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Cobá: Located in the peninsula of Yucatán at approximately 50 kms in the Western North of Tulúm, which you will rediscover but this time - Ci by the sea: means by which the first Spanish conquistadors arrived.
In this territory where you will find and be able to visit one of many the cenotes (Zaci and Dzinup with Valladolid, Grand Cenote meadows of Tulúm etc.) which were used as water reserves soft, but also like place of worship, is the archeological site of Cobá which is thus easily accessible to all the tourists who are based on the Caribbean coast between Cancún and Playa del Carmen.
History of Cobá: She was discovered by the archeologist Autrichien Teobert Maler in 1891, the city of Cobá will be the subject of an update in the years 1920 per J. Eric S. Thompson. After many visits on the site, this last will publish in 1932 a long mentioning report its surprising discovered and the great extent of the site and will require of one of its American fellow-member archeologist and epigraphist Sylvanus Morley to assemble a new forwarding in order to look further into the knowledge of this new site of the peninsula of Yucatán.
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Sacbé: left elevated roadway of white color made of a mixture of stones and limestone of which some, always visible nowadays, crossed in Cobá by thus doing one of the dominant cities of Yucatán. … |
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The crowned Tree of the Mayas.
Ceiba which penetrates the underground world by the roots is supposed to make connection between the world and world will infra it. In fact these branches, represent the thirteen cosmic Gods and the roots, the nine Gods of the inframonde. When the Mayas die, their hearts, their spirits pass by will infra world before going back to the sky. The Mayas are accustomed to using the trees and the nature for their ritual, of which the ceiba which is very important, in particular when they are in period of weakness or disease: they go close to the ceiba and they call upon the spirits to find their interior harmony. |
The archeologists are almost unanimous: from the construction of the first punt - forms which would have taken place between - 100 and 200 before Jc - and of its strategic situation: it was surrounded by five lakes which provided water: (this very invaluable good because it rained little and because of the very calcareous ground water infiltrated very quickly and thus was not easily exploitable).
Cobá which one called Kinchil Cobá, in reference to God of the Maya Sun (Kinich Ahau) appears to have had a great influence and to have exerted a vast control in the east of Yucatán like on the current Northern part of the State of Quintana Roo between years 200 and 600 after JC.
But it will reach its traditional apogee only at the times traditional between 600 and 1100 and post of 1100 to 1450 after JC.
It extended then on nearly
70 km
² and was a great religious center as well as a place of important trade. Indeed several right main roads which one named sacbé (kind of elevated roadway of white color made of a mixture of stones and limestone some, always visible nowadays, made more than
100 kms, such sacbé of Yaxuná) crossed in Cobá by thus doing one of the dominant cities of Yucatán.
Surrounded by five lakes Cobá was the sea route obliged to join the roads of Xel ha and the coast of Tulum. To maintain its preponderance, it will pass from many military and commercial alliances with Tikal (trade of salt), Calakmul, Campeche etc… vis-a-vis its eternal rival: Chichén Itzá which little by little will take the ascent on Cobá after the arrival of Itzás.
At that time, the site such as it is currently discovered was inhabited only by the dignitaries and the priests.
The remainder of the population gathered around. With his apogee, one estimated his population at approximately 55,000 inhabitants, who came in Cobá to make barter (exchanges of products only). But compared to the site of Chichén Itzá extremely well restored, Cobá, she, was forgotten a little until in the years 1970 when she was rehabilitated by the National institute of anthropology and history Mexican (INAH).
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In Cobá one discovers there traditional a 32 meters length ball games to preserve very well |
The city was divided into various groups which had a relationship with their chronology but also to the hierarchical functions: group of Cobá (urban function), Groupe Macanxoc made up of terraces and punt - the overcome shapes of small temples and furnace bridges and which were reserved for funerary ceremonies etc.
Visit site: At the time of the visit, in the Cobá Group, one will start by discovering the “Iglesia”: a 24 meters high
pyramid
, where, up to one recent time one deposited offerings and copal. Then, in the same Group of Cobá, one will arrive at the traditional playing field of 32 meters
length
ball (see here the explanation of the ball game) which is preserved with in particular some beautiful glyphes registered very well on the steles and of the representations of human skulls.
Further, with approximately two hundred meters is the Group D also named “tired will pinturas”.
One can observe there lintels which still carry traces of polychromy and which report scene of the life and the agricultural rites of the city.
Beginning again a little further the way (sacbé) N°1, length of a little more than
1 km
, you will benefit from the fauna which surrounds you and will meet some monkeys spiders then and other toucans which are in the trees neighborhood.
This way which formerly led to the city of Yaxuná makes you arrive at the Group Nohoch Mul (which in Maya means the large monticule).
The pyramid of Nohoch Mul hidden in the Yucatèque forest
| With his apogee one thinks that this large pyramid which reached with the temple which surmounted it a total height of
42 meters, was set up at the time Early Classique (200-600 after JC), in order to honor the kings and priests with Cobá.
With its top a temple could accommodate the funerary rites of the high-ranking dignitaries.
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To help you to go up or go down from
pyramid a cord is at your disposal
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At the time of the rise of the pyramid Nohoch Mul one discovers the yucatèque selva
The site being very wide, you will have the possibility of renting bicycles or of making you lead by taxi bicycle: left, bicycle tri-car.
If you can it we advise you to make the visit with foot dice the opening of the site the morning, because it is one of only, too rare pyramids in the peninsula of Yucatán, on which one can go up.
For this excursion: there exists in the hotels in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and on all
Riviera Maya
of many complete “packs” which are sold to you with the formula all included: generally including for the day: the visit of the site that we advise you to make the morning in order to benefit early from a softer temperature, then after midday: visit of a cenote preceded by a meal in a typical restaurant. |
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If you can it, for this excursion, we advise you another formula:
Interdependent tourism in order to make a different approach and to better know the Maya people.
In 2008: We tested and selected for you a named French guide “Mimi” accompanied by its sympathetic nerve driver Mexicain Arturo.
This one holds a shop of craft industry at Playa del Carmen “Artesanias Mimí” in which it makes equitable trade. It deals with some families not very far from the site of Cobá and you will be able by his intermediary to thus help these families on the spot by vistant their artisanal productions which are generally for them the single source of revenue what will be an concrete action in favor of local development.
She proposes many excursions starting from Playa del Carmen to you: Several combinations are possible: to see on the spot:
- Archeological sites of Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Cobá, Tulum, Muyil.
- Bathe in a cenote, strolls in boat (seen archaeological zone of Tulum of the sea).
- Discovered biosphere of Sian Ka' year in boat.
- In the Catamaran island of Isla Mujeres with a stop for the exploration of sea-beds visits on the coral barrier.
- Typical Meal in a Maya family and sale D Mexican craft industries
- And full with other possibilities will be proposed to you…  You can contact it while recommending to you of mexique-voyage.com
and to visit its http://mimiplaya.spaces.live.com site
For those which like the sporting excursions and ventures in an good atmosphere it is a good compound which we recommend to you to carry out.
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Typical meal in a Maya family
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| At the time of this excursion with Cobá one will propose to you to share a meal at the inhabitant what of course revêt an interest very other since you will be able to attend the preparation of the meal which will enable you to even taste a delicious local sports shirt pibil by manufacturing you, if you wish it, your twisted that you will cook then on traditional comal etc.
One moment privileged with the pleasure of dividing a few hours their daily newspaper and thus of taking part in the local development of the visited mediums. |
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| Sight of the archaeological zone of Tulúm of the sea
Tulúm “cité strengthened or city of the paddle”. State of Quintana Roo is with 130 kilometers in the south of Cancún. It overhangs the sea Caraïbe.
Old strengthened coastal town (post-traditional time of 1200 to 1500 ap.JC), only port Maya, it always seems to play its part of defense. Before naming Tulúm this one the name of Zamna carried where Zana which wanted to say in Maya (the paddle - place where sun raises) in reference to the marvellous spectacle which the sunrise represents on the turquoise sea. It is here probably that the Mayas saw the first time the astonishing Spanish caravels. |
In fact this word comes from the Maya dz' onot via Spanish cenote. They are pits filled of a surface layer of fresh water and sometimes with a sea water sub-base (if they communicate with the ocean by faults).
They were used as soft water reserve, but also as place of worship in which were thrown sacrificial offerings or victims (Chichen Itza).
These entries splendid, are furnished with concretions, stalactites and stalagmites.
For these three visits, masks and tuba are provided in certain cenote, but do not forget a bath towel and your cameras. |
In the biosphere of Sian Ka' year:
Walk at sea among the dolphins
In the south of the area of Tulum on the road of Felipe Carillo you will be able to visit this natural reserve of Sian Ka' year whose old name means in Maya “Godsend” or “Where the sky begins” which was declared National park since 1986 and issued Patrimoine of Humanity the following year with UNESCO.
In order to benefit from this paradisiac and peaceful place, there exist organized voyages of eco-tourism.
This natural reserve is the larger second holds of Mexico with about 723 thousand hectares. It shelters several hundreds of species of wild animals such as pumas, jaguars, manatees, crocodiles etc… Nature and the animals which reign there are rare and are the pride of the Mexicans. |
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 1/17/2010 E e-mail: infos@mexique-voyage.com
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