Uxmal is a large Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization in the state of Yucatán. It is 78km south of Mérida. While much work has been done at the popular tourist destination of Uxmal to consolidate and restore the buildings, little in the way of serious archaeological excavation and research has been done here, therefore the city's dates of occupation are unknown. Thanks to its good state of preservation, it is one of the few Maya cities where the casual visitor can get a good idea of how the entire ceremonial centre looked in ancient times.

Sightseeing
Some of the more noteworthy buildings include the Governor's Palace, a long low building atop a huge platform, with the longest façades in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Adivino or Pyramid of the Magician is a fine pyramid temple unusual in several ways. The layers of the step pyramid are oval, rather than the usual rectangular or square shape. It was a common practice in Mesoamerica to build new temple pyramids atop older ones, but here a newer pyramid was built centred slightly to the east of the older pyramid, so that on the west side of the temple, the top of the old pyramid is preserved, with the newer temple above it.

Getting there
Most buses running between Campeche and Mérida can drop you by the ruins if you ask.