Coba and the Nohoch Mul Pyramid: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Almost every guidebook still says the same thing to anyone who wants to visit Coba: the big pyramid is closed, and nobody has climbed it since the pandemic. That is no longer true. Since December 2025 a new stairway leads to the top of the Nohoch Mul. The prices have changed as well, and quite sharply. So here are the current numbers, the rules for the climb, and the one mistake almost every travel site repeats.

Visit Coba: prices, opening hours and the best time of day

The site opens daily from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, and the last entry is at 4. Admission to the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia has cost 210 pesos since 1 January 2026. That is roughly double the previous year. Mexicans and foreign residents, by contrast, pay half.

On top of that comes a second ticket booth. The ejido of Coba, meaning the local land community, has charged its own fee since November 2021. Back then it was 100 pesos, though visitors now report around 120. You pay both amounts separately, and in cash. Bring enough pesos, therefore, because cards do not work reliably out there.

Timing matters too, and the rule is simple: go early. At 8 the site is cool and quiet. From about 10 the tour buses arrive, and a queue forms at the pyramid. By midday it also turns uncomfortably hot.

Nohoch Mul: the pyramid is open again

The Nohoch Mul stands 42 metres tall, so it is higher than anything at Chichen Itza. Its original name is lost, because Nohoch Mul simply means “large mound” in Maya. The old stone steps closed in 2019, since heavy visitor numbers had worn them down. That happened before the pandemic and had nothing to do with it.

On 7 December 2025 a new wooden stairway opened. Ejidatarios from the community of Noh Bec built it, using regional woods such as tzalam, mahogany, parota and chicozapote. Roughly five million pesos went into the project, which belongs to the site improvement programme Promeza.

Clear rules apply to the climb, and hardly anyone knows them. You may go up only between 8 and 3.30. Each group takes 15 people at most, and you may stay at the top for 15 minutes. Wear proper shoes as well, because flip-flops on those steps are genuinely dangerous. Anyone hoping to visit Coba and stand on top should therefore plan an early morning.

Visit Coba and you walk into a city of 70 square kilometres

The grounds are enormous. The city once covered around 70 square kilometres, and the Nohoch Mul sits a good two and a half kilometres from the entrance. Walking works, though it costs time and energy. That is why they rent bicycles at the gate for roughly 60 to 80 pesos. If you would rather not pedal, a bicycle taxi runs about 100 to 150 pesos.

The name Coba probably means “stirred water”, since the city lies among five lakes. First villages appeared there from 100 BC onwards. Its heyday, meanwhile, came between 800 and 1000 AD.

What really sets the place apart, however, is the road network. More than 50 raised stone causeways, the sacbeob or “white roads”, ran from Coba into the surrounding region. The longest measures 100 kilometres and ends at Yaxuna near Chichen Itza. It is therefore the longest Maya road known anywhere. Anyone who wants to visit Coba is standing in the middle of an ancient traffic hub — the comparison with the other cities sits in the article on the Mayan ruins in Yucatan.

Punta Laguna: spider monkeys in a protected area

Only a few kilometres further on lies Punta Laguna. Officially the area is called Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh, which in Maya means “house of the monkey and the puma”. The area has held protected status since 5 June 2002 and covers 5,367 hectares across Quintana Roo and Yucatan.

Spider monkeys and howler monkeys live there in the wild. Early morning and late afternoon are their most active hours. The reserve opens from 7 to 6, and admission costs 95 pesos. Besides the forest trail you will also find a zipline, kayaks and a cenote. Many travellers who visit Coba therefore add this stop straight afterwards.

Visit Coba on your own or with a guide?

From Tulum it is 47 kilometres, from Playa del Carmen about 110. Driving yourself works, then, especially since the road is in good shape. The day adds up quickly though: the drive, two cash desks, bike rental, then Punta Laguna with its own admission, and finally the return trip after dark.

Our day trip to Coba and Punta Laguna takes exactly that off your plate. The day starts with pickup at the hotel and runs about twelve hours. A certified English-speaking guide leads the walk through the ruins, and the group stays small with twelve people at most. The price covers every admission, so the ejido fee too. Lunch, the zipline and the kayaks at Punta Laguna come with it. The route also stops at a cenote to cool off — why Yucatan holds so many of them comes up in the piece on the cenotes in Mexico.

Frequently asked questions about Coba

The same four questions come up before almost every trip. Anyone planning to visit Coba will find the short answers here.

Can you climb the Nohoch Mul again?

Yes. A new wooden stairway has led to the top since 7 December 2025. The climb is possible between 8 and 3.30, in groups of no more than 15 people and for a maximum of 15 minutes at the summit.

What does admission cost in 2026?

The INAH charges 210 pesos. On top of that comes the local ejido fee of roughly 100 to 120 pesos. You pay both amounts separately and in cash.

How long do the ruins take?

Two to three hours are enough to see the main groups. The site covers 70 square kilometres, and the pyramid sits two and a half kilometres in. A bicycle therefore saves a lot of time.

Is Punta Laguna worth adding?

Anyone hoping to see wildlife says yes. Spider monkeys and howler monkeys live freely in the reserve. A zipline, kayaks and a cenote round out the stop.

Conclusion: who the trip is for

To visit Coba pays off above all for people who like ruins without barriers and enjoy climbing them. Chichen Itza is better restored, but here you stay in the forest and may actually climb the pyramid — the direct comparison waits in the article on how to visit Chichen Itza. When the weather suits it best, you read in the piece on the best time to visit the Riviera Maya.