This early Mayan site covers a very large area, 42 square miles.  It is a favorite site for the adventurous.  

At Coba, the jungle has not been cleared away and that makes it easier to feel like one is stepping back in time. It's that Indiana Jones kind of feeling.

Coba is famous for a missing king, Chac Balam (Red Jaguar) who disappeared after age 30, with no stone records marking his death--very unusual for a Mayan ruler. It is assumed he was probably captured by enemies.

White Roads:
Mayan for "water stirred by the wind", Coba is next to a group of shallow lakes.  The archaeological remains are of a city begun in AD 600. 

These structures were scattered along a system of sacbe, which means "white roads". Each sacbe was built to exact rules. There was to be a base of stones three to 6 feet high, about 15 feet side, covered with white mortar. The remains of more than 50 sacbe have been found  crossing the  Peninsula There are more in Coba than in any other location. 

Coba was the largest city of its time with many outlying villages, and an important trade link between the Yucatán Caribbean coast and inland cities.

The Pyramids
The second highest pyramid on the site is called La Iglesia (the church). From the top there is a view of the surrounding jungle and one of Lake Macanxoc.    Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid here is 138 feet tall. At the top there is a small temple with a carving of the Descending God.

Stelae
There is a collection of carved stone pillars, or stelae, arranged in an area called the Grupo Macanxoc. 32 more Classic period stelae scattered throughout the Coba area.
Cunjunto Las Pinturas
Conjunto Las Pinturas was named because of the stucco paintings that once lined the walls. Here, clues of the paintings, in layers of yellow, red and blue -- can still be seen on the top corner of the temple.
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