Delve into the mysteries of the ancient Maya at Uxmal, one of the most important archaeological sites on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The ancient city is renowned for many well-preserved examples of Puuc architecture, a style that flourished from 600 to 900 AD, and sophisticated representations of the civilization’s complex cosmogony.
Your local guide and driver will meet you at the yacht for the drive from Campeche into the forested hills that surround the site. You’ll stop for lunch in the contemporary town of Uxmal before checking into the hotel. The afternoon is then devoted to exploring the expansive site that was a thriving city and ceremonial center more than a thousand years ago.
Uxmal’s important structures include the 91-foot-tall Pyramid of the Magician, with its distinctive rounded sides, the imposing and ornate Governor’s Palace, the Nunnery Quadrangle and an enormous ballcourt. Your guide will highlight how Maya astronomical concepts and beliefs influenced the construction and positioning of buildings and plazas and explain the significance of the decorative elements and friezes. After the tour, return to the nearby hotel to relax before dinner at Coole Chepa Chi, the open-air restaurant just steps from the site entrance. The evening concludes with a unique light and sound spectacle inside ancient Uxmal.
The next morning enjoy a traditional breakfast at the hotel, followed by a scenic expedition aboard a vintage Land Rover Defender through a nearby henequen agave plantation and the surrounding landscapes. You’ll switch back to modern transport for the drive back to Campeche and the yacht.
Explore the ancient Maya city of Uxmal, among Mexico’s most important archaeological sites, on this overnight expedition on the Yucatan.