Dzibanché Ruins

Dzibanché was the first capital of the Kaanu'l, the Snake Kings, who went on to rule from Calakmul and beat Tikal in 562. The site is big enough to match that history: four groups of Petén-style temples and palaces spread through the forest, joined by raised white roads.

The main group holds the Temple of the Owl and the Temple of the Cormorants, where royal tombs were found, and the building where a carved wooden lintel gave the place its name ('writing on wood'). A recent restoration added new trails, signs and toilets, and Kinichná is two kilometres away for a second stop. The entry booth is run by the local ejido of Morocoy, which charges its own small fee while it settles a land dispute with the national institute.