{"id":13531,"date":"2020-03-17T16:51:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T15:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travander.nl\/?p=13531"},"modified":"2023-08-15T15:37:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T13:37:03","slug":"visit-maya-ruins-coba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travander.nl\/en\/bezoek-maya-ruines-coba\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit ancient Mayan ruins and temples in Cob\u00e1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cob\u00e1 is a magnificent ancient Mayan complex in the middle of the jungle of Mexico<\/a>. It is located between the cities of Tulum and Valladolid in Quintana Roo. Unlike many other Mayan temples in Mexico (such as Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 and Tulum), the temples at Cob\u00e1 are among the few you are still allowed to climb. This therefore makes it all the more fun to visit the Mayan ruins of Cob\u00e1!<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Mayan ruins and temples in Cob\u00e1<\/h2>

Cob\u00e1 has a special location on two large lakes: Lake Coba and Lake Macanxoc. The complex is still largely unexcavated and many of the structures are covered by jungle sprawl. Most of the ancient structures at Cob\u00e1 were made in the period from 500 to 900 AD, with most dated hieroglyphic inscriptions from the 7th century. New temples were also built in subsequent periods, which were maintained (with repairs) until at least the 14th century.\u00a0<\/p>

Not everything in the Cob\u00e1 complex has yet been discovered. Some archaeologists are convinced that Cob\u00e1 must be one of the largest Mayan excavations on the Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula. Consequently, they believe that more than 5,000 excavations have not yet been found! The mysterious park is therefore impressive to walk through.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Climbing the Nohoch Mul<\/h2>

The highlight (literally!) of the Cob\u00e1 ruins is the pyramid of Nohoch Mul. At 42 meters high, the Nohoch Mul is among the tallest Mayan pyramids in the region. The Nohoch Mul is a pyramid in Cob\u00e1 that you absolutely want to climb. Its 120 steps are mostly crumbling, making the climb quite a challenge. However, there is a rope hanging in the middle of the steps, which can help you climb (and descend). Once you reach the top, you will enjoy an impressive view of the ruins and the endless jungle.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sacred Ball Game<\/h2>

In many places in Cob\u00e1 you can find stone hoops made into the structures. These hoops are part of the ball field, something you can find almost in every Mayan ruin. The ball field; consisting of a narrow I-formation field, with stands and two stone iron rings, was used for the Sacred Ball Games. The hoops were the goal of the ancient game: throw a ball (weighing 4 pounds!) through the ring and you are the winner.<\/p>

Scoring a point was incredibly difficult because the Maya were not allowed to use their hands. Instead, they mainly used their hips to move the ball forward. Often the game lasted hours and sometimes days. Consequently, it was not uncommon for participants to die during the games. Some historians believe the sport is as much as 3,000 years old.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How can you reach the Mayan ruins and temples of Cob\u00e1?<\/h2>

Cob\u00e1 is located on the road between Tulum and Valladolid. Cob\u00e1 is easiest to reach by rental car or if you join an organized tour to the ruins of Cob\u00e1. It is also possible to travel to Cob\u00e1 by bus. From Tulum, it is about an hour's drive by public ADO.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Travel to Cob\u00e1 with a rental car<\/h3>

Mexico has a modern road network and hire a car<\/a><\/strong> is reliable if you arrange it through a good car rental company. Through Sunny Cars, you can rent a car if you rent a car in Tulum or Playa del Carmen, for example.\u00a0<\/p>

Keep in mind that you have to pay tolls on some roads in the region. There are several roads in Mexico: highways (supercarreteras), four-lane roads (cuotas) and toll-free two-lane roads (libres). The roads are generally well-maintained, but you will sometimes encounter road gels that are less passable.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Join an organized tour<\/h3>

Prices for organized tours range from about \u20ac50 to as much as \u20ac200. On the more expensive tours, you often visit more sights in the area. You do not only visit the ruins of Cob\u00e1, but also a cenote. Also, the entrance fees are included in the price for the tour. Would you like to have only private transportation and explore the ruins on your own? Then you will soon pay about \u20ac50 for a cab (van).\u00a0<\/p>

On the site GetYourGuide<\/a><\/strong> you can find many different tours from different providers and in various price categories.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Taking public transportation to Cob\u00e1<\/h3>

The cheapest way to reach Cob\u00e1 is by public transportation. Public transportation in the region is well regulated and is carried out mainly by ADO buses and colectivos. ADO buses are the large public buses and colectivos are small buses used as urban public transportation that also run a fixed route. A bus ticket from Tulum to Cob\u00e1 costs around \u20ac5 for a one-way ticket. To plan your route and buy a bus ticket, go to Busbud<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cost to visit the Mayan temples of Cob\u00e1\u00a0<\/h2>

To visit the ruins of Cob\u00e1, you pay 75 pesos. This is equivalent to \u20ac3.50 per ticket. This ticket allows you to stay in the park until 5 p.m. Would you like to visit the park during sunset? Then you pay 225 pesos (\u20ac10,-). You can then visit the ruins and climb the Nohoch Mul from 5 pm to 7 pm. We had day tickets, but would definitely recommend the evening tickets. Not only do you have stunning views of the park during sunset as you climb the Nohoch Mul, it's also a lot quieter at the sites. During the day there are many organized tours to Cob\u00e1, which unfortunately makes it very crowded.\u00a0<\/p>

To see everything in the park, you have to walk several kilometers. The walk is doable, but it is also great fun to rent bicycles. At the entrance you can rent bikes for 50 pesos (\u20ac1.90) or rent a bicycle cab for 100 pesos (\u20ac3.80). The cost for parking a rental car is 50 pesos (\u20ac1.90).\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Combine Cob\u00e1 with a visit to a nearby cenote<\/b><\/h2>

Three famous cenotes near the ruins of Cob\u00e1 are the cenotes Tamcach-Ha, Choo-Ha and Multum-Ha. A visit to Cob\u00e1 can easily be combined with (one of) the cenotes. Especially after a hot, clammy day at the ruins, it is a relief to be able to take a dip in the natural pools of water. \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Staying near the archaeological site of Cob\u00e1\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>

Want to spend the night in an authentic Mayan village? Then you can spend the night in Cob\u00e1 of the same name. In the immediate vicinity of the ruins you can find some fine accommodations and nice, typical Mexican restaurants. Recommended restaurants are\u00a0El Cocodrilo<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Pisch\u00e1n Restaurant<\/a><\/strong>. These restaurants also combine well with a visit to the ruins and cenotes during a day trip.\u00a0<\/p>

A very nice hotel in Cob\u00e1 is Aldea Coba An Escape Boutique Experience<\/b><\/a>. This luxury hotel is located in the middle of the jungle, two minutes from the ruins of Cob\u00e1. Prices start at \u20ac84 per night. Is this out of your budget? Then Hotel Mayahau<\/b><\/a> also highly recommended (\u20ac37 per night). If you want more of the hustle and bustle, we recommend staying in the cozy Tulum<\/a><\/strong> to stay. This is about an hour's drive from the ruins of Cob\u00e1.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHotel Mayahau\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCob\u00e1\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
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