order to see some of them.
There’s actually a few great Mayan ruins in Mexico that you don’t know about, and they are much closer by.
That means you can easily visit them on your own, within a couple of hours and WITHOUT gazillions of other people! YAY!
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I’m Talking:
– Inexpensive
– Easy To Get To
– Less Touristy
– Kid Friendly
– Photos Without Other People In Them!
Sounds pretty good right?
Mayan Ruins Near Cancun You Can Easily Get To On Your Own
The El Rey Ruins
There’s more than just hotels, shopping and bars in the Cancun Hotel Zone. While it may seem out of place in a resort area, the resorts are actually built all around and probably on top of these ancient Mayan civilizations.
Easily get to the El Rey ruins by hopping on any of the busses going in the right direction. You’ll find it across the street and a couple blocks south of Playa Delfines on the lagoon side.
It might look a bit hidden but you just have to find the stairs to go down. If you’ve rented a car to get around Cancun, there is free parking at Delfines Beach and on the same side of the street as the ruins.
The El Rey ruins are a small site but you’ll find it uncrowded and it only costs $55 pesos to get in. It’s a great price but unfortunately there isn’t any signage to explain the structures.
If you want, guides can be hired for around $200 pesos to help illustrate what they were used for. It will probably much more interesting if you understand what the ruins actually are.
The archaeological site is comprised of 47 structures for you to explore and check out. If you look closely, you should even be able to see what remains of ancient paintings on some of the stone walls.
The best part about the El Rey ruins? That you actually can get close, because unlike other more popular places – you’re allowed to climb the ruins here!
You should be aware though, there isn’t much shade at this ruin site so it’s best to visit earlier in the day. Although it shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to an hour to see the entire site without a guide. Overall, it’s an inexpensive and easy way to see some Mayan ruins in Cancun.
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El Meco Archaeological Site
If you’re looking for Mayan ruins near Cancun that are off the beaten track, the El Meco archaeological site is worth a visit.
Located north of the hotel zone, between Puerto Juarez and Punta Sam, El Meco is about 15 – 30 mins away depending on where you are staying in the hotel zone. You can easily reach these ancient ruins by taxi or by combination of bus and taxi.
Just take the bus to Puerto Juarez ($12 pesos) and then a short taxi ride (about $50 pesos) from there. If you’re driving, parking is free.
One of the best things about the El Meco ruins is that you’ll only be there with maybe a handful of other people. You might even find that you have the WHOLE SITE TO YOURSELF, if you go early – there’s no crowds here! It’s a smaller site but the structures are in good shape and it’s fairly close by.
The El Meco archaeological site includes a big main Castillo, plenty of shade to escape the sun and lots of iguanas. El Castillo stands 41 feet high and is the only Mayan pyramid that’s actually located in the Cancun area.
The ruins here have been roped off to protect the structures and so they unfortunately can’t be climbed. For just $50 pesos ($3 USD) though, it’s super affordable. And if you want to see some Mayan Ruins in Mexico but don’t want to take a whole day and travel for hours, why not.
The area isn’t huge so you can probably walk around the entire site in about 30 minutes to an hour. Go in the morning and you can easily be back at the hotel for lunch and beach time. You could even combine it with a day trip to Isla Mujeres since you’re so close to the ferry terminal.
Signage on some of the structures helps explain what these buildings were or what they were used for long ago. Sometimes you might find guides on site as well and you can hire them to explain the structures to you. Being a smaller, lesser known site though, don’t expect anything like you would of an extremely famous place like Chichen Itza.
Do remember to bring water along as there isn’t anywhere on site to buy any but there are bathrooms available. The ocean is just across the street with restaurants close by so you can grab an authentic mexican meal outside of the Cancun hotel zone.
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Museo Maya de Cancun and San Miguelito ruins
North of the El Rey Mayan ruins on the ocean side is where you’ll find the Mayan Museum of Cancun. Located next to it, there is also another small archaeological ruin site, San Miguelito.
Visiting the Cancun museum is a great way to learn about the history of the Mayan people. You’ll find out how they used to live through their exhibits of ancient artifacts, photos, maps and stories.
The ruins of San Miguelito were only just opened to the public in 2012 at the time the Museo Maya was built. It’s believed that the site was once connected to the close by El Rey archaeological zone; however, with hotels and a golf course on that land, they don’t know for sure.
Admission is only 75 pesos (they don’t accept USD) and it’s within walking distance from many of the resorts. It’s also a quick bus ride away on the R1 or R2. You can access the ruin site by following the path that leads from the museum. All of this is included in the price of your ticket.
The museum itself is air conditioned and the restored Mayan ruin site has plenty of shade from the trees. This makes it a great way to escape some of the heat or give you something indoors to do on a rainy day.
Give yourself around 1-2 hours to see the entire exhibit, including the ruins outside.
You will find that most of the signage in the museum is in both English and Spanish which is helpful. The Mayan ruins outside also have descriptive signs that are in both languages. There are some parts inside the museum that are only labelled in Spanish but tour guides can be hired for a reasonable rate if you want full explanations for all the artifacts.
*Another great way to get the most out of your visit, without hiring a guide is to download a language translator app beforehand. Then you have the ability to translate any of the signs for yourself that aren’t in English. Google has one which is available for both iPhone and android.
If you’re wearing a big backpack, you probably won’t be allowed to bring it with you inside. But they do provide free lockers to keep your things safe while you tour the museum. All in all, it’s an inexpensive way to spend a couple of hours in Cancun that isn’t the beach or bar.
Yamil Lu’um, the Mayan ruin on the beach
Another one of the Cancun ruins in the hotel zone is the very small Yamil Lu’um right along the ocean.
This one is located just above the beach on the highest point of land, next to the Park Royal Resort. It’s technically on resort property but visitors are allowed to access it from the beach and it’s free. So sure, it will definitely feel like you’re trespassing – but just act like you belong there!
If you’re staying at a hotel close by, then just walk along the beach to find it. Otherwise, I don’t recommend going out of your way to visit this ruin if you aren’t staying within walking distance. The ruin is pretty small, with just one structure that stands beside a hotel and overlooks the ocean. It’s still interesting to look at but not enough to make a special trip for, in my opinion.
Because of where it’s situated, up high and by the ocean, Yamil Lu’um was most likely used as a lighthouse or watchtower. Sadly, it seems the resorts might have possibly even been built on top of the rest of the Cancun ruins that this was a part of.
So there you have it, four Mayan ruins near Cancun that you can quickly and easily visit on your trip!
Things to bring
- Water
- Sunscreen, Hat
- Pesos
- Comfortable shoes
Have you been to any of these ruins? Comment below!
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