Chichen Itza usually tops the list of the best temples or sacred sites to visit in Mexico and with good reason. But, there are other equally impressive temples in both Mexico and Guatemala that are definitely worth visiting. Some of them are off the usual tourist trails and take a little more effort to reach, but the views and spiritual experiences are well worth the journey!
Here is a round-up of some are our top Mayan temple sites in Mexico and Guatemala that you’re not going to want to miss.
Palenque, Mexico
“The House of the Serpent in the Infinite” is a Maya ceremonial centre possessing one of the highest spiritual frequencies. Its sacred architecture is exemplary and unique, a poem in stone. Surrounded by the rivers Lakam-Ha and Otulum, Palenque is the home of many of the classic Maya teachers, such as Kinich-Hanab-Pakal (“Great Teacher with the Shield of the Sun”). The carved lid of his sarcophagus is one of the ancient world’s most profound works of art, depicting as it does Pakal as the intermediary between worlds. The great teacher and Maya priestess, Lady Zac Kuuk (“White Quetzal”), also lived here; she represented the wisdom and the sacred knowledge that descends like the sacred Quetzal bird to illuminate our seventh Chakra – a component of the Maya initiatory path towards self-realization.
Tikal, Guatemala
“The Place with the Sacred Voices” is a university that reflects the architecture of the cosmos, a ceremonial centre where the ancient Maya teachers captured the sounds from other realities. The shapes of the pyramids and temples reflect the thorough understanding of mathematics, geometry, and cosmic calendars. They are also designed to act as needles, capturing the telluric energy of the Earth and of the sky, acupuncturing the ground and the human body.
The highest pyramid in the Maya world can also be found here, a cosmic antenna that allows you to touch the stars and become attuned with the cosmos. Great teachers such as Kinich-Muwaj Chak-Tok-Ich-Aak and Ix’Kalom-Te give us an idea of the extraordinary era when Tikal united science, art, philosophy, and religion as one, reflecting the sacred name of the Creator Hunab-Ku, giver of movement and measurement in the universe.
Yaxchilan, Mexico
Yaxchilan means “City of the First Prophets”. Here, secret rituals were conducted allowing initiates to travel through time and space to return with specialized information. No wonder they were referred to as Architects of the Sky!
Teachers such as Itzamnaj-Balam II, Jaguar-Bird IV, Lady Kabal-Xook, and Lady Sak’biyaan (“Precious Crystal Skull”) were versed in the Mysteries by travelling to parallel universes and recording the information in the stelas and lintels at this very special, and often overlooked, site. Yaxchilan is reached by boat through a slow moving river straddling Mexico and Guatemala, bordered by pristine jungle. A worthwhile and quite stunning journey in itself!
Misol Ha Falls, Mexico
Behind the waterfalls, just 20km from Palenque, lies a powerful cave with a pool of water, a seat of power that can transform your life. This power is reflected in Grandmother Ix’mukane, “Heart of the Earth”, who lives spiritually in this sacred site waiting for you to let go of your past wounds and begin a new life of love, light, balance, and prosperity, which is realized through the purification of the water, the earth, and the sun, accompanied by the spirit of the great Jaguar. While Misol Ha may not have physical temple ruins, we’re including it on our list of temple sites due to its powerful spiritual energy – the water, rather than stone or other material, acting as an organic conduit to transformation.
Is your favourite Mayan site on our list? We’d love to hear which sites make your top list!
If you’d like to visit these powerful temple sites where you can reconnect with the tune of the cosmos, join us for our journey: “Maya Temples of Transformation with Freddy Silva & Miguel Angel Vergara: A Sacred Journey from Palenque to Tikal, January 28 – February 5, 2017”. A full itinerary and tour description can be found on our website.
~ Sacred Earth Journeys, with material from Freddy Silva and Miguel Angel Vergara
