Exploring Mayan Ruins Playa del Carmen Feb 2022

Playacar Mexico things to do: There are over 200 Mayan ruins to explore in Mexico. The most famous Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula) is a couple of hours drive from Cancun or 2.5 hours from our base in Playacar Mexico. But honestly, if you look around you'll find Mayan ruins on most walks. Especially in the Tulum area. In the Playacar area a short 5 minute walk back from the beach (to the Northern end nearer to the Pier end), yielded this little find which we felt very special vibes at.

Most of the Mayan ruins charge entry but this site is absolutely free. You must take advantage of this if you're staying in the Playacar area close to Playa del Carmen. Like all ruins and historical places, it's pretty boring (I shouldn't say that as educator to children, but it is. As the kids said "It's just a load of rocks and stones", to which I replied "yes it is but...these rocks are....". Unless it's on a device, with sounds, things that whizz + woosh, we're always going to be up against it as parents aren't we). But since we're here to learn, we make the visit as interesting as possible by telling them facts about the place and picking some grass & flowers to make an offering to the gods. Anything to hold their interest. As I said, it's free so take advantage as a break from the beach days.

The Playacar ruins were a launching point for Maya women to honour the Goddess Ixchel on Cozumel Island. The Maya women made this essential annual spiritual pilgrimage from this base to Cozumel to honour the Goddess Ixchel for a healthy pregnancy / birth. It was wonderful to walk around the ruins with the kids, feeling the energy there and chatting about the Maya and who they were.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a6a2d1_3504b6ae634e489d8ffe4de8044f09bd/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

video of the Playacar Mayan Ruins: Playacar Mayan Ruinas, Fraccionamiento Playacar private Resort, Coral Negro, Playacar, 77717 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico

The Mayan empire covered the vast territory in northern Central America and southern Mexico from 2600 BC.

This is a great spot in Mexico to soak up the Mayan culture, peacefully without the hustle of tourists. If you plan to visit with kids it's great as it's close by to the beach. There's loads of grass space to explore and they can wander safely without having to hold their hand or worry about others. As it gets so hot in Mexico during the day it's proximity to the beach means kids can handle to 10 minute walk without overheating or moaning. if you're planning a walk during the day, you'll only need to set aside 10 minutes for the walk.

We visited in February and we were the only ones there. I'm not sure what other times would be like to visit. Although the Playcar area is a large gated residential area so doesn't have the huge volume of tourists anyhow. Let me know if you visit the Playcar Ruins at any other time of the year and how it was.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a6a2d1_cbcd6ba747cb472f8d3cdaf66be36945/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

above giving an offering of flowers to the energy & spirits of the ruins. Which Bertie found hilarious. Boys!

GETTING TO THE PLAYACAR RUINS

If you are staying in Playa del Carmen, the Mayan ruins Playacar are easily accessible by foot or taxi. There are two ruin sites and both are accessed off Avenida 10. Make sure you take water with you and sunscreen as it does get incredibly hot out there. Footwear ideally a closed shoe like a trainer would be good. We rocked up in our sandals, which was fine, as we just stumbled on this site after a quick walk by accident. Our sandals were ok but it meant we just had to tread carefully on the rocks.

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If you are traveling in from Cancun, make sure to book a tour for a full day in Playa del Carmen + sightseeing at the Playacar ruins. It'll take around 1 hour to get to Playcar from Cancun, so you'll want to make a day of it exploring the area of Play del Carmen. There's lots to do there including Xcaret Park (a must do).

Find Playcar Mayan Ruins easily on Google Maps

Some of the other ruins to explore in Mexico are:

1. Chichén Itzá El Castillo, Chichen Itza

2. Tulum. Tulum ruins on the beach

3. Coba. The Mayan Nohoch Mul pyramid in Coba

4. Palenque. Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque

5. Calakmul. Calakmul

6. Bonampak. Painted walls in Bonampak

7. Ek' Balam. Jaguar mouth on the Acropolis, Ek' Balam

8. Uxmal

We plan to tick off each and every site with the kids and report back here.

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