The Puuc Route

You can easily spend a day or two in this region south of Mérida [1], with its rich concentration of Maya ruins, caves, and small appealing towns. The Puuc ruins are the main attraction of course, from the stunning size and accomplishment of Uxmal [2] to the fantastic artistry of smaller sites like Labná [3] and Kabah [4]. The Loltún caves [5] are a great introduction to the Yucatán’s vast underground world, and a tour of nearby Hacienda Tabi [6] reveals the splendor (and pervasive inequality) of the state’s colonial era.

Getting There

By Bus: An ATS bus headed for the Puuc Route leaves Mérida’s second-class bus terminal every day at 8 a.m., spends a half hour at Kabah [4], Sayil [7], Labná [3], and Xlapak [8] and two hours at Uxmal [2], before returning to Mérida [1] around 4 p.m. (US$12, entry fees are not included). There are also ordinary buses to Uxmal, as well as the nearby towns of Ticul [9] and Santa Elena [10].

Returning to Mérida, you can catch the ATS bus when it leaves Uxmal (around 2:30 p.m.), even if you didn’t take it down. Or flag down a second-class bus on the highway; they pass the Uxmal turnoff at roughly noon–1 p.m., 2:30–3:30 p.m., 4:30–5:30 p.m., and 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Car: If you’re driving, Highway 261 leads to the Puuc Route. From Mérida, the drive to Uxmal takes about one hour; from Campeche City [11] allow two hours.