El Meco Archaeological Site
Zona Arqueológica El Meco
A Maya site on the road north of Cancun toward the ferry to Isla Mujeres. It has the tallest pyramid-temple in the Cancun area and sees very few visitors.
El Meco was a Maya port settlement that flourished roughly between 300 and 1500 CE. Its main structure, El Castillo (the Castle), stands about 12.5 meters tall, making it the highest ancient building in the Cancun region. Temples and residential platforms surround it, and spiny-tailed iguanas are often seen in the forest. Admission is around 90 pesos. The site is small, and a visit takes about 45 minutes. Climbing the pyramid is not allowed. It lies about 2 km north of Puerto Juárez, so it is easy to stop by before or after going to Isla Mujeres.
Opening hours
8:00 AM–5:00 PM (last entry approx. 4:30 PM)
Nearby sights
- Parque de las Palapas
- Mercado 28
- Isla Mujeres
- Cancún Underwater Museum of Art (MUSA)
- Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres
- Cancún Hotel Zone
- Coco Bongo
- Nichupté Lagoon