Kohunlich, Mexico.
An ancient Maya site near Bacalar, famous for its massive stucco masks.
Looking for concrete details and tips? Go straight to the Practical Information section.
This article is part of a week-long trip through the southern part of the Yucatán peninsula. On day 5 of my visit, I drove to Dzibanché, Kinichná and finally Kohunlich to enjoy three different ancient Maya settlements.
I was standing still, not making a sound. Above me, a family of spider monkeys were darting through the canopy, sending ripples through the leaves and making the branches sway as if they were about to break.
I hadn’t come to the ancient Maya site of Kohunlich to watch nature, but this unexpected distraction was a gentle reminder I was only a guest in these lands. Before me, hundred of years ago, the site had been inhabited by a very advanced civilization, but today, only animals called Kohunlich home.
Unlike other jungle animals, monkeys are pretty easy to spot. They rarely ever leave the trees and use their limbs and tails to jump from branch to branch, making it seem like the forest is alive, and enabling any visitor to check for them in the trees.
The Kohunlich site map, at the entrance of the site.
This monkey family was much more interested in finding the most ripe fruits to eat than by me, and I quickly left them to their endeavor while continuing my walk through Kohunlich.
Like many of the neighboring archeological zones dotting southern Yucatán, it had been closed for a bit by a Mexican program called Promeza, intending to upgrade the facilities with modern amenities (think spotless restrooms, WiFi) in conjunction with the tourism development spurred by the arrival of the Maya Train. It had reopened in January 2025 and it felt like a good time to come and visit.
Kohunlich, one of the many sites in the region, may not be the grandest, but its proximity to Bacalar and Chetumal as well the relative ease of access to it make it a great one for visitors wishing to get to know the ancient Maya culture a bit more closely. This isn’t to say Kohunlich is only interesting for its proximity. It is famous for its Temple of the Masks (building A1 on the site maps), housing massive stucco masks, partially restored, representing the Mayan Sun God Kinich Ahau and deified rulers of the ancient settlement.
While Kohunlich was first settled around 200 BC, most of its buildings date from the Early Classic Maya period, between 250 and 600 AD. The name of the city, back in Mesoamerican times, is unknown. In a funny twist of history also seen in other Maya sites, it owes its current name to a distortion of its modern English name, Cohune Ridge, given by early British explorers because of the cohune palm trees in the area. Cohune palms are known are Corozos in Spanish, and they gave its name to the Belizean city of Corozal, an hour west of Kohunlich.
One of the mask sculpted on the side of the main stairs in the Temple of the Masks.
The masks in the Templo de los Mascarones were indeed the highlight of my visit. While they had been protected by the elements for hundreds of years, their excavation, in the 1960s caused them to deteriorate quickly, and several rounds of preservation work have been done to them, most recently while the site was closed in 2024. As a result, they feel almost out of place in a temple that is otherwise beautifully decaying, their fresh white stucco contrasting with the grey patina of the surrounding stones.
They were nonetheless a sight to see. They flank the central staircase of the Temple of the Masks, and look towards the setting sun. Some of them reach 8 feet in height (2.5 meters). Everyone is allowed to climb the Temple of the Masks, and while access to the actual masks is roped off, you can get pretty close and see the restoration work in detail. The masks are stunning for how human-like they look, especially in the context of them representing the Sun God and canonized rulers of the city.
Today, only animals called Kohunlich home.
The temple and its statues were built around 500 AD, when the site was at its most powerful and indeed, you can indeed visit many other imposing buildings over the more than twenty acres of the settlement.
I spent about an hour on the site, walking through remnants of private residences, a ballgame court and many a temple. Just like Dzibanché to the north, the site is mostly covered in dense jungle, except around key plazas, and while I was able to see beautiful Maya buildings, a lot of them remain to be excavated.
A temple among the jungle in Kohunlich.
I was about to be done with my tour when the skies turned a darker shade of gray, and before I decided to head back towards the car park, heavy rain started falling down. Intense showers are expected in the rainy season, which lasts from May to October, but this one came in early, around 3.30pm. It subsided quickly, and after a few minutes on the main highway getting me back to Bacalar, I could enjoy again a bright, sunny sky.
What stayed with me
I loved the natural setting of Kohunlich. Going through the dense jungle before getting to the visitor center reminded me a bit of the road to Calakmul. It felt eerily serene, a world’s away from modern life, and prepared me for the immersion in this beautiful, rarely visited ancient Maya settlement.
Practical information
(everything you could possibly want to know about Kohunlich - updated as of November 2025)
In a nutshell
Famous for the Temple of the Masks, a Maya temple featuring huge stucco statues of the Sun God and deified rulers of the city, Kohunlich is a great Maya site to visit as part of a day trip including Dzibanché and Kinichná, from Chetumal, Bacalar or Xpujil.
Entrance fee: MXN 100
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm (last entry to the sites at 4.30pm).
Visit should last approximately one hour.
Travel time from Chetumal, Bacalar or Xpujil is about an hour.
Do not miss the blue sign marking the turn off to Kohunlich on highway 186.
Getting to Kohunlich
How to get to Kohunlich from the United States: the Maya site is located in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico, about 1h from either Chetumal or Bacalar. Assuming you’re not planning a weekend trip from the US to Kohunlich (which I don’t recommend), the site will be part of a broader Yucatán itinerary. The closest airport to Kohunlich is Chetumal (CTM) . It has no direct flights to and from the US, making a connection in Mexico City (MEX) indispensable. Assuming Kohunlich is one stop in your Mexican itinerary, a rental car is most appropriate and can be picked up at the Chetumal airport. Getting to archeological zones can be done easily with an organized tour, and most leave from either Chetumal or nearby Bacalar, but any other mode of transportation will be complicated (regular buses do not serve the archeological zones, and a taxi, unless rented for the day, may not make sense).
Another option could be to fly into Tulum (TQM), if planning a trip spanning more of the Yucatán peninsula, as US and Canadian airlines fly non-stop to the new Tulum airport, but travel time from TQM to Kohunlich is a little over three hours. This option works more easily with a rental car, and makes sense if you’re planning to make your way to Bacalar or Chetumal before getting to Kohunlich.
How to get to Kohunlich from Mexico City: the best way to reach Kohunlich is to fly into Chetumal airport (CTM), from Mexico City’s main airport (MEX) or its secondary airport (NLU). Aeromexico, VivaAerobus and Volaris operate once a day between MEX and CTM while Mexicana and Viva fly several days a week from NLU to CTM, with one-way base prices starting around USD75. Car rentals are widely available at Chetumal airport, from a variety of Mexican and international companies. Kohunlich is 1h away on a well-maintained highway. As mentioned above, you other bet is to book a tour from Chetumal or Bacalar if you’re based there, but no colectivos or regular bus service will drop you at the ruins.
The entrance to Kohunlich.
Cost to get into Kohunlich
As of publishing time, the entrance fee was MXN100 (about USD5) per person.
Opening times of the Kohunlich archeological zone
Kohunlich is open every day from 8am to 5pm. The last entry is at 4.30pm.
When to go to Kohunlich
The best months weather-wise to enjoy the southern Yucatán region as a whole are during the dry season, between December and April, with January and February the (relatively) coolest months. This is also peak season so the sites may be a little crowded, but this is all relative. There was only a small group of people from the nearby upscale Explorean hotel during my visit and, the site being expansive, we never really crossed paths. I don’t imagine the site will be crowded during the winter months either.
I traveled to southern Yucatán in October, which is low season, as the combination of possible afternoon showers and intense heat can turn off travelers. I loved the lack of crowds, and the slightly overcast weather which made the heat more tolerable. Yes, it rained almost every day around 5pm for a few minutes to a few hours, but it was all pretty manageable.
Safety in Kohunlich
The Yucatán peninsula is one of the safest areas in Mexico, and Quintana Roo is considered fairly safe: it is labeled a level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” state, just like Mexico City, or the UK as a whole. Digging deeper, busy cities like Cancún are more likely to be where crime happens, and the advisory shouldn’t, in theory, apply to the sleepy southern region. As such, it is not an area of Mexico where you would have to be a fairly experienced traveler to feel safe. As everywhere else in the country, keep in mind the following: know where you’re going, keep your wits about you, do not flash expensive clothes or phones, don’t do things you shouldn’t do, stay in touristy areas, avoid walking at night.
The brand new visitor center complex in Kohunlich.
Food & lodging in Kohunlich
Hotels
If you’d rather be close to the site, the one hotel that could be of interest would be the Explorean Kohunlich, about 2 miles (2.7km) away. It is all-inclusive and on the expensive side, but could be a great one-night option to visit Kohunlich and nearby Dzibanché/Kinichná the next day. The hotel also organizes visit to the Kohunlich site for their guests.
Other than that, your best accommodation bets will be to the east in Chetumal or Bacalar (about 1h away) or Xpujil, 1h as well, but to the east in the nearby state of Campeche. This latter option could make sense if you’re planning to visit other sites like Becán or El Hormiguero.
Restaurants
There is no food available in Kohunlinch, save for La Palapa, the Explorean hotel restaurant (but since the hotel itself is all-inclusive, you’re out of luck if not a hotel guest). Bring your own, especially water or stop on the main road, where a few small abarrotes will sell you cold drinks and snacks to tie you over (“abarrote” is the word to input in your Google Maps search). You’ll find most restaurant offerings in Chetumal or Bacalar to the east, and Xpujil to the west.
Keep in mind these travel tips
The Yucatán peninsula is one of the safest regions in Mexico, and its main roads are well maintained. This isn’t enough to forget the #1 driving advice in Mexico: do not drive at night. Driving at night, on poorly lit roads means you won’t see the motorcycles without lights, the potholes or the ubiquitous topes, these notoriously hard speed bumps that spring out of nowhere. You may encounter wildlife or, more prosaically street dogs crossing right in front of you (especially in Bacalar, where there are many). Plan your itinerary to be at your next destination before night fall. It’s important.
No matter what the season, there will be bugs in Yucatán. While you may only see the gigantic Tarántula Yucateca spider on the roads leading to Calakmul, you’ll find mosquitoes pretty much everywhere, and especially in the shaded forests surrounding the Maya ruins. Be ready with repellent at any time of the day. It’s also a good idea to wear clothes that cover your limbs (pants, high socks, long sleeve t-shirts) while you’re in the jungle. Mosquito-borne diseases are fairly uncommon in the state of Quintana Roo, but not unheard of.
SPF will be your best friend. The UV index may be low in the morning and evening, but during the day, it gets pretty high.
Do not forget to hydrate. While OXXOs aren’t as ubiquitous in this rural region as in other ones, you’ll find plenty of abarrotes, these tiny stores selling cold water and sodas along the way. Make sure you always have water handy and drink to make the heat more bearable.
Cell service isn’t the best near Kohunlich, although Telcel offers 4G coverage on the main highway, 20 minutes away. Telcel is actually the only provider with decent service in the broader region. If you’re roaming, check that you can roam on Telcel, or investigate a Mexican eSIM that uses this network. If not, think about downloading maps for offline use, it may prove very useful.
Every photo’s legend will appear if you hover over it (on a computer) or click on it (on a smartphone).
All photos are mine and copyrighted.