Dzibilchaltun

Dzibilchaltun (tzee-BEEL-chahl-toon) as the largest Mayan city offers a lot of attractions. The most famous is the seven doll temple. Each year at the spring and fall equinox the sun rises exactly through the door and exits through the back windows. Another important structure is the large central square which includes one of the biggest Mayan palaces. As an example, one of its chambers is 130 meters long and has 35 entrances. You can visit an open chapel built by the Spanish during the conquest of Yucatan. A little further you will find the standing temple and the large Xlacah Cenote, where you can swim to refresh yourself.
Dzibilchaltun also has an important museum, with several Mayan and Spanish artifacts, from pottery to paintings, Spanish armors and weapons, several Mayan stelae and Carved stones tablets and lintels in excellent condition. The museum is worth the visit.

The ruins are located 7 miles north of the city of Merida, on the highway to Progreso. There are several signs on the road that make this site easy to reach. From downtown Merida, there are several small buses leaving from San Juan Park to Dzibilchaltun. Another option, but more expensive, is to take a taxi. Make sure to negotiate the fare before taking the ride.

Dzibilchaltun means "Place of the stone writing" and is the largest Mayan city known nowadays, with more than 200,000 inhabitants during its peak. The city covers 16 square km and has more than 8,000 structures. It is also the longest occupied city as the first construction took place around 500 AD and at the time of the conquest, the Maya were still living inside the city. It reflects the evolution of the Mayan culture, sciences and construction techniques. The city was deserted after the conquest.

There are several sacbe to explore the surroundings and this gives you a unique opportunity to enjoy nature, fauna and flora of the Yucatan peninsula. You can spend a whole day in exploring the archaeological site, the museum, the cenote and the surrounding areas.