Last Updated on: 18th May 2024, 01:33 am
Located 25 km southeast of Mérida is a site that even many Mayan ruins enthusiasts have never heard of. The site of Acanceh was first established back in the Preclassic Period (700 BC–50 AD). But as evidenced by the modern town of the same name, Acanceh has been continuously inhabited for millennia.
I’d previously seen Acanceh and its pyramid from the bus window on my way to Mayapán. While the presence of the ancient pyramid in the center of a modern town square was fascinating, I didn’t realize that it was an official archaeological site that one could enter and explore. And as it turns out, there’s a lot more to these ruins than first meets the eye.
Little of Acanceh’s history is known, other than that it had relationships with cities like Dzibilchaltún, Oxkintok and Mayapán. And the city even traded with Uaxactun, located just north of Tikal, Guatemala.
While Acanceh would begin to decline around 1,000 AD, it remained occupied until the arrival of the Spanish, and of course, even now.
Rather than its ruins, Acanceh is most known among foreign tourists today for being nearby several popular cenotes. But it’s worth bearing in mind that there are no cenotes in the town itself, so ideally you’ll want to have your own transport. Keep reading to learn more.
For more information on reaching Acanceh from central Mérida, be sure to check the end of the article.
Acanceh's Central Pyramid
Aside from having a pyramid alongside it, Acanceh’s town square is a little unusual due to the fact that its main church faces a large parking lot. The other half of the town square, however, is comprised of a pleasant public park.
Acanceh, which is believed to have been the town’s original name, means ‘Moan of the Deer.’ And accordingly, the nearby park hosts a model of the main pyramid with a deer atop it.
At the time of writing, the archaeological site costs $75 MXN to enter and is open daily from 8:00-17:00. If you walk right up to the pyramid, you’ll simply see a locked gate. But look out for a little INAH booth in the corner of the parking lot.
There, you should find a staff member who will issue your ticket and open the gate for you. When finished with the main pyramid, he should then walk you over to the Palace of the Stuccos a few blocks away.
Walking through the gate, you’ll walk around to the other side of the pyramid. At about 11 m high, its base is 30 m on each side. While certainly not huge by Mayan standards, there’s a lot more to this site than what you can see from street level.
On the backside of the pyramid is a modern metal staircase taking visitors to the top. And it’s up here that you’ll find Acanceh’s fascinating stucco masks. The masks, each of which measures a few meters high, represent Kinich Ahau, a manifestation of the Mayan Sun God.
In the southern part of Quintana Roo is the site of Kohunlich, whose Pyramid of the Masks is widely regarded as just one of several with its stucco masks intact. Yet despite how rare this is, Acanceh is hardly ever mentioned.
But how did these masks survive? As was the case at Kohunlich, the ancient Mayans would eventually build another layer over the original structure, either intentionally or inadvertently preserving the masks for centuries.
At the upper level, you can also see the pyramid’s original stairway which itself remains covered in stucco! Along with the masks, the whole thing was likely painted red.
While we know that Mayan pyramids did not originally have their bare limestone blocks exposed as they do today, it’s still fascinating to catch a glimpse of how things would’ve looked in their heyday.
According to The Mayan Ruins Website (an overall excellent resource), the stucco faces were recently damaged in an incident involving fireworks. Before the modern metal roof we see now, a thatched roof once covered the pyramid.
But celebratory fireworks (an extremely common thing throughout Mexico) caused the roof to catch on fire, damaging some of the faces below!
Older photos, however, suggest that the faces were not fully intact even before the incident.
Also from the top of the pyramid, you can enjoy a view of the modern town and the 16th-century yellow church. And from the other side, you’ll be looking directly down at the neighbors’ houses.
While not visible from the street, behind the mask pyramid is yet another pyramid consisting of four tiers. It’s in fairly good condition and stands at 4.5 m high.
A third structure that once stood in the area was destroyed to make room for the local train station, and no data on it exists other than it having been observed by archaeologist Désiré Charnayin in 1881.
The Palace of The Stuccos
Acanceh was originally home to about 300 structures, extending out to 3 square kilometers. While most of those have been lost forever due to modern development, the Acanceh Archaeological Zone does have an additional area for visitors to explore.
While just a few blocks away from the pyramid mentioned above, the location of the Palace of the Stuccos is far from obvious. But the person working at the ticket booth should be able to walk you there and open the gate.
Being tucked away in an unassuming residential district, the ruins here are surprisingly impressive. The base of the Acropolis measures out to 50 meters on either side, with the structure’s highest point reaching a height of eight meters.
It’s worth walking all around it to appreciate it from different angles. The Acropolis is a complicated structure consisting of numerous staircases, along with the remnants of various chambers. Unfortunately, much of it has been lost due to years of incessant quarrying.
At the top of the Acropolis, you’ll find the little structure for which this area is most known: the Palace of the Stuccos. Like the stucco masks by the main plaza, the friezes here are now protected by a modern metal roof.
While hard to make out, the friezes depict a combination of deities and various animals – particularly birds. Originally, the art was painted in vibrant colors, much like the intact murals of Bonampak.
But notably, archaeologists believe that the art style – along with the architecture itself – indicates a Teotihucano influence. As we know that Teotihuacan maintained a close relationship with Tikal, a connection with Acanceh is certainly a possibility.
As you explore the various other unnamed structures at the top, you’ll get a clear view of the modern houses of Acanceh coming right up to the edge of the Acropolis.
On the one hand, it’s sad to think how much of the ancient city has been lost. But personally, much like at sites such as Izamal or Cholula, I find this stark contrast between ancient and modern to be quite fascinating.
Nearby Cenotes
As mentioned, many foreign visitors end up in Acanceh to see the nearby cenotes. To the east of Acanceh, for example, are several well-known cenotes such as Santa Bárbara, Cuzamá and Homún. Visitors should be able to access them all for a flat fee of $250 MXN or so.
Confusingly, Google Maps features a listing which indicates that these cenotes are in Acanceh itself, but this is false. Rather, they are over a 20-minute drive away.
And considering how there are no major towns or cities along that road, it doesn’t seem like any public transport goes there. If you don’t have a car, you’ll likely have to negotiate with a taxi driver in Acanceh (the town is too remote for Uber).
Alternatively, you could take this cenote tour to get there, which also includes a stop at the ruins.
I didn’t end up visiting the cenotes around Santa Bárbara. On another excursion, however, I’d get the chance to visit a few cenotes to the southeast of Acanceh. Located along a rough road east of Telchaquillo are the cenotes of Nah Yah and Noh Mozon.
Nah Yah is a semi-open cenote, while Noh Mozon is a lot more enclosed. While still technically semi-open, parts of it feel like you’re swimming in a dark cave.
These were some of the best cenotes I’ve been to in the region, but having a private vehicle is a must. And ideally a 4×4, as the road leading up to them can get quite rough.
At the time of my visit, each cenote cost $70 MXN per person, and there didn’t seem to be any package deal available. There are actually a few other cenotes in the general area, but I found visiting two in one day to be plenty.
Note that Nah Yah and Noh Mozon are quite close to the archaeological site of Mayapán. So if you’re traveling with a rented vehicle, consider visiting Mayapán, some cenotes and Acanceh all on the same day.
Additional Info
There are a few different ways to get to Acanceh from Mérida. The easiest way would be to simply take an Uber. While a lot depends on which part of the city you’re coming from, I paid about $280 MXN for the one-way journey (about $17 USD). But fortunately, there are much cheaper options for those on a budget.
Regular shared minivans run between central Mérida and Acanceh. You can find them at Parque San Cristobal, which is the park in front of the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
Even if you arrive in Acanceh by Uber, you likely won’t be able to find an Uber back to the city, so you can simply take one of these minivans back.
Departing from Acanceh, they leave when full, and you should find one waiting right in front of the central pyramid.
Another option for visiting Acanceh is to take a bus from the Noreste Bus Terminal. However, these buses aren’t going to leave as frequently as the minivans. But if you’ll also be visiting the ruins of Mayapán, it should be possible to visit Acanceh on the same day.
To do so, first follow the directions as outlined at the end of our Mayapán guide. Then on the way back, you could get off the bus at Acanceh, and then finally take a combi/minivan back to Mérida. While it would be a long day, it should be doable, though it would be wise to confirm how late the combis run upon your arrival in Acanceh.
Acanceh is fairly close to Mérida’s Teya station of the newly-opened Tren Maya. However, it doesn’t seem like any buses go there at the time of writing, so you’d likely have to rely on traditional taxis if you were to visit the Teya station directly from Acanceh.
If you don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of reaching Acanceh on your own, consider a tour like this one. As mentioned above, it also includes a visit to some nearby cenotes which are widely considered as some of the best in the region.
If you’re on more of a budget, this unique tour takes you around Acanceh on an ATV!
In Mérida, I highly recommend people stay as central as possible. Some popular mid-range hotels in the center include Casona 61 and Kuka y Naranjo. Those on a tighter budget should also enjoy the highly-rated Hotel Santa Maria and Hotel Real Toledo.
As Mérida is so spread out, things may be much farther apart in reality than they appear on a map. Before making any booking, it’s best to confirm the precise walking distance from your accommodation to the city’s main square, Plaza Grande. From there, you can easily get around to most of the major sites and bus terminals.
Also within the historical center is the main ADO bus terminal that can take you to various cities throughout the region, not to mention the Uxmal ruins.