Your Ultimate Guide to Ancient Maya Temples
This category is your atlas of Maya archaeology across all countries. Each guide combines clear site history and timelines with what to see (temples, stelae, ballcourts, murals), why it matters, and how to plan a visit. You’ll find location maps, access and opening info (where available), suggested routes nearby, and links to deeper reads on architecture, epigraphy, water management, and conservation. We cover marquee sites like Chichén Itzá, Tikal, Copán, and Caracol, as well as smaller places that reward detours. For quick filtering, use the country and period tags (Preclassic, Classic, Postclassic) or styles such as Puuc, Chenes, Río Bec, and Usumacinta. Details can change—please verify local conditions before travel. Start exploring below.
This in-depth analysis explores why the Classic Maya civilization collapsed between 750 and 950 CE, from droughts and trade disruptions to warfare and political turmoil. Featuring insights from Tikal, Copán, Uxmal, and Chichén Itzá, it reveals how Maya culture transformed, adapted, and still thrives today.
Quiriguá – The Small Maya Center with the Largest Stelae in Mesoamerica.
In a historic coup, the city broke away from Copán in AD 738, beheaded its king—and ushered in its own era of monumental art. Today, Quiriguá impresses with unique zoomorphs and digitally documented inscriptions. Perfect for travelers and Maya enthusiasts.
Copán, once a vibrant center of the Classic Maya world, offers visitors a unique journey through 400 years of dynastic history, 2,200 intricately carved glyphs, and groundbreaking modern archaeological research. Discover its dramatic past—from royal rivalries and monumental architecture to high-tech investigations reshaping our understanding of Maya civilization.
Introduction Deep in the emerald heart of Belize’s tropical landscape lies Altun Ha, a breathtaking remnant of the once-mighty Maya civilization. Its towering temples rise above the jungle canopy, whispering tales of a bygone...
The amazing Maya city Yaxhá is located in the lowlands of Guatemala in the state of Petén. Its heyday was during the early classical period between 250 and 600 AD. The name Yaxhá means...
Edzná was one of the major cities of the classic Maya civilization. The magnifcant buildings and monuments are located near Campeche.
Ek Balam is an ancient Maya town in the north-east of the Yucatán Peninsula. It can be reached from Valladolid on the federal road MX295, which leads towards Tizimín and Rio Lagartos. The distance...
Tikal was the most important Maya city in Guatemala. Find here all you need to know…
Chichèn Itzá is the most famous Maya site on the Yucatán peninsula and easy to reach from tourist spots at the Riviera Maya.
A village that became a boom-town When I first wrote about Tulum a decade ago it felt like a sleepy outpost. Today the urban locality counts over 26,000 inhabitants and the wider municipality more...
