I visited this site in January 2025, my first for the new year. I had initially planned to check out Labna, Sayil, and Kabah as well, but after all the holiday travel, I decided to focus on Uxmal and make it a laid-back day trip from Merida. 

Touring the site

I arrived at the site well after lunch and spent about three hours exploring. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was much smaller than I remembered from my visit to Chichen Itza two years ago. This was consistent with what I had read in various blogs about Uxmal, though I had anticipated a more crowded experience, especially considering it was peak holiday season. The main structure in this site, many of which depict the rain god Chaac, are as follows: 

1. Piramide del Adivino - the first thing you’d see past the site entrance. It’s quite majestic, with its unique oval shape setting it apart from other Mayan pyramids. An arched, pointed doorway is visible on the upper half of the south side of the pyramid. Walking to the right of the pyramid will lead you to a series of buildings whose upper façades feature Chaac masks and elaborate geometric carvings.
2. Cuadrangulo de las Monjas - this is situated west of the pyramid. Elongated, rectangular buildings built on low platforms surround a large grassy courtyard. Beware of the iguanas sunbathing here; they’re so well camouflaged that they might startle you when they suddenly scurry away. The façades of the surrounding buildings are seemingly divided into two levels. The lower half is quite “bland,” devoid of carvings or decorations and marked only by rectangular doors. On the other hand, the upper half is adorned with elaborate geometric patterns, mosaics, Chaac masks on the cornices of certain buildings, and carvings depicting feathered serpents and even indigenous houses. This feature is characteristic of the Puuc architectural style. The southern building has a portal arch, where tourists often gather to take snaps.
3. Ball Court  - walking down the steps from the archway you’d see the ball court where juego de pelota was played. Not as fancy as the one in Chichen Itza I reckon. To your left (east of the ball court) is perhaps an understated yet elegant structure called the Temple of the Columns, so called for obvious reasons. While you could hardly see carvings on the upper panel, the building has a clean linear structure with stout columns that make the building a bit more elegant.
4. Palacio del Gobernador - going up the high platform/hill directly south of the ball court is the massive Palacio del Gobernador. Surely, Mayan architects of this structure made this building one of the most impressive in the Mayan world. Again, the lower half of the palace is devoid of carvings and decorations, while the upper half features mosaics of geometric designs and Chaac masks. There are also two imposing pointed arches on the eastern facade of the building. The palace sits on a platform and is accessible by numerous steps that descend into the courtyard. In the courtyard, you’ll see a couple of structures: a tilted column that resembles a boring stone slab and a double-headed jaguar sculpture known as the Throne of the Jaguar, where the reigning chief would sit when making public appearances. Adjacent to Palacio del Gobernador is the Casa delas Tortugas. It sits on the edge of the platform and heaps of tourists would take their selfies here as it provides a good vantage point to Piramide del Adevino and Temple of the Columns.
5. Gran piramide - this didn't look as grand as only its northern side is completely excavated, but this webpage quoted Pollack in 1936 that it is indeed the largest pyramid in Uxmal. I can't wait for the entire pyramid to be fully excavated, as they may find more structures on its souther side.
6. Casa delas Palomas - this structure (see photo) features "long decorative open work roof comb". The steps and structures below the roof comb have been partially (?) excavated, but I have seen photos such as this and this, where only the steps and other structures below remain covered in soil. 

Some practicalities

At the time of visit, visitors pay two separate tickets sold in different counters: MXN 461 as state government tax and MXN 100 as federal tax. I don’t know why they don’t just combine both. Quite pricey in comparison to other sites, and you can expect this to further increase in the future. Taking professional videos requires an additional fee. 

I reckon the best way to visit this site is by hiring your own car, so you can visit the other minor sites at your own pace. I opted for the cheaper option and took public transportation from Merida. Sur buses leave at 9am and 12pm and bus tickets are sold at ADO counters. Unlike blogs that documented their experience in 2022 and 2023, the ticket counters no longer sell return bus tickets. Instead, you pay for the return trip directly to the driver when you board the bus. Return buses are scheduled at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., but they can be late—mine arrived 30 minutes behind schedule. Tickets are sold beyond bus capacity, so be prepared to either sit on the floor or stand for the duration of the trip.

Just across the road is the Museo de Chocolate. I didn’t go but might be worth a visit while you are waiting for the bus on the way back to Merida.