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Uxmal
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When:
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Daily
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Where:
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Uxmal
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| Costs: |
peso95 entrance and show; peso30 just show
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| Opening Hours: |
Summer: Show at 8pm; Winter: Show at 7pm
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The magnificent Mayan ruins of Uxmal (which means 'thrice built' in reference to the various stages of its construction) are today a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and originally made up the powerful capital of the Puuc region, as extensive archaeological remains testify.
Uxmal is somewhat off the beaten track, well inland from the Cancún-Tulum highway. For this reason you are likely to find less people here than at Chichén Itzá, although the ruins if anything are more impressive.
The Governor's Palace for example has carved rain god masks jutting out from a frieze composed of filigree mosaic. Just at the entrance to the site is the Magician's Castle, which is an enormous Mayan pyramid crowned by a temple at its summit. The climb is arduous but the views more than compensate for the trembling knees. From the top of the castle the ruins of this majestic city stretch out before you, while beyond them the dense jungle stretches out broken only by a view of Yucatan's only range of hills on the horizon.
A spectacular sound and light show taking place in the Mayan ruins of Uxmal is an experience you won't forget. The stage for the nightly show is the Nun's Quadrangle, a grand central square 75 metres long and 45 metres wide in the centre of the ruins.
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