How to Tour the Mayan Ruins on Your Own
While many visitors exploring the Mayan archaeological sites of Mexico and Central America do so in guided tour groups, independent travel in these areas is generally easy and commonplace.
The key to success in most cases is to understand how the local bus system works and be able to schedule your own trips and purchase your tickets. Because few local residents in these areas own personal cars, buses run frequently throughout the area and are very inexpensive.
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Instructions
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Choose a base
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There are extensive Mayan ruins in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Belize also has some ruins, but they are not as extensive as those found in neighboring countries.
In Mexico there are several major cities located near interesting ruins. Oaxaca, for example, is well served by air and once in town, the ruins of Monte Albon are easily reached by bus.
Many medium-sized to larger cities in Latin American have two---or more---bus terminals. Oaxaca has both first -lass and second-class bus terminals. Make sure you get to the right terminal for your trip. Monte Albon is only about five miles from Oaxaca, so a cab ride is another option. -
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Mérida is the best base for visiting many of the major Mayan sites on the Yucatan Peninsula by bus. Chichén Itzá is perhaps the most famous and is only 75 miles from Mérida. Smaller hotels and restaurants can be found near the top archaeological sites, such as Chichén Itzá.
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People vacationing in Cancun or Cozumel, Mexico, can get to good Mayan ruins at Tulum. Many visitors rent a car for the day or are able to connect with one of the frequent shuttle buses that make the trip.
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The major sites of Tikal in Guatemala and Copan in Honduras can be reached by bus service. However, neither of these ruins is located near a major city with airline service. This will add several hours to your ground transportation.
Reaching Copan from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, requires a seven-hour bus ride. The quickest you can expect to get from Guatemala City to Tikal is about 12 hours via bus.
Because these are longer trips, you'll have to stay at the ruins for at least one night. Fortunately, there are several hotels at both of these archaeological sites. Reservations can be made over the Internet.
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Tips & Warnings
Often there are smaller villages near the sites of Mayan ruins where you can find affordable lodging. If you want an entirely English-speaking experience, consider visiting Belize. Once there, many Mayan sites can be reached by either bus or taxi.
Avoid bus trips that travel after dark. A high percentage of accidents occur at nighttime in these areas. Malaria is present in some of these jungle areas. Have your doctor give you a prescription for anti-malaria pills before you travel.
