CHACMULTUN- Chacmultún is "mounds made of red stone" in Mayan. The name applies to the group of buildings in the northwest part of the ruins, but has been extended to include the whole site. Chacmultún, dates from the Classic period. It is noted for the way in which the local terrain was used to achieve special effects. That is, three of its four main building clusters were erected on hill and seem to focus on the valley floor. The three groups which constitute the major ruins at the site are known as the Chacmultun Group, the Xetpol Group, and the Cabalpak Group. These buildings, which were designed in the Puuc architectural style, are decorated to different extents, ranging from very plain up to highly ornamented. The Palace, the site's largest edifice, is one of the most decorated, having a frieze ornamented with small, reed like columns and carved depiction's of stylized thatched huts, as well as other motifs. Interesting, too, is the Building of Paintings. One of its rooms contains vestiges of mural paintings showing a procession of dignitaries.

LABNÁ - Labná means "old house or abandoned house" in Mayan. Labná is a wonderful example of the Puuc region architecture although considered one of the lesser sites. Labná has a well defined urban line with Sacbés that connect each other. The city was built in the classic period. Its peak period was between the 600 and 900 A.D. It is thought that Labná, like Sayil, was destroyed by the onslaught of the warlike Chichén Itzá.

Labná was first rediscovered in the late 1800's and some reconstruction was performed at that time. But, since then not much has been done. The site is located about 10 kilometers from Sayil suggesting a close relationship between the two cities. The two cities also share structures that are very similar in style.

The largest structure in Labná is a pyramid, which is topped by a collapsed temple that was most probably added as reconstruction after the pyramid was built. The most impressive structure at Labná is 'The Great Gate'. It is a fine example of Puuc-style architecture and is the entrance to the main palace group. Architects perhaps sacrificed the functionality of a "true arch" (with a keystone) for the symbolism of the Maya vault. The Maya vault or corbel has 9 layers which probably corresponds to the 9 Lords of the Underworld in Maya cosmos. The structure, a typical false Maya arch, is decorated with Chaac masks arranged near the upper corners. At the half-way level and on either side of the arch are niches resembling Maya huts with thatched roofs. Inside the niches are stucco remains of plumes painted like feathers, characteristic of the headdress used by distinguished personages.

The Palace group is situated on a terrace built on top of a natural elevation and can be approached by stairways. The 67 room construction has two levels is another architectural jewel of the region. The principal facade of these vaulted chambers faces the south. The first level contains 40 rooms, all of which on the east side are partially destroyed. The building also has a simply decorated west annex, whose entrances face the east. There are three groups of buildings on the second level of the Palace. Another interesting construction in Labná is El Mirador.

OXKINTOK - Oxkintok was a major power in the Puuc region during the Classic period. The site has a number of monuments carved with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Some of the most ancient Long Count dates yet found for Yucatán are shown on the site's stelae, spanning the centuries between 474 and 859 A.D. The core area of the town consists of three building complexes which are connected by sacbe's.

The Tzat Tun Tzat is the most famous structure in Oxkintok. It has many inner rooms which interconnect through small doors and narrow stairways. One of the unique aspects of the Oxkintok site is the labyrinths reconstructed recently by archaeologists from Spain. There is rumored to be a tunnel connecting the main pyramid to the labyrinth. Another interesting aspect of the site are warrior statues guarding one of the palaces.

SAYIL - Sayil means "place of the leaf-cutter ants" in Mayan. The site if from the late Classic period and at that time probably covered an area of three square miles. The city is unusual for its location amid several steep hills, however, from the hills it is possible to see the sacbe's that link various building clusters making it possible to imagine the old city as it was laid out. Sayil contains altars, stelae and the ruined foundations of thousands of smaller structures. Sayil also has a ball-court and several small palaces.

Sayil is thought to have reached its peak between 700 to 1000 A.D. Because of the closeness to Uxmal it is thought that the two were probably aligned to some degree. Sayil's downfall appears to have been rapid and the city may have been destroyed by the powerful and warlike Chichén Itzá.

Sayil is noteworthy because of the The Great Palace with its three stepped positions. It is one of the most beautiful of all Maya structures. This palace is almost as imposing and lovely as the Governor's palace and the Nunnery in Uxmal. Its the most important building in Sayil and its lengthy form of three levels contains 98 rooms. The main facade faces south near where one sacbé begins. The second floor shows the most detail of the three levels contains two corridors. Only one, almost in ruins is found within each of the other levels. A large stairway leads from the ground to each of the three floors. The roof of the first and second floors also serve as terraces, since each level is recessed. The walls of the second story are decorated with columns and with Chaac masks. The walls are also show sculptures of the Gods. On the third tier is found the date 730 A.D.

Another important structure in Sayil is the Lookout, dating between 500 and 900 A.D., is a small square temple with five rooms. The high roof comb, a derivative of the Chenes architectural style, was originally used in the Peten of Guatemala and later in Tikal. Used here in early Puuc, it would be seen years later in other cities of this area.

While Sayil is one of the smaller sites it is definitely worth a visit if not for its unique location then for the beauty of its preservation and fine detail in its art.

The constructions of Uxmal are highly decorated with exquisite geometrical mosaics of cut stone that form very ornate patterns. Some very finely carved stelae have also been discovered. The Main Temple is called the Pyramid Of The Magician; it's quite dramatic, especially because of it's elliptical base, but otherwise conforms to traditional temple- pyramid form. According to Maya legend, the temple was created in the span of a single night by a child prodigy who became ruler of the land. In reality it may have taken as long as 300 years to build what we see today, for it actually is five structures superimposed one on top of the other.

XLAPAK - Xlapak means "Old Wall" in Mayan. Interestingly, many of the ruins are called Xlapak by today's local inhabitants. It seems that the names of these ancient cities have not been handed down over the centuries and the locals refer to sites as "old walls" or "stone house" or "pile of rocks". The exact name of Xlapak has not been determined.

It is one of the lesser sites found in the Puuc region. It was occupied in the late Classic period from 600 to 1000 A.D. and was probably subservient to the larger Uxmal. The central area of the site contains two groups of interesting buildings. One of them is Xlapac's most famed building and is called the Palace. "The Palace" is considered one of the jewels of the Puuc style. The beauty of the Palace is defined by the very intricate workmanship found throughout the Puuc region, and the palace is an excellent example. There are some spectacular masks of Chaac, the rain god and a series of detailed work including a false arch. This construction is only one story high, but it has nine rooms. In the other group there is one building which resembles the Palace. It displays a frieze garnished by means of small columns and a row of serrated stones.