I was going to book Uxmal through Autoprogreso for $75 but I had problems completing the booking online and couldn’t get a reply from them via email. I ended up booking through Carnival for $109 using my Carnival Mastercard which gives me 10% back on excursions making it about $98. I also tried to do a price match through Carnival but they rejected it since their tour is listed as longer and includes a sack lunch.

My ticket said to meet in the main lounge at 8:30. I arrived at 8:20. They called Chichen Itza first at 8:40.

They gave us water, a sandwich, granola bar, and a banana on our way into the bus.

The bus was comfortable and crowded but not totally full. I had a row to myself and there was nobody in front of me or behind me.

This is our primary guide, Louis. We had another one that’s an expert on the ruins who did most of the talking at the site.

The drive is going to be 1 hour and 40 minutes. Progreso’s pier is the longest in the world at four miles. Progreso only gets 9 cruise ships per month. Mayans eat 80% corn, 12% fruits and other veggies, and 8% pork and turkey. 

This is a tortilla factory.

This is a prison. 

They have a planetarium right by the ruins.

We have arrived.

They have a market outside and a bar inside.

This is a restaurant you can eat at after the ruins if you want. We were given an hour to do whatever we wanted. 

You need two tickets. Louis gave us both.

Uxmal means “thrice-built” in the Mayan language referring to the three layers of the Fortune Teller’s Pyramid.

This is the tree of life.

In 600-1000 AD Uxmal had 25,000 residents.

We are coming up on a Mayan rain water storage area.

The Fortune Teller’s pyramid is the largest structure at Uxmal at 131 feet tall and 266 feet wide.

That hole in the middle was not originally there the archaeologists created that opening to explore the inside.

Stones that were taken out to create that hole in the temple.

This is the most valuable stone in the temple (on the right).

This is actually the front of the Fortune Teller’s Pyramid. We were behind it before. This plaza was only for the upper class.

The courtyard by Fortune Teller’s Temple was only for the upper class. This is entering into the main courtyard that was for everyone. 

Handprints are similar to what we saw on the side of some buildings in Tulum. They are believed to be a signature of the builders.

We are now entering the Quadrangle of Nuns. This would be the main plaza that was for everyone.

This graphic shows the Mayan class system.

This is a common Mayan house. It’s why you only see foundations in the ruins.

Looking straight ahead we can see the ball court.

This is looking back at the arch.

This is what a Mayan would have looked like.

Mayans would put jade in their teeth. They thought crossed eyes and flat skulls were beautiful so they would cross the eyes and flatten the skulls of babies.

Here we can see some excavation going on.

This is an example of a structure that hasn’t been excavated yet

We are about to climb those steps up ahead. There is a back way that is easier with a handrail but you will miss a couple of structures going that way. We will see that later because that is how we get down.

This is the House of Doves.

 

This is the Grand Pyramid which was the first temple built at this site and where the original king was believed to have lived.

Nothing was said about this. It looks similar to an altar I’ve seen at other sites where offerings were placed in the hole, but I’m not sure about this one.

Those are the two structures you wouldn’t have seen if you took the back way. Now we’re going up one more level. This is the level the back way takes you to.

You could get this view of the Grand Temple taking the back way.

This is the House of the Turtles.

Next to the House of Turtles is the best view point at Uxmal. 

Turn around and that’s the Palace.

This is the front of the palace.

At the point the tour is over. We have 1 hour to do what we want. You can go to the restaurant, bar, shop, or hang out at the ruins.

There are a few sculptures on the other end of the palace I checked out. Then I went back through the ruins to get better pictures.

This is the Shrine of the Pillory. That’s a full view of the palace in the background.

This is the Platform of the Cougar Throne.

This is the alternate way up with the hand rail.

Down here we have a few structures that weren’t covered.

There’s a direct path back to the entrance from here. At this point I’ve walked 1.2 miles so It’s probably 1.5 total on the tour. That would be less if you took that alternate way up and down. 

This is the side of the Fortune Teller’s Pyramid you go by taking the direct path back.

We still have 25 minutes left. I went back to the bus but the air conditioning is off. I’m going to the bar.

I just ate this on the way back.

And we are back in Progreso.

We are approaching the pier

That’s the free beach.

That’s the old pier that runs parallel to this one. It was built in 1930.

We had to be back at 4 for 4:30 bob and we were here at 3:30.

I enjoyed this tour and highly recommend doing Mayan ruins when you are in Progreso.