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Why you should visit Ek Balam.
The most recent mayan archeological pyramids in Yucatán
When I had a “RoadTrip” to Yucatan alone I came across an archaeological zone called “Ek Balam” that is not well known yet by tourists as it’s the latest discovery, and it’s very close to Chichen Itzá, which by the way is a magical place but unfortunately gets very crowded.
So this is a good option to really appreciate the energy you feel in this kind of places.
A little history
Ek Balam means “black jaguar” or “jaguar star” in the Mayan language. It is made up of several temples, two large palaces and the main pyramid that is in the center of the area.
The best of all is that you can climb the pyramids and get delighted by the view of the jungle and see “the Acropolis” the largest pyramid of this place, and the place where the famous ball game was made.
Ek Balam was the Mayan capital of a territory known as “Talol” in 300 A.C approx.
I arrived at 9 am and it was pretty quiet, and the air was cool and fresh. I definitely think this place is a hidden gem. This ruins are astonishingly well-preserved and you are allowed to climb each and every one of them.
The main pyramid has an impressive views from the top as it is very high. The feeling of being up there for 30 minutes by myself, with no one around was indescribable.
Costs:
The general cost to the place is $ 75 pesos, plus a state fee.
If you are Mexican, $ 78 pesos are added. (total $ 153)
If you are a foreigner it increases to $ 338 (total $ 413)
And if you show your INE and prove that you live in the State, they exempt this payment on Sundays.
Schedule:
Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00. Box office hours: from 08:00 to 16:00.
More activities to do afterwards
After Ek Balam, I was told to visit a cenote called Hubiku, where you can see a bit of how the Mayan lifestyle, their homes, customs was.
There is also a small “museum” of Tequila, which is just a huge store where you can try different types of tequila flavors and you can see the agave in the back, but it’s a good and fun experience anyways, you get free tequila haha.
And at the end of the tour is the cenote where you can swim and leave your stuff in the lockers that cost $1 dollar for as long as you want to be.
Finally there is a restaurant with Mexican buffet that is included in the price of the entry of $150 pesos. I think it’s worth the price and for the experience I would recommend it.
Where is it located?
Ek Balam is located north of the beautiful and picturesque city of Valladolid, on the highway between Mérida and Cancún.
To get there you can take the Cancun-Mérida highway, leaving Valladolid to the north, towards Tizimin.
Traveling from Merida or Cancun you do like 2 and a half hours.
You can get a taxi or the “colectivos” vans too, but either way, you have to make very clear to the driver that you’ll need a drive back, so that they can wait for you or come back to pick you up.
