Uxmal and Kabah

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Uxmal

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It was an easy but hot ride out of the colonial town of Campeche. On route to Kabah and Uxmal the roads were narrow but with little traffic it was easy and safe riding. When I could I took back roads which bought me in contact with a lot of locals that don’t meet too many outsiders. This is one of the things I love most about traveling in Mexico. Meeting the locals.

The bike trail out of Campeche
Leaving Campeche and Entering Yucatan

Kabah

The ruins of Kabah are right by the side of the road. They in the Puuc mountains and are part of a series of ruins called the Ruta Puuc or Puuc Route. Although there are 6-8 separate complexes on this route I chose to limit my visit to just the two main places. Limiting my visits to just the main Mayan sights has been something I have been unable to do until now.

Although Kabah is an extensive sight there has been limited restoration work completed. Only the main 2-3 temples have been explored and restored. In company of the many Iguanas I wandered the sites for about 30 minutes before setting off to the nearby Uxmal. The larger and more famous site on the Puuc Route.

Before I reached Uxmal, on a section of road just like any other, I hit a milestone for my journey. 25000km clicked over on my GPS. That’s 25000km of human powered cycling on this 3 year journey. Add to that the 9209km of hiking and 721km of canoeing. It’s been a great journey so far. And I’m only about half way!!!

Kabah
Kabah is the smaller, less visited cousin of Uxmal
Kabah
Interesting carving at Kabah
Iguana Kabah
The mini dinosaurs at Kabah

Uxmal

In this part of the world the site of Uxmal is the grandest and most visited, with good reason. There are some nicely restored buildings and easy access for the average person from the nearby town of Merida. I visited Uxmal 10 years ago. I loved the place then and as I was in the area I felt I needed to return.

The grand pyramid complete with it’s rounded sides are the main draw card for the site. There are a billion pictures of it floating around the interwebs. Unfortunately, it is prohibited to climb the pyramid. I dearly would have loved to see the view from the top. Although the views from the top of the other pyramids were also amazing.

With the cost of food and drink at prices 3 or 4 times higher than the rest of Mexico I didn’t stay long. In fact the prices were higher at Uxmal than in USA, keep that in mind if you visit the area. So I cycled off in the direction of Merida. My good cycling and hiking buddies Spontaneity and Sky were there. Hopefully, we can hatch a plan to cycle together for a while. We both are running short on time as we get close to our flights to Atlanta to hike the Appalachian Trail.

This was my view of the road when I hit the 25000km mark on this trip. That’s 25000km by bicycle.
Uxmal
An overview of Uxmal from the top of one of the Pyramids
Uxmal
Panorama of Uxmal
Uxmal Iguana
The dinosaurs of Uxmal
Uxmal
The famed pyramid of Uxmal

Next : The Cenotes of Cuzuma

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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4 thoughts on “Uxmal and Kabah”

    • I have a rough plan to cycle to Argentina with lots of detours in the way. Still a couple of years away till I finish

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