Coba

Coba (coh-BAH), which translates roughly as "waters stirred by wind," is thought to be named for the four natural lakes situated in the vicinity. This timy village is about 44 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Mex 307 at a point about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the village of Tulum. From the north Coba is accessible via a paved road branching off Mex. 180 at Nuevo Xcan; the distance between the two points is 43 kilometers (26.5 miles). The Coba ruins spread out from the shores of Lake Cova just outside of town. One of the most ambitous sites in the Maya World, this classic city/ceremonial center dates from between A.D. 600 to 900 and at its height may have supported 40,000 to 50,000 inhabitants. Never discovered by the Spaniards, it was eventually abandoned. Archeologists theorize that Coba was an important trade link between Maya outposts on the coast and the cities from the interior. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1980's, but large scale excavation did not begin until 1974. It is believed that some 6,500 structures exist over an area of 80 square miles. .

Nohoch Mul is a 139 foot high pyramid towering above the flat landscape, is the tallest structure of its kind in the northern Yucatan rising even higher than El Castillo at Chichen Itza. Those who climb to the pyramids summit will be able to see unexcavated structures poking through an other wise unbroken green landscape. .