Archaeology buffs, bird watchers (more than 200 species of birds come here annually) and nature lovers will want to visit Coba, about 30 miles  northwest of Tulum. A Classic-era site that peaked around 500-800 A.D., Coba  could be the largest Mayan city yet discovered and only a portion of the site  has been uncovered.

Coba is unique among Yucatecan archaeological sites: it is the largest (nine square miles), it has the tallest pyramid (Nohuch Mul, 122 feet), and it has four lakes and numerous stele none of which have been found at any  other site in the peninsula.

The small farming community of Punta Laguna, located on the  highway between Coba and Nuevo Xcan, shares its forest enclave with the endangered spider monkey. Visitors can follow a jungle trail, spot the monkeys  swinging from tree tops overhead, swim in the lagoon, and even see traditional farming methods and plots.