The Puuc Route is the perfect excuse to get to know the interior of Yucatan, visiting Mayan settlements with the most exquisite architectural style: puuc
What is known as the Puuc Route is an area that brings together different archaeological zones of the same Mayan architectural style, the Puuc style. The archaeological zones of the Puuc Route are a World Heritage Site under the name Pre-Columbian Village of Uxmal.
Other Mayan architectural styles, marked according to periods and territory, are Chenes, Río Bec, central Petén, Usumacinta, Costa Oriental.
Puuc is also a Mayan word that means hill, turkey o lomto. In this case it indicates the Puuc area where we are, with just over 300 meters of elevation, the highest mountain in Yucatán.
It is a very interesting area for those who like history and towns. Let's explore the area, I assure you that in a few days here you will get to know the Yucatecan soul.
WHERE THE PUUC ROUTE IS LOCATED
The Puuc Route is located south of Mérida, capital of Yucatán. Being close to Mérida makes it easier to visit this area because it is close, there is a good road and it is easy to find tours that leave from Mérida.
- FROM MÉRIDA BY CAR: you must take the Uman-Holpechén road, number 261. It is 84 kilometers and it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes by car.
PUUC ROUTE MAP
Basically the 5 archaeological zones that make up what is known to tourists as the Puuc Route are these:
- Uxmal, the capital of Puuc and the most visited. It is a real gem.
- Kabah, the closest to Uxmal, complements the visit very well. And it is a must-see place for me.
- Sayil, one of the archaeological areas that I like the most, for its paths and the Grand Palace.
- Labna, another unmissable gem of the Puuc with three large buildings.
- Xlapak is the least impressive of the Puuc Route.
But these are not the only ancient Mayan cities of Puuc style, there is much more to discover about Puuc. And you enter a much less explored area with wonderful jewels:
- Oxkintok, I really like this place.
- Acanceh, here you can see the best Mayan masks in Yucatán, another gem.
- Chunhuhub, you are already leaving the most common routes, and the place surprises.
- Xcalumkin, due to its location it is less visited.
- Kankí, like Xcalumkín, is rarely visited.
In this article I only talk about the ancient Mayan cities that are open to the public, obviously there are many other vestiges of the Puuc style. How much I like this area, I hope you enjoy it a lot.
There are other ancient Mayan cities in Yucatán where we find details of the Puuc style, from the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá or Santa Rosa de Xtampak. We must always think about the influences of architectural styles between the different Mayan areas.
Cities do not live in isolation, there are commercial networks, there are effects, that is why architectural styles come together in different Mayan cities, it is not something pure so to speak.
HOW TO TRAVEL THE PUUC ROUTE
There are 3 basic ways to explore the area:
- CAR RENTAL: Many travelers are encouraged to drive through the quiet Yucatan Peninsula. At your own pace and you get everywhere. If you decide to do it on your own, I recommend staying a couple of days or more in this area, because there is a lot to discover.
- TOUR WITH AGENCY: From Mérida, travel agencies offer tours to different settlements in the Puuc. They are one day tours. Uxmal and Kabah are the easiest to go on a tour.
- COLLECTIVE TRANSPORT: Every Sunday there is transportation that runs along the Puuc Route, leaving you time in each area to explore it. It leaves at 8 and returns around 16. The ADO station is on 69th Street between 68th and 70th Streets.
I recommend booking the car online months in advance, especially if you travel during peak times such as Christmas, Easter or summer. They usually increase prices as the date approaches, just as happens with plane tickets.
You don't need a 4×4 to explore the area. If you have any questions, write to me and we will try to resolve them.
Book a car at Rentalcars directly with them, they give you the comparison of prices between companies and opinions of other customers.
WHERE TO SLEEP TO VISIT THE PUUC ROUTE
In most towns you can find a place to sleep. For my part, I have a preference for Santa Elena as a base camp for the area. In Ticul and Oxkutzcab you find accommodations, and also in the vicinity of Uxmal.
You have the possibility of sleeping in a Hacienda, some renovated into luxury hotels. Yaxcopoil and Sotuta de Peón are some possibilities.
- The Pickled Onion in St. Helena, a cabin hotel, with a swimming pool and a delicious restaurant. I like the owner, she has history.
- In Oxkutzcab I always stay in the Hotel Puuc. The first time I visited Oxkutzcab there was hardly any other hotel, and here we stayed with Fausto. They were very friendly, so when I return I always choose the same hotel. The hotel is simple, quality-price is a 10.
HOW TO COMPLEMENT THE PUUC ROUTE
COCOA MUSEUM: near the Uxmal area you will find the Eco-Museo del Cacao. Cacao is one of the original products of the region, the drink of the Mayan elites in ancient times.
LOLTUN CAVES: this area is also called puke (In the Mayan language it means hill or hill), because it is defined by several hills whose altitude reaches about 300 meters: a record for the practically flat Yucatan peninsula. These geological properties of the region puke They do not form the famous cenotes here, but rather incredible dry caves such as those of Loltún, Tzabnah or those of Tekax.
The underground is a world to explore, you will understand the special geological characteristics of the area.
ROUTE OF THE CONVENTS: The Route of the convents in this area was where the colonizer settled most strongly, and in each town there is at least one church. The Route of the Convents offers us some of the most relevant places due to their history such as Maní, Chumayel or Teabo, Umán, Muna, Chumayel, Oxkutzcab, Santa Elena, Ticul.
A few days living here and you will be able to get to know the friendly character of the Yucatecan people. This area is a true delight, here you will live your authentic Yucatan.
Good way,
- Offers on flights international and national ..
- Find the accommodation with the best offers from Booking.com.
- Stay with airbnb and get 25 € discount.
- Contract activities, tours and excursions organized.
- Rent a car with the indispensable and necessary best discounts.
- Secure your transfers of arrival or departure to the airport.
- Travel safely with IATI and take advantage of 5% off.
If you prefer, you tell us your idea of the trip and together we organize it.
It is a pleasure to know the world thanks to these post ...
Thanks Carlos 🙂
Of course the walk looks very healthy, as you present it, make you want to live it, greetings!
Hello! I will be traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula on February 2017, and the only doubt we have about the trip is ... Can you go to the puuc route every day or just on Sundays ???? It is a fact that we can not find anywhere!
Thank you!!
Hello Fernando, you can go every day. On Sundays it is free for the national and resident, but you can go daily.
Greetings and very good trip, February is an excellent time to visit here.
Hello, a question, is there a collective or way to travel the route from Santa Elena?
Hello Ixchel, yes there are groups from Santa Elena to the different tourist places. In the three lodgings there are, they give you the information with schedules and they support you in those things. I love Santa Elena Ixchel, a place with a lot of charm.
Warm regards,
Good morning,
Do you know if the public transport route continues on Sundays?
Thank you very much!
Hi Sophia, we know we do go out on Sundays.
Warm regards,
Hello! Does anyone know the cost of the truck for the puuc route? Thank you!
Hello Vanina, at the moment I have not been able to find out the price, to see if today they answer. I have the phone number for the truck station: 924 0830 ext. 2909 for info. I have not been able to communicate with them.
I hope to answer you soon.
Good morning ... could you tell me how much is the ADO ticket for the Puuc Route? I will thank you very much
Hello Lulu, we try to find out that information without success. Once we get it, we'll put it on, we're sorry.
Warm regards,
Hello, I have planned to travel the puuc route; Where do you recommend staying to shorten distances between all the points of the route? I see that they mention Santa Elena; between this and Mérida what is more advisable? The itinerary you post is in collective taxis or is it trucks? Besides this route what other tourist places can we visit are in Yucatan? I hope you can support me with this.
regards
Hello Andres,
I would stay in Santa Elena, from here you can go in groups to the different points of the Puuc route, and I think it is a nice and interesting town where you can live in a more tranquil way. Merida, as a great capital, obviously has its advantages: from here every Sunday the truck goes on the Puuc route. The itinerary is by private car, but you can do it by public transport. In the accommodations that I mention Santa Elena give you the information to go through it. https://www.elcaminomascorto.es/santa-elena-momias-yucateca/
There are so many places to visit. I leave a map where you can get an idea of charming places yourself. I hope it is simple and helps you: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RL3C9wSjL975IdKIUyXTvblIg70&usp=sharing
Any doubt we continue with it.
Warm regards,
Hello, my idea is to go from Mérida to chichen itza and do the puuc route, what do you recommend for the second? Leave from Merida or from another location, and how to take advantage of the time between each site to the maximum without having the pressure to be taken to the car as in a tour? Thank you
Hello Ismael, if you have time I like very much the town of Santa Elena to visit the puuc route, it is where more than one explorer of ancient times stayed to know the area: https://www.elcaminomascorto.es/santa-elena-momias-yucateca/ But the other is to do it from Merida, but you will be more scammed. I hope it helps you.
Enjoy the route 🙂
Hello, I plan to travel the Puuc route with some calm, so I hope to stay nearby. Besides Santa Elena, is there accommodation in Ticul or Oxkutzcab that you recommend? From any of these three villages is there transportation to reach the archaeological sites of the Puuc route or is it necessary to move to Santa Elena to depart from there?
Thank you.
Hello Daniel, in Ticul you find several accommodations in the center without problem, it is a big town. In Oxkutzcab I like the Hotel Puuc, where they give good information to travel the Puuc Route, and Loltún is only 8 kilometers away. From these places you will also find transportation to the puuc route, that's right. In fact Santa Elena and Oxkutzcab are like the beginning and end of the route: Sayil-Labná-Xlapak-Loltun.
Enjoy the trip very much, any doubt I try to support you.
Hello! I plan to visit Uxmal, Mirador de Muna, Mummies of Santa Elena and Ticul next January. They recommended El Mirador (in Muna, Yuc.) As accommodation and starting point for the other points. The detail is that I don't have a car. How is mobility from Muna to the other points mentioned through public transport? Are there buses or combis from Muna to Uxmal and Santa Elena? Would Muna recommend me to establish my starting point or flat Santa Elena is a better option? And if so, how much do the prices of hotels in Santa Elena oscillate? Can I get from Santa Elena to Muna and Ticul without problems? Greetings and thank you very much for answering 🙂
Hi Joseph, how good you will have it here 🙂
The Mirador in Muna is excellent as a lodging, but in the middle of the Muna-Uxmal road, that's why I don't think it's the most convenient without a car. For the points you want to visit, Muna is perfect. Along with Ticul are large towns with several collective transport. Santa Elena is smaller and there is less transportation.
In Muna on 400 pesos you must find hotels with private bathrooms, Santa Elena is more expensive. I leave you the link of Santa Elena and the hotels.
Enjoy a lot, any doubt I try to support you.
enjoy and inform me on your site. Thank you, we will travel by land and we would love to be in Mayan land. They know if tourism is open in August, September. Greetings.
Hello Ricardo, tourism is open, you can travel without any problem following the recommended security protocols.
Have a good trip ?