Archaeological Site of Xel-Há — Attraction in Quintana Roo

A lot of reviews say this site is permanently closed, but it’s definitely still in operation. There was absolutely no one else there when we went, and only 8 people other than us the entire day before we got there. The ruins are immaculately preserved, even some of the paintings still viewable. The cenote is massive and beautiful. There are a LOT of iguanas, so watch for holes in the ground as you walk. It’s a long walk with tons of mosquitos, but it’s 100% worth the trip to see them. Some other highlights about visiting are beautiful massive cotton trees, the incredible sacbeob (raised roads), the birds and fish that are in the cenote, and how much more enjoyable a visit can be without being surrounded by a ton of other people. (Definitely can get a lot better photos of the magnificent ruins when no one else is getting in the way.) I absolutely recommend this site to anyone who enjoys seeing ruins, as this was certainly a unique...

2024 APRIL. CLOSED AT THIS TIME. UNDER SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS. Rated as what I could see made me want to return once the construction was complete. In the jungle with ruins that appear as found. Wide trails being constructed. New entry buildings and widened gravelled roads. Hopefully they will slowly provide a better entry from the hwy. The entry is the 4 star rating. This is just past the massive resort/theme park signage for XEL-HA not the archaeological ruins that is actually on the opposite, ocean side, across the Hwy. Seems the government is putting money into all these sites with the massive increase in foreign tourism. Poor signage at this time but Google will take you right to it. I could not find any timeline for reopening and no closure info on the...

Want to see Mayan ruins but dismayed by the crowds at Tulum? Try Xel-ha. The INAH owned and managed portion of the archaeological site is across the road from the resort complex of the same name. Great ruins for photography at Xel-ha with shaded trails for walking access. A building in the Lothrop Group near the highway has intact stucco murals. The cenote is worth seeing too. There is a nice level walk to the oval-shaped cenote. There is a small temple and shrine complex at the cenote's west end. There is an impressive Mayan raised road (sacbe) extending in a straight line from this complex to the palace ruins. Remember when at the entrance to photograph the site map so you can refer to it while...