Coba is an ancient Mayan city set deep in the jungle about 45 kilometres inland from Tulum, and it offers an experience that the more famous ruins at Tulum and Chichen Itza cannot match — the feeling of discovering something the jungle has not quite finished reclaiming.

The archaeological site is enormous, covering an estimated 80 square kilometres, though only a fraction has been excavated. The structures are spread across the forest, connected by sacbeob — ancient raised Mayan roads — and the best way to explore is by renting a bicycle at the entrance and riding along shaded jungle paths between the ruins. The experience of cycling through dense tropical forest, stopping at moss-covered pyramids and carved stelae, with howler monkeys calling from the canopy, is extraordinary.

The centrepiece is Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula at 42 metres. The views from the top — an unbroken carpet of jungle extending to the horizon in every direction — are among the most spectacular in all of Mexico’s archaeological sites. Unlike Chichen Itza, where climbing is prohibited, Nohoch Mul can still be climbed (check current access, as policies change).

Coba was once one of the largest and most powerful Mayan cities, home to an estimated 50,000 people at its peak. It controlled a network of roads that connected it to cities across the Yucatan. The scale of what remains, and what is still buried beneath the jungle, is humbling.

The small village of Coba, adjacent to the ruins, has a few restaurants and small hotels. Several cenotes are located nearby, including the multi-cenote park at Coba that offers swimming, zip-lining, and jungle walks.

From Playa del Carmen, Coba is about 1.5 hours by car. It pairs well with a cenote stop and makes an excellent alternative to the more crowded Tulum and Chichen Itza sites.