How about visiting this trio of Mayan cities during your stay? Tulum, Muyil and Coba are all in the Riviera Maya and within driving distance although you may want to pace yourself and visit them separately.

The spectacular views of the Caribbean from the cliff top city of Tulum makes this an obligatory Riviera Maya visit and it doesn’t matter how many times you have been there, it is always beautiful, right down to the iguanas basking in the sun on the walls of ancient temples.

Head inland from Tulum on the Mexican Caribbean coast to the ancient jungle city of Coba, one of the largest archaeological sites in the Maya World; it is said that 90 percent of its temples and palaces have yet to be excavated. You’ll be following in the footsteps of 19^th-century explorers as you explore the site on your own jungle adventure.

Coba is famous for the Nohoch Mul Pyramid, the tallest in the northern Yucatan, and for a network of sacbes or roads, one of which runs for 101 kilometers to Yaxuna, near Chichen Itza. In recent years archaeologists have cracked the hieroglyphic inscriptions on stelae and temple walls at Coba to identify a dynasty of 14 rulers that governed the city during the Classic period.

Keep a look out for huge blue morph butterflies, toucans, parrots and even spider monkeys as you walk along the jungle trails to the clusters of crumbling temples.

After your Coba visit you might want to cool off with a swim in one of the cenotes in the Tulum area.

Twenty minutes to the south of Tulum, the archaeological site of Muyil, also known as Chunyaxche, is on the shores of a lagoon in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Once a Maya trade center, it received goods brought by canoe from the Caribbean and shipped them overland to other cities in the Yucatan.

You can combine your Muyil visit with an unforgettable boat trip through the Sian Ka’an wetlands to see birds, crocodiles and other wild creatures.

Exploring these three archaeological sites on your Cancun vacation is a chance to have your own jungle experience with plenty of wildlife sightings.

Ready to book your trip?

All these trips and many more can be booked with Thomas More Travel. Visit the website and call in at the tour desk in your resort for more exciting tour and activity recommendations.