Tracing the Footsteps of the Mayans

Adventure in Tulum, Chichén Itzá, and Ek’Balam

The Temple of Kulkulkan, also known as El Castillo, counts 91 steps on each of the temple’s four sites with the top platform making the 365th—one step for each day of the year. The pyramid is nearly 100 feet high. Wibke Carter

When it comes to choosing a vacation destination, I am inevitably drawn to places filled with history, culture, and beauty. I have seen the gladiators’ arena in the Coliseum in Rome; I stood where the Colossus of Rhodes towered over the Greek island; I have walked amongst the shrines and temples in Kyoto, Japan; and this time I was set to discover the traces of the Mayan culture on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

After a short four-hour flight from New York, I arrived around noon at Cancun Airport where the thermometer showed a warm 82 degrees Fahrenheit. While Cancun is the tourist center of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, I opted to stay in the much smaller Playa del Carmen. After making my way to the public bus area, the next scheduled transport arrived within 15 minutes.