For being a “lost” civilization, there are an awful lot of Mayans in Mexico. Their beautiful almond shaped eyes greet us in many cities, across many states. Unique Mayan crafts and food color our route and their language gives Mexico many of its cities’ names (including fun-to-pronounce ones such as Chihoo-hool). Our drives in Mexico were connected by visits to several early Mesoamerican Mayan temple sites, but it is hard to believe how many have been discovered, and how many are perhaps still hidden by the wilds of Mexico.

Of all the things to see in Mexico, Mayan ruins always top the must-do lists. We incorporated an impressive eight sites into our itinerary, topped by Palenque in the jungle of Chiapas (check out our post about Palenque, if you missed it, here). After leaving Chiapas, we rode up the Puuc Route (home to many temple sites) to Sayil and Uxmal.

Sayil is small, untouristed and cheap. Only a few buildings exist, in partial restoration. The main structure, a seat of power and influence, features beautifully preserved decorative detail. Several monoliths with Mayan texts surround the grounds, and one unusually features an “elaborate” fertility sculpture.

Uxmal was the first temple site we visited on the beaten path. Many tourists (a large Japanese group while we were there) are led around the compound by multilingual guides. The site features a unique oval-based “pyramid” and allows only partial access for walking on the ruins (unlike Palenque which is simply all open). There are numerous huge structures, which many beautiful views. Uxmal feels very stately, impressive. Huge open squares and long facades feel palatial and refined.

Further into the compound, where tourists are too tired to walk, the ruins are home to hundreds of bats. One building seemed to hum with the their squeals — they were living in every crack between the stones. Huge iguanas almost matched the tourists in number.

Though our 1997 Let’s Go guidebook says that Chichén Itza is the one ruin not to be missed, we would have to disagree. Maybe things looked different in 1997. Today, Chichén Itza is the one-stop-shop of Mesoamerica. Tourists abound, and the price is steep compared to the rest. It’s hot, dry, and sand storms swirl up out of nowhere. Gone is the lush jungle setting of other sites, long trampled by thousands of feet. The site is fully restricted, just walk up, snap a shot and move on.

Though the Observatory and Ball Court are a standout among other sites, Chichén Itza fell very flat for both of us. The worst was perhaps the endless line of knickknack vendors yelling to outshine the rest. A dollar for everything. The heart of the site seems to have been sold for the tourist dollar.

It could almost be said that Chichén Itza is the Disneyland of the Maya Empire, but that honor must go squarely to Xcaret. We got off the freeway on the way to Cancun at the Xcaret freeway off ramp, a heavily advertised locale, looking for something cold to drink. Big parking lot. Parking attendants. No bells go off yet. Park, walk up to the wall. Lots of cute little building behind the wall, a little church. Nicely painted, in good repair. What could this be? Big entrance, big Xcaret! sign. Lush greenery, little folded maps on a rack. Around the corner, and information desk. Something’s starting to click… Around another corner — aha! A ticket counter. And not just any ticket counter. Stanchions able to queue hundreds of thrill-seekers.

Xcaret is an amusement park, built around a modest, but real, Mayan Ruin. Inside Mayan life is recreated. But with aquariums and butterfly gazebos. Monkey Island and swimming with dolphins. A traditional Mexican cemetery (?!) We were this close to being tempted by the absurdity of it all, but at $70 per person, it blew our budget. The diversions for travelers close to Cancun just keep getting more elaborate.

Another favorite was Cobá, a day trip from Tulum. The Cobá site is large in scope, but with few buildings. A kilometer or more separate each grouping, for which the site rents bicycles. Biking through the jungle at a temple site is a unique experience, one worth seeking out. The structures are only partially restored, which provides a different experience for visitors. It’s interesting to see how archeologists work through the site and how things must have looked before much of the jungle was cleared away. The furthest pyramid provides a hearty climb for a heady view.

Tulum is the ultimate beach bum’s temple. The structures are simple and unornamented, but interesting because of their spare style. Construction here differs greatly from other sites throughout Mexico. But what Tulum truly boasts is location, location, location.

Perched on a low cliff over the beautifully aqua Caribbean Coast of Mexico, Tulum’s simple walls hold a few picturesque buildings, and access to a stunning sheltered swimming cove, where most visitors seem to flock. This is the only site we came across that was given extensive landscaping — neat paths and patches of coastal flowers lead through the ruins and it’s easy to forget the crowds.

Just when we thought we had finished our circuit of Mayan ruins we drove into Izamal to find a city literally built out of a huge temple site right underneath its own foundation. With nothing better to do in town than cruise the streets we found several pyramids left in partial disassembly right in the backyards of Izamaleños homes. The largest pyramid, built tall on a broad lifted base, sits parallel to the new church in town. The site is huge and unique in architecture, so much so that we are boggled that it’s been given such disregard.

Unlike Mexico City, who’s discovery of it’s own subterranean Mayan stronghold (check out Templo Meyor from our first day in Mexico here) has created a new tourist channel, Izamal lets bygones be bygones, and pyramids sit quietly in it’s residents’ backyards.

It’s interesting to see how much modern Mexico is and isn’t influenced by the Ancient Maya. How much is cherished, and how much is unknown. The land was once held by such a powerful, noble and rich civilization, and is now the home to a new civilization spreading its wealth and population.