Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam

We visited Ek’ Balam and had a wonderful experience. The site wasn’t crowded at all — only a few cars in the large parking lot — which made it feel calm and special. Around the parking area, you can find small shops with souvenirs, snacks, and drinks. Tickets are purchased at the ticket office (580 pesos per adult, 100 for a child), and there’s also the option to hire a tour guide for an extra fee. The archaeological site itself is spacious but easy to navigate. You’re allowed to climb most of the pyramids, and where it’s not permitted, clear “no climb” signs are posted. We spent about 2 hours exploring and felt it was the perfect amount of time to enjoy everything. A few tips: bring enough water, wear comfortable clothes, and prepare for the heat with sunscreen — it was very hot when we visited. Overall, Ek’ Balam is an amazing site to explore, less busy than some of the more famous ruins, and definitely worth the visit!

We actually loved the experience. We didn't take a guided tour but there was so much information on the signes at the site. We also used gpt to fill in the story. Plus, roaming there int the jungle was a fun experience, there weren't a lot of people so we got really nice pictures. And the best part is that you can climb all the buildings and imagine you're a Mayan for a second 😉. Plus the view is amazing. We have been to Chichén Itza the day before and the experience there was a lot less authentic. There isn't a lot of information and it's much pricier. Plus there are soany people and no option to climb or even get near the buildings.

The place is amazing by itself, it's huge! Part of the main structure is still covered and some areas are well preserved. Two main parts on the side are still covered by jungle. Unfortunately had a bad experience with the guide. First they tell you a price and a different one at the end. Be aware of that! Everything else was good.

Ek Balam is truly amazing. The feeling of being there is so special and hard to describe…seeing those incredible, well-preserved ruins surrounded by trees and nature was unforgettable. Everything about the place felt authentic and peaceful. The entrance fee is fair, especially compared to other more touristy sites that are overpriced and feel overly commercialized. I highly recommend this unique experience. You can buy your tickets directly at the entrance, no need to stop along the road where people try to flag you down and sell you extra packages. Just go straight there and enjoy!

We went with a tour group. Our guide was very knowledgeable. The experience of being able to walk up the pyramid was amazing and terrifying for me. A very memorable experience you don't get at most Mayan ruins.

Very quiet tourist attraction, which makes it a pleasant stop while we were in the Yucatan area. I learned later that this was one of the few archaeological sites that still allows people to climb up and I would recommend everyone to take up this challenge and opportunity. There is also a cenote nearby which makes it even more convenient.

We went on a cloudy day. Arrived at 9:00 am. Took a little over 2 hours to see everything. Without a doubt this is the cleanest, best maintained and best preserved ruins I have been to in Mexico. Very highly recommended.

There are pros and cons to this place compared to the other major sites nearby (Chichen Itza and Coba). The main reason to visit this one instead of the others is to climb the buildings (which is no longer allowed at the other Mayan pyramid sites as of this writing). However, the cityscape is not quite as grand and extensive as Chichen Itza, though there are several well-preserved buildings. And the guide we hired at the entrance was decent, but not very excited or able to speak english well enough to keep the interest of our kids, though he was generally knowledgable. It felt similar to if we had just bought a self-guided audio tour (and maybe an audio tour would have been better). But we did really enjoy climbing the old ruins and going inside the dark rooms (and seeing that the pyramid structure acropolis is actually hollow with interior rooms). Very cool. Very worth the visit if you know what you are getting. The greatest part though is the nearby Cenote X'Canche. Fantastic cenote much deeper and more impressive in person than I expected from photos. 100 percent not-to-be-missed.