Maya of Yucatán and Calakmul

When: February 11-21, 2010
Where: Mexico
How Much: $2,695 ($325 single supplement)

From A.D. 300 until A.D. 900, a brilliant culture flourished in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico – the Classic Maya.  Accompanying us on our tour of some of their most splendid sites will be Cornell University’s Dr. John Henderson, one of the nation’s leading scholars of the Maya.

Thursday, February 11
Join us in Mérida, Mexico for a welcoming reception.  We’ll spend two evenings in the old city.

Friday, February 12
We’ll tour Dzibilchaltún, which has been occupied since 650 B.C. The Temple of the Seven Dolls is a unique Maya structure.  In the afternoon, we’ll explore Mérida, a delightful colonial city.

Saturday, February 13
We explore Balankanche Cave where in 1959 a room with a massive tree-like stalagmite with splendid offerings of pottery and jewelry were discovered.  The impressive ruin of Ek is surrounded by a double wall, and massive structures with stucco reliefs surround the plaza.  We’ll spend two nights at Chichén Itzá.

Sunday, February 14
We’ll tour the spectacular ruins at Chichén Itzá, a city founded in the fifth century.  We’ll tour its Great Ball Court and El Caracol, an ancient astronomical observatory.  We’ll also see the Sacred Cenote, a natural well where the Maya made human sacrifices. 

Monday, February 15
Mayapán, the last great city of the Maya, was surrounded by a five-mile wall.  It dominated the northern Yucatán from about A.D. 1250 until its destruction in a revolt in 1440.  Labná is noted for its elegant 20-foot arch and long-nosed masks.  We’ll spend two evenings next to Uxmal.

Tuesday, February 16
Uxmal, founded in the sixth century B.C., was one of the largest Maya cities.  We’ll visit the Pyramid of the Magician, constructed in at least five phases, and see the spectacular Nunnery Quadrangle with its feathered serpents.  We’ll also see Kabah.

Wednesday, February 17
We’ll visit the splendid site of Edzna that is dominated by the Great Acropolis and the Temple of the Five Stories that soars above the city.  Hochob is noted for its monster doorways.  We’ll spend the next three evenings at Xpuhil.

Thursday, February 18
Kohunlich is best known for its Pyramid of the Masks, which contains some of the finest Maya sculpture.  We’ll also visit Xpuhil, a fine example of the Río Bec style of architecture with its faux temples, and Becan with its enclosing moat.

Friday, February 19
We drive deep into the forest to visit Calakmul which has been undergoing significant excavations in recent years.  Calakmul is believed to be the largest of all the Maya cities, and more than 100 stelas and 6,500 structures have been discovered so far.  During the Late Classic it dominated the entire southern Yucatán.

Saturday, February 20
Chicanná, with its monster-mouth doorways, is one of the most photogenic sites in the Yucatán.  Balamku is known for its bas relief stucco facade with remains of red, black, and yellow paint.  We then return to Mérida.

Sunday, February 21
Tour participants depart for home.

The weather should be warm and dry in February.  A modest amount of walking is required.  Ruins have rubble, undeveloped trails, and steep stone stairs.  Climbing these stairs is necessary in order to see some of the ruins. 

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