Visiting Ek Balam Maya Ruins
Ek Balam ruins have become more popular because they are relatively new to the tour scene. Most people have seen Chichen Itza and are now looking for some new adventure to add to their vacation. Ek Balam Mayan ruins offer something new for people wanting to explore the rich culture of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. If you want to visit ruins with less people around and be able to climb up to the top of a Maya temple (pyramid) these ruins just might be perfect for you. These are the last of the 4 big ruins visited by tourists to the Rivera Maya that you can still climb.
Our video introduction to Ek Balam ruins
We like to visit each place so we can show you more about each destination. Here is our video of Ek Balam ruins.
Ek Balam History
The ruins of Ek Balam started to be restored in 1997 so that is relatively new. The term Ek Balam means “black jaguar” in Mayan. The city of Ek Balam was used from 600BC to 1600AD and the heyday was 770 AD-900 AD. The site is actually 15 square kilometers large but the core of the site was a walled city and contained about 40 buildings.
What makes Ek Balam ruins so special?
What makes this site unique is the shape of the main pyramid and the fact you can climb to the top. You should do this if you can. It is 96 ft. tall, and you get a great view over the Peninsula and treetops. That is like a 7 or 8 story view.
Another interesting feature is the restored part of the main pyramid under the thatched roof. Look closely for the winged creature. Was this originally there or some creativity of the restorers? It is interesting to think about because so many ancient sites have incorporated winged creatures.
What to bring to Ek Balam ruins when visiting
Wear comfortable walking shoes and loose, cool clothing. Bring sunscreen but make sure that if you plan on getting in the cool waters of the cenote to bring biodegradable sunscreen, it is required and protects the fragile eco system. It is good to bring a drink with you. If you don’t have one you can stop in the small town (pueblo) of Ek Balam that is a short distance by car from the entrance to the site or pay for slightly expensive ones by the entrance.
Tours to Ek Balam ruins
Are you thinking about a tour to Ek Balam? We recommend two options below.
First you can read about a full review of a tour that takes you to Ek Balam ruins and also to Cenote Maya here.
And you can also look over the tour information below to see if this interest you.
Ek Balam Ruins and Cenote Maya Park Day Trip from Playa del Carmen
Where is Ek Balam ruins?
Ek Balam is 20k north of the colonial city of Valladolid. This makes it near the center of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is a little closer to Cancun and Playa del Carmen then Chichen Itza. Once you start getting close to the archeological site you will be on a narrow road with tall corn fields on both sides. You will feel like you have been transported back in time 500 years to this Mayan area where nothing has changed, and things are still done in traditional ways. It should take just over 1 1/2 hours to get there from Playa Del Carmen if you take the new highway 305. Once you get to the intersection of Highway 180 and the turn off for Valladolid, follow signs to go north on 295 to Tizmin. You will pass through the small town of Temozon. Watch for topes (speed bumps) in the populated areas. Once you past Temozon you will see signs for Ek Balam and you will turn right. Follow the road straight to the ruins. Don’t get confused at the intersection where a sign points to Ek Balam (Pueblo), that is the small town nearby.
Public transportation to Ek Balam
If you wanted to get to Ek Balam on your own without your own car it is possible. You would need to get to the city of Valladolid. From the bus station you would need to make the short walk to 44th St. and 37th St. where they intersect. This is near the Hotel Zaci. This is where the colectivo taxi cars fill up and take people to Ek Balam. There are more people going in the morning so plan on starting off early and coming back before later afternoon. Not only will you avoid the heat, but you can get better transportation without waiting for it to be filled. The cost is 40 pesos per person each way. A whole car is 160 pesos. If there are no other people you might want to negotiate a price for a private ride.
How much is parking at Ek Balam ruins?
There is a small parking lot at the site. There will be children that work there as “parking guides” and “watch your car” for you. These kids are entrepreneurial and offer their services. This in no way is a dangerous place to park and nothing happens in this quiet hamlet of a town. It is just a cute thing to see these kids doing this. Since most of the kids a of Mayan descent you could also offer them a tip in exchange for learning a word of Mayan. A tip of 5-10 pesos is nice to give these kids if you feel inclined to do so.
Parking is now charged at the entrance.
What is the entrance price to Ek Balam?
The entrance price to Ek Balam is 494 pesos. It is a two-part entrance price with state and federal parts. The official prices are always listed on the INAH website (although not always current). As with all archeological sites, Sundays are free to nationals.
You are not allowed alcoholic beverages or food in the ruin site.
What are the hours if Ek Balam ruins?
Ek Balam is open daily from 8:00am-5:00pm.
Note: Remember that Ek Balam is in Yucatan state and there is one hour time difference in the winter months. They are one hour behind Quintana Roo state.
How much are tour guides at Ek Balam?
Like many archeological sites there are guides here. Most speak several languages. There is a sign in the entrance that says the “official” price is 500 pesos for Spanish speaking guide and 600 for the other available languages.
Usually though at ruin sites in Mexico there is no set price for tours although a typical price thrown out there is 500 pesos, this however is more for a larger group. Guide prices are negotiable. It is up to you if you want a guide and if you accept the price they offer.
It is how some locals make a living, and it is nice to promote this type of eco/historical tourism.
Where can you eat near Ek Balam?
If you are looking for a place to eat after visiting the ruins you will find several places on the 295 road that goes from Valladolid to Ek Balam. These places are set up for tourist and have nice accommodations. Just to mention one, on the north side of the small town of Temozon is a restaurant called Restaurant Temozon. It has a large round palapa roof and is close to the road on the east side. They have friendly service and a range of Mexican dishes and cold drinks.
You can also go into the center of Valladolid and eat there. Valladolid has a lot to offer and also makes for a good stop in your visit to this area. We also have a guide to restaurants in Valladolid that you look at the see what looks good to you.
What is the cenote like at Ek Balam?
There is a cenote that is near to the ruin site. This is an added adventure just waiting for you. If you are wanting to just see a cenote, it is not as fun as jumping in and enjoying a small swim and cool off. It is interesting to see though and will be a tranquil part of your day. Not too many people visit, and you can find yourself here with just a few people. This cenote is different than the one that tours stop at for Chichen Itza, so you will have a unique experience here.
Basic entrance is 70 pesos per person. Keep your ticket to show after the road to get there and show it again. There are packages that offer all-inclusive activities like the bikes to the cenote, zip line across the cenote and rappelling. These combined activities are offered once you get to El Balam. Most likely you will not want to do everything, and you have to decide if it is a good value to get all or some of the add-ons.
The bikes might be nice to get to the cenote if you don’t feel like walking. It is a good 14-minute walk down a dirt road to the cenote. It is however semi shaded form the hot sun. If you wanted to take a bike taxi or rent a bike, this is possible here at added cost. Ask at the booth for package prices with transportation.
This cenote is deep and has dark deep water. You can just imagine what monsters are waiting for you under the water (but there are not except small catfish like fish that live there). The cenote has a rope swing where you can jump off into the water as well.
There are stairs down into this cenote. If you have issues with navigating uneven surfaces or stairs this might not be the easiest place for you to see.
For more about visiting the cenote at Ek Balam, see our full article here.
Happy adventure everyone!
Have you been to Ek Balam ruins before? What did you think? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Also here are some things to read that are in the area of Ek Balam ruins:
- Cenote Hubiku
- Espita -small colonial town nearby.
- The catacombs of Tizimin.
- The small town of Tahcabo.
- Cenote Palomitas, Cenote Agua Dulce and Cenote Dzalbay. These are three cenotes close to Ek Balam that are off the beaten track and good to visit.
About The Author
I love the Ek’Balam Mayan ruins because first I was able to climbed in it, the short one at the entrance of the ruins, then the main huge structure. Another interesting part was the ruins where part was covered with huge trees and vegetation.
We are glad you had a good time there. It is interesting how these ruins look in different seasons. When it is dry and the wet season, it is almost a different experience.
The entrance fee today Sept 1 2018 was 211.00 pesos per person to the ruins and 400.00 pesos per person to the cenote. We for some unexpected reason got a deal for 300.00 pesos per person to the cenote. It’s a beautiful site!
Yes, the entrance price has two parts, one state and federal. It is 70 pesos and 141 which is a total of 211. The cenote price you got, we do question that. Was that for a group or package with zip line? It should not be that much to enter the cenote.
They doubled the price from februari 2019. So 413 pesos is right. We are going to visit Ek balam today. If the price is different, I will let you know.
Would you know if children under 12 pay the same full price of admission?
Usually with Mayan ruins in Mexico children under 13 are free. Even if there is a payment, it is not too much and you are supporting the upkeep of the sites.
We love visiting Ek Balam because there are few vendors and it is quieter at these ruins, plus you can climb to the top.
We went yesterday Jul 14 2024 drove ourselves and stopped at Valladolid after. It was wonderful and the guides on tis site were super helpful!
Only thing that tripped us up: Didn’t see anything about combination Ruins + Cenote pricing at the ticket desk when we arrived. The attendant at the ticket desk quoted us $1100 MXN for 2 guests, we also paid 100 MXN for parking on the way in and had to pay an additional 100 MXN each for the Cenote when we left the ruins.
So ticketing for ruins + Cenote for us came to:
$1100 + $100 + $200 = $1400 MXN
We also didn’t come with enough cash and all of these costs required cash. Luckily there were some vendors whose association with the park I do not recall, but they were available to currency exchange for a 5% fee (we paid ~60 MXN for this)
There was also a cash based toll on the border of Quintana Ron => Yucatan which was 329 MXN the day we went. And Car rental from PDC was ~ $70 US
So total for the trip to Ek Balam + Cenote + Valladolid in 2024 was:
$1400 + $60 + $329 + ~$1241 = ~$3030 MXN / $170.28 USD
Thank you for our detailed report. The reason there is no combo package is because the cenote is separate from the ruins. The federal and State governments have a part of the ruins price entrance, but the cenote is local. So there can be no official package for both.