ZONA ARQUEOLÓGICA DE COBÁ

According to hieroglyphic inscriptions found on the site, Cobá is the original name of the city, and could mean "murky water" in Mayan, in reference to the five lakes around which the city developed. These bodies of water were essential to the city's subsistence, and helped it to grow. It now extends over some 70 km² and boasts some 6,500 structures, many of which are still buried under the jungle.

Cobá is criss-crossed by a network of stone roads known as sacbeob (plural of sacbé, "white path"). These elevated paths, about 50 cm high, were lined with low walls, filled with pebbles and covered with a white limestone plaster. At its peak, one of these linked Cobá to Yaxuná, near Chichén Itzá, over a distance of almost 100 km.

This network testifies to advanced political organization and a desire to extend regional influence. Occupation of the site dates back to 300-100 BC, but it was between 300 and 600 AD, during the Early Classic period, that the city really took off. It became an economic and political center, absorbing the surrounding villages. The main communication routes were built between 600 and 800, the period when most of the stelae were engraved. Some show queens, a sign of the important role played by women in the city.

Cobá reached its apogee between 200 and 1000, with the construction of major monuments and the development of trade with the Gulf of Mexico, while trade with the Petén declined. Between 1000 and 1450, the city went into decline, influenced by groups from the center of the country. A new architectural style emerged, integrated into the existing buildings.

Visiting: the site is busy all day long, with the constant passage of organized tours and excursions. For a more leisurely visit, you can rent a bike at the entrance and pedal away in the shade of the jungle. There are also paths reserved for pedestrians. From the entrance, you first discover Grupo Cobá, then, to the right, a fork leads to Grupo Macanxoc, more isolated and often ignored by visitors. Its tranquility makes it one of the most pleasant routes. Further on, you cross the Grupo de las Pinturas, the ball playing area, where you can see a skull and crossbones carved into the ground, a reminder of the sacred (and sometimes fatal) dimension of this ritual game, and then the highest point: the pyramid of the Grupo Nohoch Mul, Cobá's highest and most visited pyramid. The view of the canopy from the summit is spectacular.