Mayan Ruins Kohunlich Chetumal Mexico

Visiting the Kohunlich Ruins

Are the Kohunlich Ruins worth visiting?

Visitors to Kohunlich will get a chance to see beautiful Mayan ruins and wildlife at the same time. Unlike other ruins closer to Cancun which are taken over by iguanas and other lizards, you will notice as soon as you arrive at these Kohunlich that its howler monkeys that rein supreme here. 

This Mayan settlement has several structures of note spread over 21 acres surrounded by palms and other vegetation. The Temple of Masks is adorned with intricate polychrome stucco masks painted red and black. Of the eight original masks, only five have survived the elements. Each mask represents a real person who lived during the Early Classic period during which the masks were made and each one is dressed in attributes related to the sun.

The 27 Steps platform is another ruin that can be found on the southern side of the area. The large platform was thought to have held the homes of the wealthy between 1000 and 1200 AD. You can climb the stairs and look out over the entire complex. 

Open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, the entrance fee to access the Kohunlich ruins is 75 pesos.

Getting to the Kohunlich Ruins

Kohunlich is an hour’s drive from the city of Chetumal near Mexico’s border with Belize. A direct flight from Cancun to Chetumal takes roughly 1.5 hours and is the easiest way to get there and back again within a day, though it will certainly feel rushed. I recommend staying overnight in the city of over 100,000 and taking in the ruins during the day.