Gate 1 Travel Blog

Deep in the dense jungles of Mesoamerica, an advanced civilization emerged 4,000 years ago. Its architectural and cultural achievements have been compared to those of ancient Egypt, Greece and China – with many advances occurring simultaneously as those of its overseas counterparts. Intriguing? To be sure. And visiting the ruins of these mysterious societies is more captivating still. And so we invite you to explore the vestiges of the Maya with Gate 1 Travel.

Mayans are believed to have developed the first writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. Art, architecture, mathematics, and a calendar and astronomical system were also central to their culture. The structure of complex societies and organized agriculture predates the construction of cities, but once stones started being quarried for temples, palaces and other buildings, the Mayans went on a building spree. In your small group, you’ll visit four of the most significant and remarkable ruins.

Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, could well be the most famous and spectacular of ancient Mayan cities. Developed late in the arc of Mayan history, between 800 and 1200 AD, its many architectural styles suggest that it had a diverse population. As it grew in size, it also grew in reputation, gaining a place as one of the great mythical cities cited in Mesoamerican writing.

The city was a collection of temples, ball courts, several platforms, a steam bath, and many residences that fan out from the center. Parts of the city are connected by sacbes, or raised causeways that served as footpaths. Also central to Chichen Itza were the several cenotes, or sink holes, that still today are typical of the Yucatan Peninsula. These holes were often quite deep and took on religious significance to locals as they were believed to be portals to the gods of the earth. Sacrifices of gold, jewels and even humans were made to them.

But the centerpiece of Chichen Itza is El Castillo, a magnificent step pyramid also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, the feathered serpent deity whose carved figures can be seen at the temple’s base. Each of the four sides has 91 steps which, when totaled with the “final step” (the temple’s uppermost platform) add up to 365, the number of days in the Mayan calendar system.

The ancient city of Palenque is not as famous as Chichen Itza, but it should be. The mysteries of this UNESCO World Heritage Site have enthralled scholars since its discovery in 1773. Hundreds of buildings are strewn across the jungle that had once swallowed the city whole. Temples, stucco pyramids, funerary structures, a grand palace, intricate bas reliefs, towers, courtyards, and other buildings that mystify archaeologists and are therefore simply given a generic name and number, such as “Structure XII.”

The largest structure is the Temple of the Inscription, a step pyramid built as a funerary tomb for K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, who ruled for 70 years in the 7^th century. Scholars flocked to this pyramid when it was discovered that it held many keys to the ancient Maya. Rich and revealing hieroglyphics were found on interior tablets expressing the idea that past events will be repeated on the same date in some future year, a uniquely Mayan notion that often reasserts itself in today’s culture. Inside the tomb, the great ruler was found wearing a death mask made of jade.

In Uxmal, a vast array of structures reflect the dominant building fashion of the Maya. Its most celebrated building, the Governor’s Palace, is a low structure built atop a large platform. It features 20,000 stones carved to resemble fine lace and boasts the longest façade of any Mesoamerican structure. The site’s tallest and most magnificent creation is the Pyramid of the Magician. Its smooth steep surface, rounded corners, and elliptical base set it apart from other pyramids.

Uxmal was remarkably preserved over the centuries, thanks in large part to the well-cut stones that the original builders used. It is second only to Palenque for the elegance of its square-built buildings and its layout. If you want to get a clear sense of a ceremonial center in the Mayan world, visit Uxmal.

Ek Balam is one of largest Mayan ruins in Mexico.  Elaborate statues, grand architecture, and intricate stucco facades reveal much about this once-mighty city. The most impressive site at Ek Balam is its Acropolis, a six-story ancient behemoth at 525 feet long, 230 feet wide, and 96 feet tall. Within, archaeologists discovered 72 rooms and El Trono, or “The Throne,” the temple and burial site of the king Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’. And just so his people would always remember how powerful he was, the doorway to the temple resembles the open mouth of a jaguar or, some say, a monster carved there in order to protect the underworld.

Mayan ruins have many stories to tell and many mysteries to unveil. Many visitors are surprised by their size and breadth, which is why a small group adventure is the perfect way to explore them. Join Discovery Tours—and an expert guide seasoned in Mayan history and archaeology—and uncover the mysteries of Mexico’s Mayan ruins for yourself during our fascinating Mexico’s Mayan & Aztec Illumination.

Though Mayan civilization lasted for more than two millennia, starting around 2000 BC, it reached its technological and cultural zenith from 300 AD to 900 AD. Like the ancient Egyptians and Greeks before them, Mayans built vast cities, developed complex societies, and worshipped multiple gods. They were among the first cultures in the Americas to do so, and their legacies live on still today. When you join Discovery Tours’ Mexico’s Mayan & Aztec Illumination, you’ll stroll in the footsteps of the brilliant Mayan minds who laid the foundation for civilization in the Americas.

There was no one ruler in the Mayan world. Rather, the empire was divided into many fiefdoms, each one ruled by a king. The king had a straight line of communication to the maize god and his enthronement was celebrated with a lavish affair. The royal seat was always passed down the paternal line, from father to eldest son. Their society is known to have comprised a noble, middle, and commoner class.

What the royals oversaw was truly monumental for its day. Mayan urban centers have been called one of the great preindustrial civilizations of the world. Of course, the construction of massive temples and other sites was a gargantuan task by itself— quarrying, carving, lifting, and assembling massive stones without the advantage of modern-day machinery. But there was another new concept that had to be invented and developed for it all to come together—namely, project management. Specialization of craft, a centrally controlled organization, and having the political clout to call together a massive work force were as important as the rocks used to build the cities.

As cities grew, the need for communication increased. The Mayan writing system was an extraordinary achievement whose roots took hold somewhere between 300 and 200 BC. Of the dozen or so scripts that developed in Mesoamerica, theirs was the most sophisticated and advanced. It is believed that no more than 500 symbols were in use at any given time; these symbols represented entire words (a jaguar head represented the jaguar, for instance) or represented syllables that, when combined, expressed a word.

Numbers, too, found expression in the Mayan world. Using a “base 20” system (compared to our “base 10”), Mayan numerals were similar to Roman numerals: That is, a dot (“•”) represented “1” and a bar (“—“) represented “5.” Dots were written on top of the bar. So “12,” for instance, was written as two dots side-by-side on top of two bars. The symbology of higher numbers increased in complexity.

This number system played a crucial role in the Mayan calendar. One of the era’s most sophisticated, it recorded lunar and solar cycles, eclipses, and even the movement of planets—all with startling accuracy. Rather than counting 30 (or 31) days in each month, the Mayans counted 20 days (or k’in) in each winal. A year, then (or tun), consisted of 18 winal, which totaled 360 days, followed by a 5-day period known as the wayeb.

Marvel at the ingenuity of the Mayans firsthand during our Mexico’s Mayan & Aztec Illumination small group adventure.

A major cultural Renaissance is overtaking Mexico City, Mexico’s unsung capital. Public spaces have been revitalized. Mexican cuisine is gaining international recognition. Innumerable museums celebrate its long history and burgeoning arts and culture. And traditional cantinas are opening their doors with a warm welcome. It is a surprising city in so many ways, with the magnificent historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at its center. We invite you to uncover some of its countless surprises with a Gate 1 Travel escorted tour.

• The major cultural center of Mexico, Mexico City is home to 160 museums, the greatest metropolitan concentration in the world. More than 100 art galleries and 30 concert halls host a vibrant arts scene.
• Mexico City’s setting is stunning. It rests at an altitude of 7,350 feet, on a high plateau in the Valley of Mexico. Dramatic mountains encircle the city, which lies at the geographic center of the nation.
• No city, not even those in Spain, is home to more Spanish-speaking residents.
• It is the oldest capital city in the Americas, founded as Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco by the Aztecs in 1325. When the Spanish arrived in 1519, it was the largest capital in the world.
• Teotihuacán was the political and social capital of Mesoamerica before the Aztecs arrived. The eight-square-mile city, built between 100 BC and 250 AD and preserved today as historic ruins, is home to the second largest pyramid in the world, the Pyramid of the Sun.
• In the mid-19^th century, Austrian Maximilian I ruled the Mexican Empire as emperor. Today’s Paseo de la Reforma, the long and elegant boulevard lined with embassies and monuments, was fashioned by him after the Champs Élysées in Paris.
• The capital’s enormous zócalo, or main square, is the second largest in the world after Moscow’s Red Square.
• The magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest in the Americas, was built upon the ruins of a major Aztec temple.
• The modern-designed National Museum of Anthropology is home to the Aztec Calendar Stone. A 24-ton circular stone more than 11 feet in diameter. The most recognized piece of Aztec sculpture, it is believed to have been carved around the turn of the 16^th century to serve a religious or political purpose, or to simply track the passing of days, weeks and months.
• The splendid murals within the 17^th-century National Palace were painted by renowned Mexican painter Diego Rivera. They depict Mexican civilization from its ancient Aztec origins to its post-revolutionary period and took the artist 22 years to complete.