Thousands of Mayan archaeological sites exist throughout Latin America and there are a couple of hundred Mayan ruins in Mexico. Most are small and relatively unknown, which means they do not attract many visitors but some of the larger, well-known ruins like Chichen Itza can attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. Chichen Itza is not the only UNESCO World Heritage site of the Mayan world but it certainly holds its place in Mayan history along with Uxmal, Palenque and Calakmul. The Mayans or Mesoamerican Indians occupied Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Before Spain occupied Central America and Mexico, the Mayan world was the centre of the universe in this region and ancient Mayan cities were centres of a great civilisation that built pyramids, temples and practised agriculture and had a form of hieroglyphic writing.Visitors wishing to see the more famous ruins should plan a trip early in the morning to avoid the crush of people and take better pictures. Wear clothing to protect yourself from the sun, carry water, and use bug spray depending on where the ruins are located.
