Coba and the Large Pyramid

We were thinking of visiting Chichen Itza during our trip to Playa del Carmen, but on the scheduled day, it was too hot, CJ was a little whiny, and the drive seemed too daunting. So we decided to visit Coba, a set of ruins about an hour from Playa del Carmen, west of Tulum.

The ruins at Coba are not as extensively restored as those in Tulum or Chichen Itza so there's less to see. Our guide said that 95% of the ruins at Coba have been overtaken by the jungle. What Coba does have is a pyramid that you can still climb, so we were psyched to go!

Given the state of tourism in Mexico, we were not surprised that there were very few visitors at Coba. We had lunch at a lonely restaurant that had decent food. CJ loved the chicken and rice. Check out the photo on the right. Our silver rental car is under the trees. There are a few cars to the right. That was it, no other cars, no tour buses. I felt sorry for the shop owners.

After our visit, I did a bit of shopping at one of the stores. I bargained pretty hard and got two Mayan calendars, a purple ceramic star for the new office, a Mayan face figurine, and a Mayan mask for less than $50. I can't complain and the shopkeeper seemed happy. We both won.

There's not a ton to see in Coba but what you can see is pretty neat. Close to the entrance, you can see temples, plazas, ball courts, and other buildings. Then there is two kilometers of jungle between the entrance and the big pyramid. Our guide asked us if we wanted to walk, rent bikes or take a tricycle. Without missing a beat, CJ said he wanted to walk, so walk we did, in the heat!!! I was really impressed that CJ walked/ran the entire two kilometers and then still had energy to climb the pyramid with Maki.

I attempted the pyramid but I knew my knees could not handle the climb down, so I gave up after about 30 steps. There are 129 steps in the pyramid at Coba. CJ went up and down by himself, with Maki of course. Check out these pictures. I sat and waited for the boys under a tree. After the climb up the pyramid, CJ was ready for a tricycle ride home and a popsicle. He deserved both!

CJ and Maki at the bottom of the pyramid.

Maki and CJ close to the top.

Can you see the boys waving from the top of the pyramid?

Maki and CJ on the way down. CJ didn't need any help!