Xel-ha was once an important sacred site where a variety of Gods were honored with rituals and dances; it was also a key point along an important coastal trade route.

Because of its strategic and sheltered position, during pre-Hispanic times Xel-ha was important as an ocean port, trade center and religious site. It was also a place where stores of food were kept in case of famine. It appears to have enjoyed two separate long periods of importance during pre-Hispanic times.

The first of these periods is estimated to have been from the end of the Late Preclassic to the Early Classic (100-600 AD). During that time Xel-ha was probably the largest coastal settlement in the region. Some of the palatial buildings have survived into modern times; including beautiful structures such as the Palace of the Birds whose aesthetic and architectural features show links with the styles of central Mexico and especially with the Teotihuacán Highlands.

Between 600 and 1200 A.D. Xel-ha went through a long period of stagnation, which ended early in the 12th century when the city began to grow again enriched by flourishing inter-coastal commerce. The city went on to become the greatest trading center on the Quintana Roo seaboard during the Middle and Late Post classic periods. The development of trade was accompanied by the construction of new palaces and religious buildings and of a wall to protect Xel-ha from ocean attackers.

When the first Spanish invaders came many of the city's inhabitants fled south into the empty inaccessible regions of Quintana Roo, leaving Xel-ha almost empty. By the middle of the 16th century the city was abandoned and completely deserted. The visible parts of the city include two sets of buildings. One of these is the Bird Group whose main structure is a palace by the same name, which although partially destroyed by the construction of a highway during '70s still holds beautiful murals showing a variety of birds and a god named Tlaloc who resembles the mystic rulers of Teotihuacán. Close-by sits the Lothrop Group of structures named after a famous researcher who first studied the Eastern Coast's Post classic architectural style.

The size and construction characteristics of these structures are not characteristic of the region and have led researchers to suppose that they could be ceremonial platforms similar to those used for ritual dances throughout Mesoamerica.

As we continue to explore Xel-ha we come to the Palace and Building of the Pilasters. Both these large and imposing structures are filled with rooms that contain stone benches indicating that they were used as living quarters. The general architectural form of the various structures is the final product of several construction styles, although mainly they appear to be from the Late and Terminal Classic periods (600-1000 A.D.). An ancient sac be or gravel road, joins this area to the Jaguar Group of buildings almost one-half mile east. Structures here date back to Xel-ha's last inhabited period from 1200-1550 A.D. corresponding to the Mid to Late Post classic era.

This cluster is made up of five buildings constructed on a common platform. The most notable of these is the Jaguar House, built in the typical Eastern Coast style and once used for ceremonial activities. The building owes its name to the painting of a descending jaguar that represents the origin of the sacred power of the city's rulers and their relation with God E, the most important god of the Post classic, divinity of the corn who descended to earth in that form. The Jaguar Group is complemented by the Building of the Tiles, of a similar style, in which we can see the remains of characteristic twisted tiles used on some of the ceremonial constructions of that era. These buildings sit next to a beautiful sinkhole or Cenote as they are known in the region, part of a vast system of subterranean caves and rivers that wind their way to the ocean under Xel-ha and which may have played an important ceremonial role in conjunction with these structures.

Although it has only been partially explored, it is important to mention the Pier Group located very near the inlet from which Xel-ha gets its name. It is made up of the several Eastern Coast style platforms and the wall, which defended those buildings against enemy attacks. Historians think it probable that this assembly of buildings was related directly to the harbor's commercial activities and probably served as navigational aids during the final years.

Schedule: 8 am to 5 pm

Location: Located 120 kms south of Cancun International Airport and 30 miles south of Playa del Carmen, located on the Federal Highway 307.