Mexico/Yucatan: Uxmal Ruins

Uxmal is one of the major Mayan ruins and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s stuninnly well-preserved and the architectural details here are considered to be second to none other sites, including Palenque and Tikal. The main attractions are the Pyramid of the Magician or Adivino (an unusual stepped pyramid), the Governor’s Palace (a massive structure on a platform with tons of monuments, decorations and sculptures), and a large ballcourt for playing Mesoalmerican ballgames. There are other temples, columns, pyramids, and monument scattered around the sprawling site.