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Coba is an undeveloped archaeological site deep in the Yucatan jungle. Temperatures are usually hot and humidity is often very high. Limited tourist services are available there, so plan to bring water, mosquito repellant, a hat, and sturdy shoes because the trails are not paved and the site is big.
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You can drive to Cobá from [wiki=f68e43cd78d566c2092c0d3595a7ee52]Tulum[/wiki] (approx. 45 minutes). The 2-lane road passes through several small Mexican villages where you can stop for a bite to eat or to buy some local handicrafts. From [wiki=fd5a6f048c89ada0ec63459c7d4467dc]Cancun[/wiki] or [wiki=80641aeee9616559ce67bb5d4837755b]Playa del Carmen[/wiki], take highway 307 south to Tulum, and then turn inland where marked.
There are several ADO buses every morning to Coba from [wiki=fd5a6f048c89ada0ec63459c7d4467dc]Cancun[/wiki] (3h), [wiki=80641aeee9616559ce67bb5d4837755b]Playa del Carmen[/wiki] (2h) and [wiki=f68e43cd78d566c2092c0d3595a7ee52]Tulum[/wiki] (1h), and two each afternoon out again at 13h30 and 15h30. Buses stop at the El Bocadito restaurant, which doubles as bus ticket office. From there the entrance to the archaeological site is a short 500m walk on down the same road, which bends off to the left when it reaches lake Coba. You may see crocodiles on the lake shore, well below the road.
Visitors arriving by bus will be offered a shuttle service by the restaurant staff. Unless walking is not an option, there is no need to use this service - and if walking is not an option, Coba is probably not a good choice anyway, as a good deal of walking is inevitable at the site, even if you rent a bicycle or rickshaw.
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The distance from the entrance to the main pyramid is over 1 km. Bicycles are available for rent for MXN 40 (as of January 2015), and bicycle rickshaws and drivers are available to take you throughout the site; using one or the other is a good idea. Note that tall visitors may have difficulty finding a bicycle of suitable height - be sure to ask for el muy grande. Bicycles are not allowed onto the ruins themselves, so walking a certain distance at each group of buildings is inevitable.
Local guides are available for walking or biking, and are extremely knowledgeable.
The site lacks any map. Be sure to take a map of the site. If you don't have a map, you can try to use a rule that you always take a path on your left hand to walk around the site.
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The site consists of a large complex of ruins, only a small portion of which have been cleared from the jungle and restored by archaeologists. The Nohuch Mul pyramid is 42 meters (138 feet) high, and is the tallest Mayan structure in the Northern Yucatan. There are several other buildings of interest including several temples, an ancient gallery of carved stellae, an astronomical observatory, and a ball court.
One of the most archaelogically interesting features of Coba is the network of elevated roads that emanate out from the city towards other Mayan cities. These roads, called sacbeob ('sacbe' sing.) are thought to have been their equivalent to an interstate highway system, enabling easy transportation throughout the Mayan world.
Buildings at Coba are clustered in groups, such as the Grupo Coba, Grupo Nohuch Mul, and Grupo las Pinturas.
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It is permitted to climb to the top of the pyramid, by a very steep set of approximately 120 stone stairs. However, most other structures in the area are not open to climbing. If you are planning to visit Coba with the expectation of climbing to the top, check with local authorities to see if it is still permitted. The climb to the top is well worth it, albeit a little nerve-wracking if you are afraid of heights: The top of the pyramid juts out over the forest and you get a beautiful view of vast flat sea of green and get an idea of why the pyramids were so powerful.
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There is a small pueblo near the ruins, with some restaurants and small shops selling local crafts.
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At the entrance to the ruins and at the Nohoc Mul group, cold beverages and snacks can be purchased.
*El Bocadillo Restaurant in Coba pueblo that also functions as bus station. Simple menu with tasty local dishes. Prices remarkably low given the advantage offered by ADO patronage at a tourist location.
*Across the street from lagoon. Vegetarian options. Super friendly/knowledgable English speaking owner.
*Just neighbour of El Bocadillo. Tasty and big Mexican meals for a good price.
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There are several hotels in the Coba pueblo. Everything is located on the main street going to the lake and around the lake to the ruins. The El Bocadillo hotel seems to be closed (Dec. 2015).
*Clean hotel, with nice shower and toilet. Room for about 450 Pessos (for two, depends on type). There are actually two hotels with this name, take the one which is more far away from the lake. If you get off the bus at El Bocadillo, go back for 300 meters to reach the hotel.
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There is a bus ticket office located in front of the parking place at the entry to the ruins. You can get information there, the tickets can be bought by the bus driver.
* [wiki=a9bfdca1ae427c0600ed54ce3d730315]Valladolid[/wiki]- The second class bus to Valladolid stops at the edge of the lake (about 300m from El Bocadillo, where ADO busses stops).
* [wiki=77175b9bd1affaaa1b22c2b84d88cd59]Chichén Itzá[/wiki]- the ORIENTE bus company stops also at the edge of the lake, and also in front of El Bocadillo. It should go at 8:00 am. If its full, it does not go to Coba to stop there at all. If this happens, and bus did not show up after hour or so. Take bus to Valladolid and change to other bus there.
* [wiki=f68e43cd78d566c2092c0d3595a7ee52]Tulum[/wiki]
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