Cobá is about a 25 mile drive on a side road off Tulúm and Highway 307. We stayed at a beautiful small hotel on the beach near Akumal, the Villas de Caribe, and had the entire hotel and beach to ourselves. It is about a 20 mile drive to Tulúm.
Cobá is a very large site on the shore of two lakes. It is still largely unexcavated, and thrived between 600 and 800 A.D., when Chichén-Itzá became dominant. The 42 square mile site has lots of small roads and paths through the jungle, and it is easy to get lost. There are lots of birds and butterfly species here. Scattered throughout the site are many stelae in various states of preservation. Because this site and Tulúm are popular with tour agencies from Cancún, it is usually very crowded.
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This pyramid, El Castillo, is the tallest in the Yucatán. It is not as well restored as many of the more famous ones, and the steps are rather treacherous, without any ropes to help you along. The view of the jungle and the surrounding lakes from the top is spectacular. |
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This is the Pyramid of the Painted Lintel, which has traces of the original colors above its door. |
