Ek’ Balam is an ancient Mayan city located on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It’s not as popular as Chichen Itza, but still very impressive. The city’s name- Ek’ Balam- means “Black Jaguar” in the Mayan language. Its dating back to 100 BC with its peak in 700-900 AD. It is believed to have been inhabited for as long as until the 16th century. Visit Ek’ Balam and get to live like a Mayan for a day.

Visit & Discover Ek’ Balam Temple

One of the best parts of discovering Ek Balam is the fact that you can still climb the main stairs of the ruins. 

The largest building in Ek Balam is the Acropolis with a length of 160m, a width of 70m and a height of 31m. A steep staircase leads up to the top of this pyramid- the steps are so steep that the climb is rather hard and at points feels dangerous. Do not go up if you suffer from vertigo or are not in fit conditions. The view from the top however is absolutely breathtaking- you can see the wide open view over the canopy and the whole complex hidden in the forest. 

↬ TIP : There is a cenote that is near to the ruin site. Cenote X’Canche is about 1,5 kilometer away and you can get to the cenote from the same parking lot, by simply going right before entering the ruins. There are bikes which you can rent to shorten the way. This cenote looks very beautiful, but as we visited Ek Balam during a rainy and coldish day, we decided not to visit it.

↬ Read : Best cenotes to visit in Yucatan

General Tips

Opening time: daily from 8AM to 5PM.

↬ Note : Remember that Ek Balam is in Yucatan state and there is one hour time difference in the winter months. They are one hour behind Quintana Roo state.

Entrance fee- 413 pesos for ruins and extra 50 pesos for visiting the cenote X’Canche

↬ Read : All you need to know about Yucatan- Guide

Parking

There is a parking at the main entrance and costs about 30 pesos

You can visit the whole site in 1,5 hours. 

↬ TIP : If you travel by car, you can leave Playa del Carmen around 8 am, arrive to visit Ek Balam by 10 am, have 2 hours on the site and then head for lunch to the beautiful colonial city Valladolid for lunch.