What to do in Coba and how to plan your trip
Coba is about 140 kilometres from Cancun Airport, inland and deep in the jungle. The archaeological site is open from 08:00 to 17:00, you get around it by bike, and since December 2025 you can once again climb Nohoch Mul, the 42-metre pyramid, on a wooden staircase.
- 1transport zone
- 6hotels
- 140 kmfrom the airport
- 42 mtall: Nohoch Mul
- 08:00the site opens
Everything to know about Coba
Coba was one of the great Maya cities of the northern peninsula: it covered about 70 square kilometres around five lakes, and more than 50 sacbes, raised stone causeways, lead out of it; the longest runs 100 kilometres to Yaxuna. Today the archaeological site, run by INAH, sits inside the jungle and its building groups are far apart, which is why bikes and pedicabs are for hire at the entrance. The most visited building is Nohoch Mul, 42 metres tall, the highest in the northern Maya area. Climbing was closed in 2019 because the steps were worn, and on 7 December 2025 INAH reopened it with a wooden staircase that protects the original ones.
Getting to Coba
- Cancun Airport (CUN)About 140 kilometres by road. The transfer drops you at the entrance to the archaeological site or at your hotel.
- From TulumCoba is about 47 kilometres from Tulum, on the road towards Nuevo Xcan.
- Tren MayaThere is no station in Coba. The closest are in Tulum and Valladolid, and from either one you continue by road.
Good to know
- LanguageSpanish, with English at the archaeological site and with the guides.
- CurrencyMexican peso (MXN). INAH entry, parking, bike hire and the cenotes are all paid separately.
- Time zoneUTC−5 all year, the same as Cancun.
- Power127 V, 60 Hz, flat two-pin US-style plugs. Bring an adapter from the UK.
- WaterBring bottled water for the visit: it is several kilometres under the jungle canopy.
- Emergencies911 nationwide.
Transfers from the airport to every zone of Coba are a fixed price per vehicle, with the driver waiting at the exit. See availability.
Things to see and do in Coba
The building groups inside the site, the Maya causeways and the cenotes down the road.
The tallest building in the northern Maya area, at 42 metres. You can climb it from 08:00 to 15:30, in groups of up to 15 people, with a maximum of 15 minutes at the top.
The first one you reach from the entrance and the oldest: more than fifty buildings and courtyards, a ball court and several stelae.
The group with the carved stelae, alongside several raised structures.
More than 50 stone causeways lead out of the city; the longest runs 100 kilometres to Yaxuna. Today you walk and cycle along them between the groups.
The city grew around five lakes, rare on a peninsula where the water runs underground.
Two underground cenotes next to each other, about 6 kilometres from the archaeological site, on the same road.
An underground cenote about 8 kilometres from the archaeological site. A good way to end the day after the climb.
When to visit Coba
It is the same jungle all year. What changes is the heat, the rain and the mosquitoes.
The coolest months and the best time to cycle between the groups. Also the busiest.
Dry and getting hotter. Arrive at opening time: the Nohoch Mul climb closes at 15:30 and the midday heat is intense.
Afternoon rain and mosquitoes in the jungle. Bring repellent and light long sleeves.
The quietest time of year, in the middle of hurricane season. Check the forecast before you set out.
How to get around Coba
The building groups are far apart. This is how people cover them.
For hire at the entrance to the archaeological site, and the most practical way to get from one group to the next.
For anyone who would rather not pedal: a driver takes you between the groups and charges by the stretch or by the hour.
All of it is walkable: the loop through the main groups adds up to 4 to 5 kilometres.
From Cancun Airport to the site entrance or your hotel, at a fixed price per vehicle.
How we get you to Coba
From Cancun Airport to the archaeological site or your hotel in Coba, at a fixed price per vehicle.
Hotels in Coba we pick up from
Fixed price to every hotel in the zone. If yours isn’t here, type it in the search box.
Tips from our local team in Coba
What travellers ask us most, answered by the people who live here.
Arrive at opening time
The site opens at 08:00 and last entry is at 16:00. Early on it is cooler and fewer people are queuing to climb.
The climb has its own hours
Nohoch Mul is open for climbing from 08:00 to 15:30, in groups of 15, with 15 minutes at the top. After that there is no climbing, even though the site stays open.
Everything is paid separately
INAH entry does not include the bike, the pedicab or parking. Bring pesos.
Pair it with a cenote
Choo-Ha, Tamcach-Ha and Multun-Ha are about 6 to 8 kilometres away. A swim after the climb rounds off the day.
The train doesn’t get there
The Tren Maya does not stop in Coba: without a car, a direct transfer is the way to arrive with luggage.
Proper shoes for the climb
The staircase is wooden and the pyramid is 42 metres tall. Climb in closed shoes with grip and keep your hands free.
How to get to Coba from the airport
A fixed price per vehicle and your driver waiting at the exit with a name board.
Transfer prices per zone in Coba
| Transport zone | Journey time | Passenger van8 8 | Airport taxi3 3 | Luxury SUV5 5 | Group van15 15 | See availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coba | 2 h 41 min | $220 | — | $450 | $450 | See availability |
One way in USD per vehicle, taxes, tolls and luggage included. Return is the total for both legs. Journey times are estimates without traffic, worked out from distance and speed limits; those marked ≈ are approximate.
The prices shown are the Economy fare. Many services also have a Premium fare in the same private vehicle, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before and free changes up to 12 hours before; Economy includes one change with 24 hours’ notice. You choose between them when you see availability.