As part of its all-inclusive program, Unico offers guided excursions to important Mayan archaeological destinations, including Tulum. Located about 30 minutes south of the resort and built on cliffs 40 feet above the Caribbean Sea—it is among Mexico’s best-preserved coastal sites. Tulum’s environs extend westward into the interior and southward along the coastline, today the site of beachside hotels. The restaurants and bars of present-day Tulum, attract a chic crowd, including international visitors and expats, intrigued by its scale and an essence that somehow seems linked to the past.
Less visited than Tulum, Muyil offers a distinct contrast. Along a trade route for jade, chocolate, honey, and salt that linked the island of Cozumel (part of the Mayan realm) with Tulum and Chetumal in the Yucatán interior, the Muyil Archaeological Zone, 15 miles to the southwest from Tulum, lies on the edge of a protected preserve, Sian Ka’an. The trip takes visitors to the ruins—Muyil was the seat of a civilization that endured for almost 2,000 years. The temple-pyramid known as El Castillo, which towers in the jungle, makes a striking, otherworldly impression. The excursion continues along two lagoons, and into the jungle for a hike. Afterward, visitors float through mangroves down a gentle, freshwater channel created by the ancient Maya.
For those seeking active adventure, another Unico excursion takes visitors into the jungle, first, ziplining among treetops, followed by a swim in one of the cenotes near Tankah, the special crystalline pools and cavern reservoirs characteristic of the Yucatán. The trip includes a canoe ride to visit an indigenous community. For sport enthusiasts, Unico has snorkeling trips along an underground river as well as ziplining along the fastest circuit in the Yucatán.
The ancient Mayan coastal site of Tulum.