Ek Balam, Another Fantastic Mayan Ruin
Like Edzna, Ek Balam is another great ruin that few people visit. It is so little visited that the sign is just a wooden board with “Ek Balam” painted on it. Of course, because it is so relatively unknown, it was especially on my list of places to visit.
If you’re visiting Chichen Itza, and have your own way of getting there–in other words, if you are not in a tour group and therefore can go places other than wherever the bus takes you, I highly recommend a side trip to Ek Balam. It’s about 30 miles north and east of Chichen Itza. The well-paved road heading north of Valladolid takes you to the Ek Balam archeological site.
Unfortunately, the turn off and driving directions were not very clearly marked. I find it imperative to have a map when driving in the Yucatan Peninsula. From the map, we could see there were two turn offs from the main highway that would get us directly to Ek Balam.
Incidently, while driving on the highway, we say fields of agave plants which are the raw ingredients of tequila.
Getting back to Ek Balam, like Edzna, it has a pyramid you can climb, something you can’t find in the more popular ruins of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and Tulum.
Like Chichen Itza, Ek Balam has a marvelous ancient astronomical observatory. For me, the big attraction at Ek Balam are the amazing stone carvings of men with wings two/thirds up the largest pyramid. Some people believe these carvings represent angels. If they are angels, the winged men look like ancient Mayan men rather than our ephemeral European images of angels.
We love the Moon Travel Guide but it did not list the only restaurant we could find near to Ek Balam. A fantastic Italian restaurant in the small village of Ek Balam near the ruin. As you’re leaving the ruin, you’ll see a sign with an arrow directing you to the Italian restaurant. The food was wonderful. Absolutely scrumptious. The restaurant also has an adjacent motel.
