Coba Ruins, Quintana Roo

If you have a chance to see Coba while it is still buried in the jungle do it. This group of ruins is all that is left of what could have been the largest of all Mayan cities. There are thought to be over 6,500 structures spread out over 50 square kilometers. During its hey day around 750 A.D. there may have lived as many as 50,000 Maya. Archeologists have found many links to the great Guatemalan city of Tikal, including similar architecture and carvings or stelae. They believe that the royal females of Tikal may have married the Coba royalty and formed a relationship between the Guatemala Maya and those of the Yucatan. Discovered in 1891 by archaeologist Teobert Maler after hearing rumors of a fabled lost city, Coba was not excavated until 1973 when the Mexican government started financing the project. Excavation is still under way, and visitors see 20 unexcavated ruins for every one that has been reconstructed. Coba boasts the second tallest pyramid of the Mayan world. 42 meters high with 120 steps, Nohoch Mul, is worth the climb. Though sometimes windy at the top, the view is spectacular. This site also includes a well restored pelota court (ball court), and 20 some stelae that have been well preserved.