6 Ruins near Izamal, Yucatán: Map & Photos

6 archaeological sites · within 60 km

There are 6 archaeological sites within 60 km of Izamal in a straight line, an hour or a little more by road. The closest is Aké, 29 km away; the farthest, Zona Arqueológica de Yaxuná, is 57 km. They are listed under the Pueblos Mágicos of Motul, Maní, and Valladolid, which make good bases.

Most archaeological sites are run by INAH and open from about 8 or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a small fee. Midday is the hottest and busiest time, so go early.

Best months, when most of these towns are dry with comfortable afternoons: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec.

The Ruins 6

Aké · Archaeological site · 29 km from Izamal · Near Motul
Maya ruins with a platform of 36 stone columns beside a henequen hacienda that still makes rope with old machinery.
Acanceh · Archaeological site · 47 km from Izamal · Near Motul
A Maya pyramid with giant stucco masks right on the main square of a living town, next to a colonial church.
Chichén Itzá · Archaeological site · 54 km from Izamal · Near Valladolid
The great Maya city of the Yucatán and a World Heritage Site: El Castillo, the Great Ball Court and the Sacred Cenote.
Xcambó · Archaeological site · 55 km from Izamal · Near Motul
A Maya salt-trading port near the coast, with a small colonial chapel on its plaza and flamingos often in nearby lagoons.
Mayapán · Archaeological site · 57 km from Izamal · Near Maní
The last great Maya capital of Yucatán, with a round observatory and painted stucco; closed since early 2024 over a land dispute.
Zona Arqueológica de Yaxuná · Archaeological site · 57 km from Izamal · Yucatán
A little-visited Maya city south of Chichén Itzá, at the western end of the 100 km sacbé from Cobá, with a North Acropolis, ballcourt and royal tombs.