Uxmal
Uxmal is a Classic-period Maya city on the Yucatán Peninsula, about 80 km south of Mérida in southeastern Mexico, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It is the defining city of the Puuc architectural style: plain lower walls topped by densely ornamented upper friezes covered in long-nosed masks of the rain god Chaac, interlocking double-headed serpents, and stone carvings of thatched Maya huts. The buildings rise and stack with the terrain in impressive mass — the five-tiered Pyramid of the Magician and the sprawling Palace of the Governor are the standouts. Walk inside, and every wall holds details that no one has ever read aloud to you.
Mexico · 16 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Temple of the Phalluses
This temple stands in the most remote corner of the site, in the southwest, next to the Casa de la Vieja. The facade is plain, but the upper frieze carries a row of stone phallic spouts — when the rains came and water poured through them to the ground, it symbolized the fertilization of the earth. In Classic Maya belief, this image was directly tied to the rain-bringing rituals of Chaac, the rain god. Some of the stone carvings have since been moved to the Casa de la Vieja for display.
Sources: georgeinmexico.wordpress.com · es.wikipedia.org
Casa de la Vieja
The Casa de la Vieja (House of the Old Woman) is a small pyramid complex set on a raised platform at the southeast corner of the Governor's Palace terrace. When the 19th-century explorer John Lloyd Stephens visited, he found a rough female stone sculpture at the base of the platform. Scholars later suggested it may represent Tlazoltéotl-Toci, a Nahuatl-speaking tradition's goddess of earth and fertility; another reading holds that the building originally served as a temple to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of fertility, and dates to around the 7th century CE. Today the site also serves as the display space for stone carvings moved here from the nearby Temple of the Phalluses.
Sources: georgeinmexico.wordpress.com · yucatan.turista.com.mx
House of the Turtles
At the far end of the Governor's Palace terrace, look up at the cornice of this small rectangular building: a row of stone turtles, each carved differently, lines the entire frieze. That detail is where the name comes from. Built in the Terminal Classic period, it is considered a pure example of Puuc Classical style and one of the most balanced, restrained buildings the Maya ever built. Among Uxmal's richly ornamented facades, the House of the Turtles stands out precisely because it holds back.
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
Cemetery Group
The name is straightforward: skull-and-crossbone carvings cover the frieze, so early explorers called it the Cementerio. Four buildings enclose a courtyard. Looking around from inside, the north side is a pyramid still bearing the remnants of a small temple (templete) on top. The most rewarding structure is the restored west building.
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
Great Pyramid
On the southwest side of the Governor's Palace lower terrace stands a partially ruined pyramid that must once have rivaled the Pyramid of the Magician in scale. Nine stepped platforms (basamentos) stack up to a broad terrace; four more steps lead into the temple at the top. In the center of that temple's entrance, a massive Chaac mask faces you directly.
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
El Palomar (Dovecote)
El Palomar — the Dovecote — gets its name from the openwork roof comb above: nine interloc… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: mayanpeninsula.com · adeptexpeditions.com · mayaruins.com
Temple of the Macaws
The Temple of the Macaws (Templo del Guacamayo) sits on the northern platform at the top o… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: timenspace.net · es.wikipedia.org
Palace of the Governor
The Palace of the Governor sits on a vast three-tiered platform in the middle of open flat… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
Pyramid of the Magician
The Pyramid of the Magician (Pirámide del Adivino) is Uxmal's landmark: about 35 m tall, w… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Platform of the Stelae
The Platform of the Stelae (Plataforma de las Estelas) lies on the north side of the North… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: es.wikipedia.org · mariecom.wp.tulane.edu
South Temple
The South Temple (Templo del Sur) is part of the El Palomar group (Grupo El Palomar), on t… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
La Picota
La Picota is a small ritual space holding two stone carvings side by side: a phallic stone… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: mexicofinder.com
Northern Long Building
The Northern Long Building runs along the west side of the Nunnery Quadrangle's platform a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: mayaruins.com
Circular Pyramid
In the southwest corner of Uxmal stands an unusual circular platform structure — the Circu… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: worldhistory.org
Nunnery Quadrangle
Behind the Pyramid of the Magician opens a broad courtyard set on a square platform about… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: es.wikipedia.org
Temple of the Phalluses
This temple stands in the most remote corner of the site, in the southwest, next to the Ca… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: georgeinmexico.wordpress.com · es.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside Uxmal?
Temple of the Phalluses, Casa de la Vieja, House of the Turtles and more — 16 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the Uxmal guide free?
The first 5 spots are free to read; the other 11 unlock with a one-time purchase (not a subscription).