Chinkultic - Ruin Comitan De Dominguez - Mexico

The ruined Mayan city of Chinkultic is strategically placed within the 6000 hectares of pine forest that make up the Lagos de Montebello National Park. Although the ruins themselves aren’t as impressive as those at other nearby Mayan sites in Chiapas or Guatemala, visitors who make the effort to hike up the city’s principal hilltop pyramid will be rewarded with spectacular views of sharp cliffs giving way to glittering lakes below.

Chinkultic means “layered cenote” (natural well) in Mayan. The city’s heyday was probably during the Classic period, from the 3rd to 9th centuries AD, although the city wasn’t abandoned until the 13th century. There are six main residential areas to the city, where you can see today’s principal excavated sites - the Acrópolis, the group A and B quadrangles, ball court, grand platform and the site’s cenote 50 meters below. In total there are around 200 buildings but most are in Indiana Jones-esque states of ruin.

The easiest way to get here is if you have your own transport, although the ruins are also included on most tours of the Lagos. By car, head south on Carretera 190, and turn left at the sign saying Lagos de Montebello before the town of La Trinitaria. The road leading to the ruins is around two kilometers from the highway. Public buses from Comitán to la Trinitaria can drop you off at the turnoff but be prepared for a bit of a walk.

The ruins are open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry costs $3.

Location:
Comitan De Dominguez, Mexico

Ruin

Relative price: Budget

Travel Skills: None

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By Lisa Rodan

Updated: 19 Jun 2009