Mexico History & Ruins: Aztec, Maya & Colonial

The Maya built one of Mesoamerica's most sophisticated civilisations across the Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas. Key sites include Chichén Itzá (Temple of Kukulcán), Palenque (Chiapas), Uxmal (Puuc-style architecture), Tulum (coastal walled city), and Cobá. Maya hieroglyphic script, astronomy, and calendar systems are among the most complex pre-Columbian achievements.

The Aztec Empire, centred on Tenochtitlán (modern Mexico City), was the dominant power in central Mexico at the time of Spanish contact. Teotihuacan (predating the Aztecs but later sacred to them) is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico. The Templo Mayor in central Mexico City is the heart of the old Aztec capital. The Museo Nacional de Antropología in CDMX holds the world's best collection of Aztec artefacts.

Beyond Maya and Aztec: Monte Albán near Oaxaca City is the Zapotec civilisation's greatest site, with panoramic views over the Oaxacan valley. Cholula (Puebla) has the world's largest pyramid by volume, topped by a Spanish colonial church. El Tajín (Veracruz) preserves Totonac architecture including the distinctive Pyramid of the Niches.

Spain's 300-year colonial period left Mexico with some of Latin America's finest baroque architecture. Oaxaca, Puebla, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Mérida are UNESCO World Heritage colonial cities. Mexico City's historic centre (built over Tenochtitlán) contains the largest concentration of colonial-era buildings on the continent.