Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam

This place was amazing! I highly recommend a guide. Marcelo was our guide and he was fantastic. His first language was Mayan but he did our tour in English. He was full of knowledge of the site as he has clearly done years of research. The structures are amazing with the jaguar tomb as a crown jewel. There is a fair amount of shade in the park so if it gets too hot you can cool down in the shade, then visit the cenote next door! Be careful on the steep steps!!

Amazing place to visit original Mayan buildings, the vibe transports you to the ancient times, you're free to climb almost all the pyramids (be respectful when you do that) and you can take a good long walk across all the citadel ruins. As this is not so popular as other places you can see some buildings that are still covered by trees and vegetation.
The view from the top of the highest pyramid is amazing.
There are 2 fees to visit the place (local fee and federal fee) and the cost will change depending if you're Mexican, student, teacher or foreigner.
If you want to know the story of the place I suggest you to check in the internet because hiring a tourist guide at the entrance can be expensive. You can also bargain the initial price, they can reduce the cost from $200-$400 pesos.

Unlike many other ruins, there is lots of SHADE here, making the experience that much more enjoyable. I recommend driving to the cenote, which is 2 km further in and absolutely worth it.

Stunning location of ruins. Beautiful carvings and these are ruins you can climb. There are hidden state and federal tax fees not listed on the websites you need to pay in addition to the ticket price. It is a really pretty place and not as touristy as Tulum or Chichen Itza. We really had the place to ourselves. Lots of great views from the tops of the buildings.

Beautiful site with unparalleled access to amazing ruins. Easy drive on the toll road 180D from Cancun. The couple of things to be aware of: toll is nearly 400 pesos each way and only take cash, there were two interesting stops along the way as you near Ek Balam- one as you turn off the main road where folks flag you down but really are selling you tours. The second is a spot they have blocked the road with cones and charge you 100 pesos for parking. Since everything I read said it was free parking, it felt like a scam - but what are you gunna do?

Then the entry fee is two parts, one for the state government and one for the federal. Paid separately and also cash only. About 400 pesos each adult. Tickets are also taken in two parts after the small retail section.

Small snacks but nothing major by way of food.

Worth the visit for sure. Small crowds and beautiful site.

So worth the visit! Much better than Cobá or Tulúm in my opinion. One of the last Maya ruins that you can climb the pyramid. We had William Antonio Chan Chan as our guide and it was worth the $800 pesos that we paid for him.

Amazing, our guide was able to share details we won't forget. The size and scale is breathtaking. The view from the top is lovely, though it was quite windy!

The steps are large and uneven, though the trek to the top is worth it to see the preserved, original artwork.

AWE INSPIRING!!
You actually get to walk in the same footsteps as the ancient ones, forget Chichén Itzá, this is the place to go if you want to feel connected to the past. There are still structures that are covered in vegetation and if you didn’t know any better you would just think they were hills with trees, this place is so beautiful but that’s not even a good enough word for it … this place is still so full of energy that I felt like my whole body was buzzing when I left.!!
And the fact that you are able to climb the Same stairs to the top of the Same pyramids as the ancient people is a sensation that is truly indescribable. There was probably only like ten people there including ourselves so there were plenty of moments where you could stand alone, atop a pyramid and close your eyes and I swear you can hear the past, I’m not even embarrassed to tell the world that I actually cried at one point, it was all just so overwhelming 🥹 I don’t care who you are, you will feel it, there’s a power in that place that is emanating from all directions and it gets inside of you… I didn’t want to leave and I HAVE TO go back there again.
Like I said before forget all those other places that are all touristy, there’s not a single vendor here but please tip the kid in the parking lot, he won’t ask but he does walk around with a trash bag so the parking lot is free of debris. And I mean, the other places are great to look at but this place is special, there’s magic here….

The structures are absolutely massive, and it's really cool to see the restoration progress. We went with a tour group and it was really nice to get a conversational history of the site. Tickets won't break the bank either.

A hidden gem in Mexico. A must visit for anyone in the area. This working archaeological site is visited by very few people and at times you can have the place to yourself. There is stunning original carvings and it truly does feel like you are exploring a newly discovered site in the middle of the jungle.

Took a excursion. Our guide was Perfecto he did a great job of explaining how the day would look on the way and worked hard to make it happen good explanation of ruins and time for questions from all participants. After the ruins we stopped at Chicklan (sp) Cenote and restraunt the swim was very refreshing after a hot day in the jungle and lunch was great we stopped at Vallidad on the way home and spent abit of time touring town square. The van was beautiful a/c and speakers to hear announcements along the way very comfortable and highly recommend this tour.

This was my favorite pyramid to see because you could climb on and explore them. There is so much to see, we didn’t get a guide but it would have been informative if we had. It wasn’t as crowded as Chichén Itzá and definitely worth the drive.

Soooo neat to be able to climb atop and see what ancients of the past climbed so high to see…..well…plus some…contemporary additions. So incredible to be able to walk on. And through them. 100% worth it. Breathe it in!

We stayed south of Akumal for a quiet beach vacation and figured we would go to the ruins at Tulum. What a nightmare of people. Too many tourists, too many people calling to sell you something and tiny parking spots. We turned around and left the mess that Tulum is. The next day we headed to Ek Balam based on other reviews. It was a pleasant drive and we got there when they opened. We paid 100 pesos to the people by the orange cones very close to the parking lot. Luckily, the other group of people trying to extract pesos from you weren't up when we drove by. They were stationed in a spot closer to where you turn off the main road.
There were very few people there and it was an amazing experience to casually walk around the ruins. We also were able to climb up the steps to the top! We did not pay for a guide but in retrospect wish we had.
We spent about 90 minutes there and then drove to the cenote right there. There were four other people there and it was absolutely wonderful. If you don't like crowds or vendors pressuring you to buy something every five feet skip Tulum and visit Ek Balam. On the way back we stopped in Valladolid at IX CAT IK which serves traditional Mayan dishes. Not to be missed!

Fantastic Mayan Ruins with some well preserved hieroglyphs and statues. We had a super guide. The view from the palace is great. Try to get there early to beat the heat and the crowds.

It was definitely worth to visit. We had a bad guide, but she was from the tour agency not a local guide from Ek balam.
It's an old Mayan pyramid and it's incredible that it was built at this time without machines. And I believe I've heard that it's the only pyramid were it's possible to go up.

If your a history buff, this place is cool. You can still walk on and through the ruins. Not crowded at all and lots of iguanas. Do the self guided tours, definitely worth the six bucks, versus a $100 us guide...

Best ruins experience in the Yucatán. Can’t recommend it enough. Also, don’t miss
The excellent cenote at the end, which exponentially enhances the experience. Also the restaurants inside the zona are actually amazing and affordable. Definitely bring more
Water than you think you need.

Gorgeous ruins! One of my favorites. Very little tourists. There’s also a cenote where you can go to refresh yourself and get away from the heat.

The best. Itche niza is great but this is the best. Not to much people. No wait time and you can go nearly everywhere. Also on top of the ruins. After this go to swim in the cenote that is close by. Is a must see