Lorry Perkins
Writer, Travel Blogger
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Tips for Visiting Coba Ruins and Climbing Nohoch Mul Pyramid in Mexico
Visiting an Ancient Mayan City
It’s time for me to take you away from the resorts and the beautiful beaches of Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to explore the interior jungle where the history of the ancient Mayan world is preserved in the Mayan ruins that have been uncovered.
Mayan Ruins
During our travels, we have been to Chacchoben, Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the world, Coba and Tulum, but I chose to write about Coba first because of the unique way the ancient city is built and the experience I had when I climbed the 120 steps to the top of the temple, Nohoch Mul, that reaches 137 feet in height. It is a truly remarkable view. Chichen Itza is the most well-known archaeological site in Mexico, but you cannot climb the pyramid there.
Coba, Home to the Tallest Temple Pyramid, Nohoch Mul, on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
According to LocoGingo.com, “Coba is the tallest temple pyramid on the Yucatan Peninsula”, and unlike other Mayan ruins, it is surrounded by several bodies of water. I’m not sure if our guide was serious when he said they held sacrificial ceremonies at the top of the pyramid, but his description of bodies being pushed down the numerous stone steps, made me take extra care during my climb. It is estimated that there could be 500 structures at Coba that have not yet been excavated there. Coba appears to be older than similar sites with estimates that it was possibly inhabited around 50 BC. The majority of the city was built from 500-900 AD. Interestingly, researchers discovered that women served as figures of authority in this city.
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Coba Ruins Hours & Admission to Park Entrance – Booking Your Excursion to this ancient Mayan City and Nohuch Mul
While staying at the Grand Palladium in Riviera Maya, Mexico, we booked our excursion with our resort representative located in the hotel lobby. The Coba ruins are approximately an hour’s drive from the resort depending on traffic. We boarded a comfortable tour bus that conveniently picked us up at our resort lobby to take us on our adventure to the Coba ruins which included the entrance fee, an authentic Mexican restaurant for lunch on a lake outside of the ruins, and a visit to an actual Mayan family home where we could see first hand how they live today. We attended a purification Mayan ceremony and visited a cenote. Our local guide Victor was knowledgeable and answered all of our questions about the ruins, Mayan history, and explained the quality of life of the locals today. Unlike Chichen Itza, we were excited that we could climb to the top of the Nohuch Mul Pyramid.
Ancient Mayan City
Upon arrival at the Mayan ruins, we saw what consisted of cities that surrounded the Nohoch Mul Pyramid, ball courts, and other living areas. The roads that connected the cities to the tallest pyramid were made of limestone. When the Mayans traveled at night, avoiding the hot daytime sun, the iridescent limestone lighted the way. Fun fact, the limestone in the sand at the beaches is what keeps the sand from getting extremely hot. Which is one of the reasons I love the beaches in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
Climbing to the Top of Nohoch Mul Pyramid
The Nohuch Mul Pyramid consisted of rough cut, different-sized steps, which made the climb more difficult. If you are able to climb 120 steps and you do not have balance issues, you should be able to climb to the top of the Nohoch Mul Pyramid and view what was the ancient Mayan city. There was a thick rope that spanned from the bottom of the structure to the top for a helping hand while climbing. Once you are at the top of the pyramid, you can see for miles. The view is breathtaking. I can still picture it in my mind and feel the awe of looking out across the landscape that was once home to the ancient Mayans. The combination of my mind’s eye imagining this ancient city coming alive and feeling the honor of being perched atop this ancient structure, arms outstretched, made time stand still. Check with your tour guide to ask if you can still climb to the top of Nohoch Mul Pyramid. In recent years, it has been restricted.
Mayan Family Home in Contrast to the Ancient Mayan World
The visit to a current nearby home was eye-opening. A family invited us into a small home that consisted of a single story of small rooms. Hammocks hung in the corners serving as beds and a Singer sewing machine that looked like an antique by US standards was well used for everyone’s clothing. Built next to this home was a concrete structure that was used in the colder months.
Traditional Mexican Lunch Included Near Site
Lunch was traditional homemade Mexican food in a local restaurant. The food was delicious, they provided excellent service, and made sure our bellies were full. We had the opportunity to meet others on the Coba tour and chat casually with our tour guide during this break.
Coba Tours Can Include Ziplining
If you are interested in Mayan history and the ancient Mayan city, and want to see how the families in the surrounding area live today, then you won’t want to miss this tour. There are different tours to explore Coba available including zip-lining and a combination tour that includes a visit to the ruins in Tulum. But we preferred to have an in-depth visit of the ruins, so we toured Tulum separately. Having the opportunity to learn about the ancient Mayan world, climb the Nohoch Mul Pyramid, and meet a modern-day family was an amazing opportunity that left a lasting impression. When visiting the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico, I would highly recommend a visit to the tallest pyramid, Nohoch Mul in Coba.
Please leave a comment below or on my Facebook or Instagram page. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share. For more information about the Mayan ruins, check out my post about Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum.
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[…] leading to a beach below and beautiful aquamarine water for a way to cool off after your tour. Coba is home to the tallest structure, Nohoch Mul, with 102 steps that are open to visitors to climb. Your reward when you reach the top is a […]
How interesting – although I did some serious research before we went to Yucatan, I haven’t heard of these pyramids. We are not the organized travel types so we also did all the tours by ourselves. The best one was by public bus from Merida – so much fun…and also dirt cheap.
[…] Tips for Visiting Coba Ruins and Climbing Nohoch Mul […]
The traditional Mexican lunch sounds soooo good!! I love eating different cuisines!
We are going to Cancun in 2023. If we have time for only one tour to ruins, should I do Coba or Chichen Itza? It looks like Coba is not remastered!
That’s a tough one. We’ve been to both, but they are so different that it’s hard to choose one over the other. We wanted to see Chichen Itza because it is one of the seven new wonders of the world. While the Coba ruins are not as large or famous, having the opportunity to visit a family home to see how people live and have a more intimate tour was attractive to us. And we could climb the pyramid there. When we visited Chichen Itza, visitors were not allowed to climb the pyramid.
There are vacations where I can spend all my time lounging on the beach. Yet others that I am looking for more adventurous fun. It was great to know about the fun that can be had visiting the Coba Ruins and climbing Nohoch Mul. And good to know that excursions are available from the hotels. I might want to add in zip lining!
What an adventure! This looks like a great excursion from your hotel. Of course my husband would want to add the zip-lining to ours.
This sounds like a great experience – between the views and the food! I love finding tours like this that are worth the experience!
Visiting the ruins is at the top of our bucket list. Thanks for sharing this great information!