Which is the best Mayan ruin in the Yucatan between these 3? Uxmal , Tulum or Chichen Itza ??

Question

We only have one day & wanted so see the best. We are leaving in 2 weeks.

Answer 1

Howdy! I agree with every other response- Chichen Itza is also my favorite site for Mayan ruins. I have done quite a bit of traveling (Europe, US, Ontario, Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica) and the excursion to Chichen Itza during my first visit to Cozumel still ranks as my favorite "side trip" experience. Climbing to the top of the pyramid there is an experience not to be missed- unless you are afraid of heights (and the steps to the top are quite narrow and somewhat difficult to climb so if you have any health concerns/handicaps I advise not trying it); there are also some other interesting things about Chitzen Itza such as the ballcourt, the nearby cenotes, etc. On the other hand, it looks like you will be staying in Cozumel (feel free to message me if you need any advice/info on Cozumel- it's my favorite vacation place and I know the island fairly well). Most excursions from Cozumel to Chichen Itza require a ferry trip across the ocean and then take you to Chichen Itza via bus. The bus ride is long (if you go via bus the trip is an all-dayer) and you generally arrive during the busiest and hottest point of the day. We visited Chichen Itza our first time in Cozumel (@10 years ago) but we went by a small commuter plane; it was quite a bit more expensive but we arrived so early we seemed to have the whole site to ourselves and we were basically done and ready to leave around noon which was when the busses seemed to be pulling in. I don't know if you can still charter the plane from Cozumel to Chichen Itza however- I believe there were cases of the jets crashing over the ocean due to climatic conditions and I still remember the flight back from Chichen Itza to Cozumel being a bit scarey. Uxmal is a VERY close second in my opinion and many people would argue that Uxmal is actually the best site for Mayan ruins. Uxmal is sort of similar to Chichen Itza- pyramid (don't think you can climb it), cenotes, etc. but is even farther away from Cozumel; generally places in Cozumel/Cancun don't offer trips to Uxmal since it is even farther away but, if you can get there, the site is much less crowded than Chichen Itza (and again it rivals Chichen Itza as the best site very favorably). Tulum is the last choice out of the three for Mayan ruins. Its ok- especially if you haven't been to the other sites and have nothing to compare it to and a bit interesting to see how the the site/Mayan civilization changed over time (I believe it was about the last place some Mayan held out against the Spanish since it was easier to defend- up on hill near the ocean-than other locations). Tulum is probably the busiest of the sites since it is so close to Cozumel and Cancun; most organized trips to Tulum are paired up with a snorkeling trip to nearby Xel-Ha.

Answer 2

The three are all totally different - I've been to Tulum and Chichen Itza, and have studied Uxmal. Since you only have one day, I'd go with Chichen Itza. It is the picture of what everyone thinks a Mayan ruin should look like.

Have fun where ever you go.

Answer 3

Chichen-Itza is the biggest, while Tulum is on the beach. I don't know the other one. I guess it depends on what is important to you. If distance is a factor, Chichen-Itza is a couple hours away from the area...

Answer 4

Chichen Itza!!

Answer 5

chichen itza has more to see it is where i would go tulum is nice but small