We came here cause this was in the hotel zone, very close, enough that we could walk here from our hotel! You pay $4 to get in then you can walk the grounds and see these old Mayan ruins! Amazing to think these were built so long ago! It's not huge maybe a quarter of a mile long, you just walk around, lots of iguanas sunbathing! It was pretty hot there, so wear sunscreen and bring a hat! read more

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Located at the start of the hotel zone, right across the street from Playa Delfines. Its a quite lil spot with an entry fee of MX 70 per person (credit cards accepted). They are not the most popular spot for Mayan ruins but its easily accesible if you do not have the time to visit Chichen Itza. There are around 40 stone structres and you need to do your own research. There are not many signages or information next to the structures. You will see a lot of iguanas in this location. An interesting location to explore if you are in the hotel zone. Do not miss it. read more

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So easy to walk to Zona Arqueológica El Rey from the hotel zone. Located near the Cancun sign along the Playa Delfines beach, it is named for mask and skull found on site. The archaeological park contains 47 ancient Mayan stone structures. Research demonstrates that the Mayan people have inhabited Mexico, as well as Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, dating back to 1800 BC. Since the area around Cancun once housed highly populated settlements, there are many Mayan ruins in and around Cancun. Today, the El Rey Ruins are all that remains of an ancient Mayan city. Abandoned following the arrival of the Spanish settlers, today it is inhabited by a large colony of iguanas. Admission is $55 MXN. The park is open daily from 8-4:30. Limited information about the Mayan ruins is available at the entrance. read more

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This is a historical site and during my visit, I wanted to be very involved in History and boy was I. This place is small and doesn't cost a lot of pesos. It is outside and it has landmarks, you can find it not very far from the beach - Playa de Carmen. A quick walk from the beach and you are there (less than 5 minutes). I hopped on the bus from my hotel. Minimal pesos for the bus. I actually walked from the Museo. The Museo, beach, and El Ray all in the same vicinity. NOTE: tri-pods are not allowed in either the Museo or El Ray (the Museo has lockers but El Ray does not - although El Ray has restrooms). Neither are camera bags. I was closely watched, every step by Iguanas, they are all over the place in here, and HUGE! There are signs that say don't feed them. They blend in greatly so you could possibly miss them. They are still, as well, very minimal movement. I thought they were more chameleon type than anything. There were not many signs...English, Spanish, otherwise. I would have liked to know the history of some of these. Either way, it was a total experience. Must do if in the area. It is totally outside so be prepared for that. read more

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Nice quiet place. Lots of igunnas are dotted around living here, nice kept grounds, very cheap to get in and the buses stop right outside....definitely would recommend it. read more

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You can totally miss this place if you don't keep an eye out, but it's across from Playa Delfines so hopefully you can enjoy some sun and some culture at the same time! There isn't any parking, so find some at Playa Delfines. The cost isn't too much about $4 USD per person. Don't expect this to be like a Chichen Itza or Uxmal because it's totally not. It's very small, but you're able to climb on all the ruins which is nice. The iguanas are all over the place so kids might find this scary or quite fun! It took us less than an hour to walk around and climb and take photos. There were about 2 different groups that we saw while we were there. Would I go back? No. It's just too small and not as impressive, but then again if you want to see ruins while you're in Cancun and you can't drive all the way to Uxmal, Tulum or Chichen Itza, then hey, it's pretty cheap and you get a little ruin! read more

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Located right across the street from playa delfines. If you don't want to spend an entire day and skip the drive to chichen itza, you can probably go here and look at the Mayan ruins and iguanas. We went to chichen itza too, this was a similar experience but the only positive being it's right in the hotel zone. It's a convenient R1 city bus ride from omni hotel where we stayed. There is a 50 pesos entry fee. The ruins are interesting and a short walk inside. We took some photos, looked at some iguanas and headed back in about 40 minutes. I would recommend going here if you have some time on your hands after going to playa delfines. read more

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This is a small archaeological site. About an hour is what you will need to go through the grounds. What was sorely lacking was information in front of the various areas to explain what you are looking at. There is some information at the entry. I found two sites wirh informational signs in front. While the price is fair ($3usd).... you will do much better with Meseo Maya, just a mile or so away (it is museum as well as an archaeological site, it is only $3.50, and everything is well marked and explained). This is ok to do if you have the time....but if you had to choose, pick the museum and skip this site. read more

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These ruins are worth a quick visit if you're in the area, and don't go to Chichen-Itza or the other big ruins. The cost is 50 pesos, and in honesty, you can walk the grounds in 15 minutes. There's not really an explanation of anything, but there is a guided tour available, which there is someone to sell it to you after you enter, but it's more of a Mayan history type tour. There are iguanas on the property, usually somewhere in the back area on the taller structures. You are not able to climb the taller ones, only the ones with a one level foundation. read more

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Ruinas del Rey was definitely one of the cooler Mayan sites I visited while in Mexico a couple of weeks back. It's not nearly as large or imposing as something like Chichén Itzá which was also spectacular, but in my mind, it's just as impressive. It may honestly be because it didn't take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to get there and because we weren't forced into a pre-guided tour, but there's something really special about getting to climb up on the ruins and houses yourself and make your own suppositions of what happened rather than being led around and told everything. Definitely feels like your own little personal archaeological experience. Overall, the ruins maybe span an acre or two on the left side of the hotel strip in Cancún, and the whole area is just pack full of old houses, temples, and gardens of where the Mayans used to reside so many hundreds of years ago. At this point some of it has completely turned to rubble, but in the middle there's still a massive structure that towers over everything else. In my mind, they're as well kept as they could be, weathered down by time and Mother Nature, but the core structures still exist which can really keep you thinking like - "hm, is this where they had town meetings? Is this where they had a garden? It's so much more lush here compared to other areas I've been - why would they have left in the first place?" So if you're one of those types of people that enjoys the culture of Mexico and Cancún and not just the beaches, I'd definitely say this place is a must-see. It only took us maybe an hour and a half or so to make our way from the front to the end, but it was definitely one of those more thought-provoking experiences in my entire week there. P.S. Don't feed the iguanas!! They're everywhere! read more

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We visited here what seems like a lifetime ago in March, before the current COVID-19 pandemic. El Rey is located right in the middle of the Hotel Zone in Cancun. While it is not the most famous or largest Mayan ruins, it is certainly the easiest to visit. In the Mayan history, this site is an early one, dating to around 250-600 AD and was occupied right up until the Spaniards arrived in the 15th Century, when it was abandoned. The great thing about El Rey is that while everyone thinks of Cancun as a resort town (which it is) and a great beach town (which it is) and a great party town (which it is), Cancun is surrounded by historic Mayan archaeological zones, which is just perfect for a history buff like me. If you want to squeeze in a little culture while you're in this wonderful town, but don't want to spend 2 hours driving to one of the more famous Mayan sites, or if you've seen the other sites and want to see another, I'd highly recommend a visit. read more

It took us less than three hours to go to El Rey and the museum and get back to our hotel. The archeological site is relatively small and it'll take you less than an hour to go over everything here. There's only three plaques that are bilingual but you can buy a tour guide after you get your ticket at the entrance if you want. There were few people here and there but we didn't feel that it was crowded at all but iguanas were everywhere. Wear a hat and put a lot of sun screen. My friend got a sunburn as she forgot to put on sun screen! And we were visiting it at 10 in the morning. read more

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So you are in Cancún for a few days. You are staying in the Hotel Zone and you are having fun, but you feel like you need to do something more authentic. You could drive into downtown Cancún, but you want something more historical. You want something Mayan, but you don't want to take an entire day to do it. You, my friend, need to go to El Rey. Depending on here you are staying, it is either a long walk or a decent cab ride away - no day trip needed. You will take a few steps off the highway and go back several hundred years to feel the Maya that used to live, eat and worship there. Sure, Chichen Itzá and Tulum have more impressive ruins, but they are hours away. According to the guest book, Kelly Rowland and maybe even Beyonce were there the day that I went. I got my hopes up that they were doing an update of the Destiny's Child MTV Cribs episode in a Mayan village, but unless they were disguised as iguanas, I didn't see them. (You are free to point out that the guestbook is handwritten and no id is checked so anyone could have signed in, but let me have my dreams). Speaking of iguanas, they have taken over the place and are now the true residents. While you are not allowed to climb anything, they are all over the place, climbing, sitting and sunning themselves. The nature books say they are collecting vitamin D to survive, but I think they are watching you, just waiting for you to let your guard down. They are everywhere on this site - they claim to be peaceful plant eaters, but you never know what they are really up to. Anyway, it costs less than $4 to go - you can't videotape anything without an extra fee and there isn't much shade, so be warned. Also, there very few interpretive signs, no guides, no amenities, and it is smaller and not as impressive as the more popular sites. On the plus side, since it isn't that big, you have time to combine your stop here with a visit to Playa Delfines across the street from the entrance for some beach time. read more

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Was an easy walk from the GR Solaris where we were staying. Price is right for the size and what there is to see. Definitely go in the morning, as there is little to no shade available. Was neat to imagine what it used to be, and also to see all the iguanas. I went with my mom and we felt pretty uncomfortable though - the cashier was walking around with a rusty machete and my mom said he was taking pictures of me on his phone when I was turned around. Really creepy. Wouldn't go here/somewhere like this again unless I was with a much larger group. read more

Very small place right in the heart of Cancun. The cost is $2 usd/ person and they offer a tour for another $5 but you do have the option to just walk around and view the smaller ruins and hundreds of iguanas. It was a good way to end our trip. We tried taking a picture in front of the Cancun sign across the street, but the huge tour buses drop loads of tourists off there and the line is extremely long. read more

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Small collection of Mayan ruins right in zona hotelera in Cancun. They are neither as dramatic or as picturesque as the more famous ruins all over the rest of the yucatan peninsula such as in Tulum or Chichen Itza. However, being conveniently located right in the touristy heart of Cancun, they are worth a visit for people who either don't have the time or the inclination to visit the more popular ruins farther away. The ruins are the remnants of a smallish settlement of about 47 excavated buildings that are thought to have come up in the 13th century and abandoned with the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th. It takes about twenty minutes to half an hour to take a stroll through the site. In addition to the remnants of the stone structures that used to be homes and temples, another popular attraction here is the plethora of iguanas that now call the place home. You can see them popping up all over the ruins, some even leisurely sunning themselves along the stone outcrops. Entry fee is about 45 pesos. There is an hour long tour available for 200 pesos for anyone who wants a more in depth knowledge about the history of the place. Worth your time for a nice leisurely walk through some history. read more

We loved this place, not because it is a significant archeological site, but rather due to it's being off the beaten track and not visited much by tourists. On a Saturday morning/afternoon during the busy Spring Break tourist season, we visited this site at 12:30 pm. There was only 2 other couples visiting during our one hour time there. The grounds have nice landscaping, and the ruins are interesting --- but the main attraction is the Iguanas that have adopted this location as their natural habitat. It's fun to watch them change color to match their surroundings. We saw one on the lawn that had become green, and several that completely blended into the crumbling temples and pillars with black and white stripes. El Rey is a 50 cent (11 peso) bus ride from the Hotel Zone. Be sure to check out Museo De Maya because there are some really cool ruins there too, with more Iguanas on display. read more

Our visit to the Tulum Ruins was not what we expected. Everything about the Ruins and its history is nice, but the visit wasn't worth it. For starters, it's only a bunch of run down buildings, like literally only rocks and layouts of what they use to be or look like. We literally finished the tour in 30minute-1hr. Many people just end up heading to the beach or hanging out at the plaza. You CANNOT climb the ruins. But I would still recommend if you have nothing else to do for a day. Check out our visit to Tulum - https://youtu.be/TzUbBdSTyuw YouTube : VamonosAndyWendy read more

Not worth the time and effort to visit. Visit only if you have not and will not see any other ruins (Tulum, Coba or Chichen Itza) This site is tiny in comparison to the other three ruins I mentioned. The entrance fee is fair for the place/size. It's located at south end of the Hotel zone. It took us 15-20mins on the local bus to get here from hotel zone partying street. The beach across from El Rey has a nice Cancun signage that you should check out and take a touristy picture if you so decide to visit the ruin. The beach is extremely gorgeous too and appears to be very popular with locals too. There are barely any information on the ruins, so a lot of imagination is need to guess what had happened here. Overall, wouldn't recommend visiting unless you are staying nearby or really bored and do not want to chill on the beach. read more

Videos are not allowed or you have to oay an extra fee to video record. You can't touch anything or climb anything. Not much to see honestly, but it is worth going once because it is historical and the ruins look cool and feels like you're in a different world. Better to go in the morning when it's not too crowded. Tons of iguana poops everywhere.. and of course iguanas too. If you go in the summer make sure to put on sunblock cuz there's no shade.. it's in a completely open land. read more

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El Rey ruins are a quick introduction to the ancient ruins of Mayan culture that can be found throughout the Yucatan Penisula. If you're vacation plans are only to stay in the hotel zone area of the Cancun strip, then El Rey is a must see as it will provide an easy and cheap visit to some ruins. Part of the novelty and enjoyment is the massive amount of no fear iguanas that roam freely over the entire complex. Pretty cool, don't miss it. read more

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This site was just a short walk from our hotel GR Solaris and right next to a bus stop so easily accessible from anywhere in cancun. It was totally worth the $3 usd. The Mayan buildings were very accessible and interesting. The whole place was overrun with large iguanas that were awesome to see. We visited Tulum as well but El Rey was actually worth the time and money spent. read more

Zona Arqueológica El Rey - Iguanas everywhere! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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Yet another archaeological site, it's hard to clearly give you the history on it. There is a temple where the sun aligns. Although this place is localed in Tulsa, our tour guide explained that smart Mayans of science lived here. Therefore, this inner section, seperated by the wall is where all the scientists, astrologist and doctors stay. Since they understand the moon, the stars and more; they do not have the need for sacrificing women for rain and such. I'm not sure how much I believe, but our tour guide was nice and considerate making sure he didn't over talk so that we had time to explore. There is also a lighthouse (part of the ruins) and if you walk a little down the wooden steps by the edge; you can get to the beach area which is really beautiful for pictures and just to enjoy the blue Caribbean ocean. read more

To be honest It's been a while since I went here. My familiy and I used to visit this place often during the year when I was younger. Mostly because my sibblings and I enjoyed chasing iguanas and taking pictures of them. It is located at "La zona hotelera" so is way nearer than Chichen Itzá or Tulum if you are staying at Cancún. I recomend it If you are coming for a short amount of time. Because this can be an extra stop during your day while visiting beaches and the malls around the area. Actually, perhaps It should be one of your first stops. Because it is only open during the daylight. The entrance for tourist is about $4 USD. For mexican residents and students it is FREE on Sunday. In front of "Las ruinas de Rey"there's a beautiful beach and one of my favorites called "Playa Delfines" or "El Mirador" The waves are kind of strong so is not really the nicest place to swim but the nicest place to watch indeed! read more

Mayan Ruins almost in the center of the Cancun hotel zone. Big plus - relaxing, quiet and very affordable. Not enough explanations about the structures. read more

This is a small site with some Maya ruins. They charge 50 pesos to get in. I have a 4 and 8 year old who enjoyed walking around the ruins. Some of the ruins have plaques in English to explain what they are, but most do not. This location was a good introduction to ancient Mayan civilization, but I probably will not return unless they build a museum or some other attractions. El Rey was walking distance from our resort, but you can also take the local buses to get there (R1 and R2, 12 pesos or $1 to ride). I would also recommend the Mayan museum which is nearby, and costs 70 pesos per adult (children free). It also has Mayan ruins as well as other exhibits. Overall El Rey was a nice place to spend an hour walking around. read more

This place is really nice for the price and location. We paid 50 pesos each for entrance and tipped an elderly gentleman who provided insight upon our way out. Great place to visit it only took about 30 mins (if that) to cover. Not too much shade and there were quite a few iguanas frolicking about. Don't drink beer on the street as I was stopped by the policia. read more

Zona Arqueológica El Rey - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Cancún, ROO