The Stelae P carving at Copan Ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Copan, Honduras, Central America

High Temple (Structure N10-43), the highest temple at the Mayan site of Lamanai, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Ball Court, in the archaeological site of the Maya civilization, at Copan Ruins UNESCO World Heritage Site, Copan, Honduras, Central America

Yucatec-Maya archaeological site, Ek Balam, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Aerial of the archaeological Maya site of Coba, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

The Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo) illuminated at night, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mexico, North America

The archaeological Maya site of Coba, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

The archaeological Maya site of Coba, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

Two men excavating beside the Main Court Stela in the Mayan ruins at Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

The grand plaza at the Mayan archaeological site of Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

One thousand Mayan columns and the great pyramid El Castillo, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, Central America

Temple 2 from the front, Mayan site, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Stelae in foreground, North Acropolis, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Stela N and Temple of Inscriptions, Mayan site, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Temple of the Great Jaguar in the Grand Plaza, Mayan ruins, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Temple of the Great Jaguar in the Grand Plaza, Mayan ruins, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Mayan observatory (El Caracol) and the Great Pyramid (El Castillo) beyond, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Cedar tree with bromeliades, Temple 4 beyond, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Great Pyramid (El Castillo), Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Governor's Palace, Mayan site, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Nunnery Quadrangle, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Tourists climbing El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple II looking across Great Plaza, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Detail of Maya stone carving at Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Ball Court dating from AD 731, Central Plaza, Copan Ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Stone carving of Pacal the Great, Palenque ruler from 615 AD to 683 AD, Palace, Palenque Archaeological Zone, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chiapas, Mexico, North America

Mayan glyphs on the side of Stela P, West Court, Copan Archaeological Park, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Workers maintaining stonework at The Nunnery (Edificio de las Monjas), Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

North Acropolis, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Temple 2 from the front, Mayan site, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

View of Grand Plaza from temple, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Archaeologists at work, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Close-up of Stele E, Mayan ruins, Quirigua, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Archaeologists at work Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Nunnery Quadrangle, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Puuc Mayan site of Kabah, the Codz Poop (Palace of Masks), Kabah, near Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Pyramid at Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mexico, North America

Nunnery Quadrangle at the Mayan site of Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Stone Glyphs in front of the Palace of Masks, Kabah Archaeological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Surveyor at work, Temple of Panels (Templo de los Tableros Esculpidos), Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Workers maintaining stonework Eagles and Jaguars platform, Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

North Acropolis, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

The Palace, Kabah Archaeological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Caracol, Mayan observatory, where windwos align with certain stars, Chichen-Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Tourist climbing down front of Temple One, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Tourists climbing El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple II, Great Plaza, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Magicians Pyramid at the Mayan site of Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Stucco motifs of Mayan nobles, Palace, Palenque Archaeological Zone, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chiapas, Mexico, North America

Atlantes figure, Palace of Masks, Kabah Archaelological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Carvings of skulls on the Tzompantli, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Nunnery Quadrangle at the Mayan site of Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Stela B dating from AD 731, The Great Plaza, Copan Ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Mayan ruins, Quirigua, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Guatemala, Central America

Atlantes figures, Palace of Masks, Kabah Archaelological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

The Arch, Kabah Archaeological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Throne of the Jaguar and Governor's Palace at Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Detail, Structure 9N-82, Copan, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Honduras, Central America

Tourists climbing El Castillo, pyramid dedicated to the god Kukulcan, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Palace in low hanging fog, Palenque Archaeological Zone, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chiapas, Mexico, North America

Puuc Mayan site of Kabah, the Codz Poop (Palace of Masks), Kabah, near Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple I, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

The group of a thousand columns Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Stone Glyphs in front of the Palace of Masks, Kabah Archaeological Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Ball court, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Puuc Mayan site of Kabah, the Codz Poop (Palace of Masks), Kabah, near Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Building near the Magician's Pyramid, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

El Castillo at the Mayan site of Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Pyramid of the Magician, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

The Nunnery Quadrangle with the Pyramid of the Magician in the background, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mayan ruins of Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace, Palenque, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chiapas province, Mexico, North America

The Great Plaza, Tikal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peten, Guatemala, Central America

Governors Palace at Mayan site, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

The Palace, Puuc Mayan site of Sayil near Uxmal, Sayil, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Codz Poop (Palace of Masks), Puuc Mayan site, Kabah, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Magician's Pyramid, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Codz Poop (Palace of Masks), Puuc Mayan site, Kabah, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Puuc Mayan site of Kabah, the Palace Group (East Group), Kabah, near Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Detail, ball court, Mayan site, Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mayan archaeological site, Tulum, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Nunnery Quadrangle at the Mayan site of Uxmal, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Kukulkan (El Castillo) from Temple of the Warriors, Maya Toltec site, Chichen-Itza, UNESCO World Hertiage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Honduras stone head at copan mayan ruins

Pyramid of the Magicians, Uxmal Mayan ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mexico, North America

Honduras stone head at copan mayan ruins

View across the Tierras Bajas rainforest from the top of the Calakmul Mayan ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Campeche state, southern Mexico, North America

Honduras stone head at copan mayan ruins

El Castillo, Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yucatan, Mexico, North America

Mexican aztec dress gods at Grand Palladium White Sand Resort and Spa in Riviera Maya, Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Caribbean Coast, Mexico. Aztec clothing was generally loose fitting and did not completely cover the body. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, the people were surprised to see them in their full armour, with only their faces exposed. Aztec clothes were generally made of cotton (which was imported) or ayate fiber, made from the Maguey Cactus (also called the Century Plant or American Aloe). Women would weave the fibers into clothing, a task girls were taught as young teenagers. Because of their vast trading network, the Aztecs were able to make use of a beautiful array of dyes, creating the brilliant

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Aerial view of Punta Allen Sian Ka'an Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Red lagoon near Boca Paila Bridge. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means Origin of the Sky. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system. Along its roughly 120 kilometres of coastline, the property covers over 400,000 hectares of land ranging from sea level to only ten m.a.s.l. The property boasts diverse tropical forests, palm savannah, one of the most pristine wetlands in the region, lagoons, extensive mangrove stands, as well as sandy beaches and dunes. The 120,000 hectares of marine area protect a valuable part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass beds in the shallow bays. The lush green of the forests and the many shades of blue of the lagoons and the Caribbean Sea under a wide sky offer fascinating visual impressions.

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Swimming at Cenote Ik Kil in Yucatan, Mexico, a natural pit, or sinkhole near Chichen Itza. Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Ik Kil was sacred to the Mayans who used this cenote for both relaxation and ritual services centuries ago.

Aerial view of Mayan Ruin of Chichen Itza Archaeological Site Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Caribbean Coast, Mexico