Mayan ruins can be found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, specifically in the countries of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Honduras has its share of Mayan archaeological sites as well.
While thousands of Mayan ruins can be found throughout the Yucatan and surrounding regions, only a few hundred remain open to the public. Some sites, such as Chichen Itza, cover so much ground--six square miles--that it takes a full day to explore it.
The Mayan ruins display a wide range in age, with many of the sites dating back as far as the fourth century B.C.
Many of the buildings that comprise the ruins, including various pyramids and temples, represent different aspects of the Mayan civilization, specifically religious beliefs and political dominance.
A large percentage of the Mayan ruins were covered over the course of thousands of years with dense jungle overgrowth. The conditions at these sites can be challenging for some tourists--expect sweltering heat, pesky insects or long hikes to reach the ruins.
