Archaeological site 21 km southwest of Tulum
One of the oldest Maya sites on the coast, in the forest beside the Sian Ka'an lagoons; reopened in 2026 after restoration work.
Muyil, also known as Chunyaxché after the village beside it, is a Maya site about 25 kilometers south of Tulum, at the edge of the Sian Ka'an reserve. It is one of the oldest settlements on this coast, occupied from a few centuries before Christ until the Spanish arrived. Its location explains why: it sits by the Muyil and Chunyaxché lagoons, which the Maya linked to the Caribbean with canals, making it an inland port for trade goods moving along the coast.
The site is small and quiet next to Tulum or Cobá. A path through the forest leads past platforms and temples to El Castillo, a steep pyramid with a small temple on top that rises above the trees, and to stretches of a sacbé, a raised Maya road. Birds are everywhere, and you are as likely to spot a toucan or a motmot as another visitor.
Muyil closed in late 2025 for work under the federal program that has upgraded sites along the Maya Train route, and reopened in February 2026 with a new visitor center, ticket office, restrooms, parking, new trails, and conservation work on eleven structures. The boat cooperative of the local ejido operates from the same area, so many people pair the ruins with a boat trip across the lagoons and a float down the ancient canal.
What to see and do
Walk the forest trail to El Castillo and the main plaza.
Look for the stretches of sacbé, the raised Maya road, that cross the site.
Book a boat with the ejido cooperative to cross the lagoons and float down the ancient canal in a life vest.
Go early with binoculars and insect repellent; the forest is full of birds and mosquitoes.
Getting there
Muyil is about 25 minutes south of Tulum on Highway 307 toward Felipe Carrillo Puerto; the entrance is right on the highway in the village of Chunyaxché. Second-class buses and colectivos heading south from Tulum can drop you at the gate; ask the driver for Muyil. INAH charges admission to the ruins, and the boat trip is paid separately.
21 km southwest of Tulum
Directions from Tulum on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
Muyil shares the climate of Tulum, 21 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr.
Make Tulum your base
Muyil is an easy trip from Tulum, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tulum
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Cenote Calavera
· Cenote · 2 km away
A small cenote just outside town with three holes in the rock like a skull; people jump in through the biggest one. -
Gran Cenote
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Sian Ka'an
· Nature reserve · 9 km away
A vast UNESCO-listed reserve of lagoons, mangroves and reef south of Tulum, with boat trips to see dolphins, birds and manatees. -
Cenote Dos Ojos
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Two linked sinkholes about 20 minutes north, the entrance to a vast flooded cave system; superb for snorkeling and cavern diving. -
Akumal
· Town · 26 km away
A bay north of Tulum where sea turtles graze on seagrass; snorkel with an authorized guide in small groups, as reserve rules require. -
Cobá
· Archaeological site · 41 km away
A huge Maya city in the forest between two lakes, with long white roads to bike and the 42-meter Nohoch Mul pyramid. -
Punta Allen
· Town · 46 km away
A lobster-fishing village at the end of the Sian Ka'an road, with boat trips to see dolphins and good fly fishing in the flats.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.