The Magical World of the Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula

When thinking of Maya ruins in Mexico, Chichén Itzá is often the first that comes to mind. And indeed – it’s an impressive World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. But what makes the Yucatán Peninsula so incredibly special is that it’s full of Maya ruins – both large and small.

I'm constantly fascinated by how advanced the Maya people truly were. Many might just see old stone structures deep in the jungle, but it's so much more than that. It's world-class architecture, created with a deep understanding of both the earth and the sky. Their temples and cities were built in alignment with the movements of the sun and stars. During the spring equinox or winter solstice, the sun's rays could strike a pillar or staircase in a way that created light phenomena—effects that still leave visitors in awe today.

Imagine standing on a site built over a thousand years ago, watching the sun move exactly as the Maya architects once predicted. It’s like a time machine—a direct link to a people whose view of time, space, and the cosmos was both spiritual and scientific.

Some of my favorite places:

Uxmal – With the impressive Pyramid of the Magician and the mysterious Nunnery Quadrangle, it’s clear that this is about more than just structures. There’s a sense of purpose and symbolism in every stone.

Ek Balam – Not as well-known as Chichén Itzá, but here you can still climb up and enjoy a breathtaking view of the jungle. The preserved stone art is truly extraordinary.

Dzibilchaltún – Best known for its Temple of the Seven Dolls, where the sunrise during the spring equinox creates an almost magical effect. A clear example of how the Maya allowed celestial bodies to shape their architecture.

Izamal – The "Yellow City" is not only charming – here, colonial buildings and Maya ruins coexist side by side. The Kinich Kak Moo pyramid rises in the heart of the city, and here, history and modern life literally merge.

Maya: A Civilization Ahead of Its Time

The Maya were one of the most advanced civilizations to ever exist in the Americas. They built magnificent cities deep in the jungle – without modern tools or metal instruments. They developed their own writing system with over 800 hieroglyphs, created calendars capable of predicting solar and lunar eclipses, and used a positional number system that included zero – long before Europe understood its significance.

Visiting these places is not just about looking at ruins. It’s about feeling the presence of a people who lived with the stars as their compass and the future as their horizon. The Maya civilization was not forgotten – it lives on in the stones, in the traditions, and in the landscape that still carries their name.

For me, every visit is a reminder that the world is bigger, older, and more complex than our everyday lives often let us realize. It gives perspective – and a sense of awe.

So, if you travel to Yucatán – look beyond Chichén Itzá. There are many gateways to the past that are still open, waiting to be explored.