Maya Museum of Cancun

The Maya Cancun Museum opened in November 2012 after 30 years of collecting materials and six years of construction, and it is now home to some 350 Mayan artefacts. The museum is a modern exhibition space making good use of audio and multimedia facilities, and t gives visitors an excellent insight into Mayan history and culture. Conveniently located next to the El Rey ruins, your visit here can be combined with a trip to these magnificent sites or simply serve to provide some respite from the sizzling Yucatan sun. A walk around the museum’s fascinating exhibits will certainly give you a good perspective on any of the local archaeological sites you may visit.

The materials on display here date back 14,000 years, and the oldest of these were recovered from the submerged caves at Tulun, the old Mayan port. One of the central exhibits at the museum is the remains of "La Mujer de las Palmas", or "The Woman of the Palms", a prehistoric woman thought to have been alive 10,000 years ago.

Most of the information at Maya Cancun Museum is in Spanish, but there is enough English information here to make for an enjoyable learning experience. The exhibition space covers an area of 409 square metres, which houses two permanent exhibition halls, with one more hall reserved for temporary exhibitions.

The Museum is located in Cancun's hotel district, and can be accessed on foot if you are staying in this part of the city. Otherwise it is well served by bus routes and taxis, and there is also some paid parking in the hotel district. The museum is open every day except Monday. There is a small admission charge.