Notable for the high quality and unique details of its fantastically preserved stucco sculpture, Ek-Balam (daily 8am–5pm) is nonetheless rarely crowded. The compact site, enclosed by a series of defensive walls, is really only the ceremonial center; the entire city, which was occupied from the pre-Classic period through to the Spanish Conquest, spreads out over a very wide area, punctuated by sacbeob leading out in all directions.

The entrance is along one of these ancient roads, leading through a freestanding four-sided arch. Beyond are two identical temples, called Las Gemelas (the Twins), and a long ball-court. The principal building, on the far side of the plaza, is the massive Acrópolis, the stones along its two-hundred-metre-long base adorned with bas-reliefs. Thatched awnings at the top protect the site’s finest treasure, an elaborate stucco frieze fully uncovered only recently, 85 percent of what you see is original plaster from the ninth century that didn’t even require retouching once the dirt was brushed away.

A staircase leads up the centre of the building. On the first level, two doorways flanking the steps display near-matching designs of twisted serpents and tongues; in the right-hand carving, the snake’s tongue is emblazoned with a glyph thought to represent the city. Just below the summit, a Chenes-style doorway in the form of a giant gaping mouth is studded with protruding teeth. This is the entrance to the tomb of Ukit-Kan-Lek-Tok, Ek-Balam’s king in the mid-ninth century. The lower jaw forms the floor, while skulls, lilies, fish and other symbols of the underworld carved below reinforce its function as a tomb gateway. Back on the ground, in the plaza, an exceptionally well-preserved stele depicts a king receiving the objects of power from Ukit- Kan-Lek-Tok, the smaller seated figure at the top of the stele. Given the rich detail at the site, it’s worth hiring a guide for a small group.

In the parking area at the site, you’ll find someone selling tickets to Cenote Xcanché (daily 9am–5pm), a seemingly bottomless pool that’s a two-kilometre walk from the ruins. In the nearby village of Ek-Balam, There are Ecohotels nearby as beautiful ecolodge with a big gardens and a bio-filtered pools and guests can take tours around the village and in the nearby forest. The vegetarian café (daily 1–3pm) makes a great stop after the ruins, with organic, local produce and lots of raw foods. The village and ruins are easily reached by from Valladolid in a colectivo departing from Calle 44 just west of the plaza.

The turnoff for this fascinating archaeological site is 17km north of Valladolid. Ek' Balam is another 6km east of this. Vegetation still covers much of the area, but excavations and restoration continue to add to the sights, including an interesting ziggurat-like structure near the entrance, as well as a fine arch and a ball court. Most impressive is the gargantuan Acropolis, whose well-restored base is 160m long and holds a 'gallery' — actually a series of separate chambers. Built atop the base is Ek' Balam's massive main pyramid, reaching a height of 32m and sporting a huge jaguar mouth with 360-degree dentition. Below the mouth are stucco skulls, while above and to the right sits an amazingly expressive figure. On the right side stand unusual winged human figures (some call them Maya angels). Ek Balam’s main pyramid is taller than Chichén Itzá’s, and it holds a sacred doorway bordered with elaborate stucco figures of priests and kings and rich iconography.

Ek Balam, which, owing to a certain ambiguity in Mayan, means “black jaguar” or “dark jaguar”. Though tourists have yet to catch on, these ruins could prove to be a more important discovery than Chichén Itzá. Archaeologists began work only in 1997, and their findings have Maya scholars all aquiver. Built between 100 b.c. and a.d. 1200, the smaller buildings are architecturally unique, perfectly restored Oval Palace (also sometimes called La Redonda or Caracol). The imposing central pyramid, known as El Torre or the Acropolis, is about 160m (525 ft.) long and 60m (197 ft.) wide. At more than 30m (98 ft.) high, it easily surpasses El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. To the left of the main stairway, archaeologists have uncovered a large ceremonial doorway of perfectly preserved stucco work. Designed in the Chenes style associated with Campeche, it forms an astonishingly elaborate representation of the gaping mouth of the underworld god. Around it are several beautifully detailed human figures, including what appear to be winged warriors. Known as Mayan Angels, they are unique in Maya architecture. Excavation inside the pyramid revealed a long chamber filled with hieroglyphic writing that suggests the scribes probably came from Guatemala. The script revealed the name of one of the city’s principal kings Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’, whose tomb was uncovered about two-thirds of the way up the pyramid. Climb to the top and you see untouched ruins masquerading as overgrown hills to the north, and the tallest structures of Cobá, 50km (31 miles) to the southeast. Also visible are the Maya’s sacbeob, or raised causeways, appearing as raised lines in the forest. More than any of the better-known sites, Ek Balam inspires a sense of mystery and awe at the scale of Maya civilization and the utter ruin to which it fell.

A new road runs from the highway to the ruins. Take Calle 40 north out of Valladolid to Hwy. 295 and go 20km (12 miles) to a large marked turnoff. Ek Balam is 13km (8 miles) from the highway. It is one of the few Mayan settlements that remained occupied until the arrival of the Spaniards. It grew to about 12 square kilometers, including a central sacred space of 1 square kilometer where the elite resided. This small central zone was protected by three walls. A sign of the material and cultural wealth, as well as technological and artistic development in Ek Balam, is manifested in the mural painting, where artisans achieved great mastery, decorating their buildings with incredible works of art, ranging from caps vaults monochromatic designs to complete vaults covered colorful and intricate murals, whose traces reflect important moments in the city. The pictorial style of Ek Balam is considered the best in the Maya area, since being naturalistic, expresses a very real way, the correct proportions and with remarkable finesse and plasticity, representations of deities and mythical beings on the covers painted well as human and animals depicted on the walls of buildings beings. It has 45 structures and is surrounded by two concentric stone walls plus another that joins the central buildings. It has a ball game, a spectacular arc where flowed one way. There are also calls stelae and hieroglyphic snakes, which are monuments beautifully carved stone blocks. The structures together various architectural styles but there are details that make them unique, such as images that resemble winged angels.