Ruta Puuc is a route that connects Uxmal and several Mayan ruins in the state of Yucatan. Read on to find out why you must take this route!
If you enjoy the road less traveled, and like to venture into a less-explored Mayan route with some amazing archaeological sites and other cultural and natural wonders, you have got to experience Ruta Puuc!
Ruta Puuc is a path you can take in the state of Yucatan where you can visit archaeological sites that feature the Puuc Maya architectural style, grottoes (a type of cave), and other cultural sights.
This guide will give you the details you need to plan a successful visit to these archaeological sites, and neighboring attractions.
To get some perspective on the size of each site, and how you should budget your team on each, here is a quick rating guide so you know what to expect.
| Site | Rating | Suggested time | Comments |
| Uxmal | 🌟🌟🌟 | 2.5-3 hrs | Crown jewel of Ruta Puuc, can’t miss! |
| Kabah | ⭐⭐ | 1-1.5 hrs | Don’t forget to visit the false arch across the highway |
| Sayil | ⭐⭐⭐ | 2 hrs | Beautiful structures! El Palacio, El Mirador and Grupo Sur make for a nice walk |
| Xlapak | ⭐ | 0.5 hrs | A single structure; if you’re in a time crunch, you can skip this one |
| Labná | ⭐⭐ | 1-1.5 hrs | False arch, Mirador, sacbe, and neat structures |
Beyond the archeological sites, you can visit the Grottoes Loltún, Chocolate museums, and other spots.
Table of Contents
What is the Ruta Puuc?
Puuc literally means “hill” in Mayan. Puuc is the name of the architectural style used in these Maya sites. It is essentially composed of veneer stones set on top of a core. The upper part of the structure generally features a lot of intricate details.
In addition to this particular style of buildings, you can find many masks of the Chaac, the god of rain. It’s not hard to miss, since Chaac features a long nose.
The archaeological sites in this route feature this particular architectural style.
These sites peaked during the Terminal Classic period, which extended approximately between 800-1000 AD.
Archaeological sites in Ruta Puuc
The primary archaeological sites you can’t miss when visiting Ruta Puuc are Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak, and Labná. Lets take a closer look at each of these sites.
Uxmal
Uxmal may deserve a day to itself. You will soon realize why this is one of my top archaeological sites in all of Mexico.
Uxmal is an amazing classical period archaeological site. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site given its significance. Uxmal is known for its breathtaking details, which include facades decorated with masks of Chaac (the God of the Rain), fretwork, panels with hieroglyphs and high crests.
The archaeological site at Uxmal hosts grand structures, a great legend, and an amazing amount of details that even the casual observer will enjoy.
Unlike other major archaeological sites, Uxmal features a lot of fine details within its structures. Each one of them tells a story and has a purpose.
Chaac, the God of Rain, is a strong symbol of the importance of rain for the survival of their society, and is featured throughout.
If you see a single archaeological site in this route, Uxmal has got to be the one.
Kabah
Upon entering Kabah, you start your visit by climbing the Palacio de los Mascarones (“Palace of the Masks” or “Mask Palace”). You will get to see a number of Chaac masks, which makes for an impressive sight.
Many of their noses are broken due to the pass of time. However, if you’re facing the building, on the far right side you will see some noses still intact.
As you walk through this site, you will see there’s a lot of details in several of the corners of the structures. You can generally find a guide at the entrance of this site. Hiring one will help you ensure you don’t miss what you may otherwise not catch if just casually walking by.
Crossing the highway, you will walk about 5-7 minutes to find this amazing false arch. There’s a sacbe, or Maya road, going through it. Its isolation into the jungle makes this visit a very unique experience!
The arch above is known as arco falso, or “false arch” since the structure will still remain standing even if you remove the block at the top of the arch. It is an iconic shape in Mayan architecture.
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Sayil
One of the most pleasant surprises during our Ruta Puuc visit was Sayil.
Sayil will impress you with El Palacio, the structure that will immediately greet you as you enter the site.
It is an 85m-long structure, showcasing Puuc columns. The building is adorned with Chaac masks, and will make for an almost immediate trip to pre-Hispanic Yucatan.
Walking through a pathway through the jungle, you will also find El Mirador. Its rooftop was once painted red. About 90m from this spot, you can find a stela underneath a palapa as well.
The pathways in this archaeological site make for part of the experience. Seeing the structures emerge from within the trees will make for a memorable experience.
Xlapak
Xlapak is basically composed of a single structure. It’s a charming, peaceful visit, but you can skip it if you’re tight on time.
It is about 20m long, and only about a 3-4 min walk away from the parking lot.
Labná
You should definitely not miss Labná. It is believed that at some point some 3000 Maya people lived here.
There are three main structures at Labná: El Palacio, El Arco, and El Mirador.
El Palacio
The first visible structure is El Palacio. It’s one of the longest ones in the region, and you can walk right up to it so you can admire the decorations close-up.
You can walk across this structure and admire all of the details and chambers. As I was poking my head inside one of those chambers, I experienced an Indiana Jones experience as a bird flew out right by my head 🤠
In Labná you will get an opportunity to see some impressive Chaac masks. Make sure to pay attention to the details as you walk by this first structure.
Once you’re done admiring El Palacio, you can then walk through the sacbe towards El Arco and El Mirador.
A Sacbe is an ancient Mayan road, literally meaning “white road” in the Yucatec Maya language. These roads were built by the Maya civilization to connect important cities, temples, and ceremonial centers. They were typically elevated, straight, and paved with white limestone or sascab, a type of limestone dust, making them visible even under moonlight.
El Arco
One of the sights you cannot miss in Labná is El Arco. This is an impressive sight as you reach the end of the sacbe on your right hand side.
You can actually walk through it and take pictures.
Below you can see a depiction of El Arco, as it stood during its grandeur.
El Mirador
Lastly, make sure to visit El Mirador. This structure is hard to miss as it stands tall, just across El Arco.
Labná is a great visit. Make sure to pay attention to the details that make this a great example of the Puuc architecture.
Other Ruta Puuc points of interest
The most notable places outside of the archaeological sites that I recommend visiting are the Grottoes Loltun (or Grutas de Loltun, or Loltun Caves), and the Choco-Story Museum.
There’s other places such as the Oxkintok Ruins and Calcehtok Caves you should consider if you have the time.
Choco-Story Uxmal
Choco-Story Uxmal is an eco-park and museum that showcases the story and history of chocolate (cacao-based beverage), and some of the local flora and fauna. It is located close by the Uxmal archaeological park.
In it, you will get to learn about cacao and the process of making chocolate. You also get an opportunity to see some animals as part of the exterior path to the individual palapas that host the exhibits.
Grottoes Loltun
The Grottoes Loltun is essentially a cave that contain paintings from the Maya and some amazing rock formations. It is about 2Km in length, and it is an amazing sight that you cannot miss.
The name of this site comes from “Lol Tun”, which means “rock flower.”
Currently, the Loltún caves are the archaeological site that contains the largest chronological sequence in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula. The cultural evidence in these caves also suggests a use as a camp in the early stages and later for habitation.
NOTE: Make sure to double check if Grottoes Loltun is open. It has been closed due to COVID-19.
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Ruta Puuc logistic details
Visiting all 5 archaeological sites in a single day can be done. It will be tight, but doable if you get started early.
Things to consider if you plan on visiting all the archaeological sites in a single day:
- Make sure your first visit starts when they open the site, usually between 8a-9am
- Where to get started?
- Option 1: You may get started with Labná and work yourself back to Uxmal. The advantage with starting with Labná is that you leave the best for last (Uxmal), and you finish at the point closest to Merida
- Option 2: Start with Uxmal, and finish at Labná. The advantage with this option is that you will be one of the first to reach Uxmal, so you ‘ll have cooler weather and less people around (don’t fret, Uxmal doesn’t get overcrowded anyway)
- Keep in mind where you can find places to eat and restrooms
- Uxmal: Will have restrooms & a decent restaurant
- Kabah will have restrooms, but no eating options
- Sayil, Xlapak and Labná may not have working restrooms so plan accordingly
- You would not be able to visit Choco-Story Museum or Grottoes Loltun, if trying to keep the road trip to a single day
Santa Elena is a town between Uxmal and Kabah. This could be a stop option for restaurants and restrooms.
Finally, note that the Grottoes Loltun are about 30 minutes past Labná. You would definitely wont be able to visit them in a single day.
The Ruta Puuc is filled with wonderful sites and a lot of history. If you are planning a trip to Merida, you cannot pass up the opportunity to visit these majestic sites! Please let me know what you think about this post and comment below if you have visited any of these ruins before!
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Hi, I’m Iván García—I love to travel and photography. I’m big on road trips, just about anywhere in the world. I share information for people to reach truly great places. My goal is to inspire you to visit these places for yourself.
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