Travelers to the peninsula have an opportunity to see pre-Hispanic ruins -- such as Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, and Tulum -- and the living descendants of the cultures that built them, as well as the ultimate in resort Mexico: Cancún. The peninsula borders the aquamarine Gulf of Mexico on the west and north, and the clear blue Caribbean Sea on the east. It covers almost 197,600 sq. km (76,294 sq. miles), with nearly 1,600km (1,000 miles) of shoreline. Underground rivers and natural wells, called cenotes, are a peculiar feature of this region.
Lovely rock-walled Maya villages and crumbling henequén haciendas dot the interior of the peninsula. The placid interior contrasts with the hubbub of the Caribbean coast. From Cancún south to Chetumal, the jungle coastline is spotted with all kinds of development, from posh to budget. It also boasts an enormous array of wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds. The Gulf Coast beaches, while good enough, don't compare to those on the Caribbean. National parks near Celestún and Río Lagartos on the Gulf Coast are home to amazing flocks of flamingos.
To present the Maya world in its entirety, this guide also covers the states of Tabasco and Chiapas. The Gulf Coast state of Tabasco was once home to the Olmec, the mother culture of Mesoamerica. At Villahermosa's Parque-Museo La Venta, you can see the impressive 40-ton carved rock heads that the Olmec left behind.
San Cristóbal de las Casas, in Chiapas, inhabits cooler, greener mountains, and is more in the mold of a provincial colonial town. Approaching San Cristóbal from any direction, you see small plots of corn tended by colorfully clad Maya. The surrounding villages are home to many craftspeople, from woodcarvers to potters to weavers. In the eastern lowland jungles of Chiapas lie the classic Maya ruins of Palenque. Deeper into the interior, for those willing to make the trek, are Yaxchilán and Bonampak.
