Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Found only several hundred meters from the sea, this building offers one of the clearest examples of an isolated coastal Mayan temple. Such structures, which prevail along the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, are well-preserved despite the many centuries of weathering from storms, hurricanes, and sea spray. The Mayans are thought to have inhabited these eastern coastal areas, known as the Mayan State of Ekab, for over a thousand years, from 300 AD to 1547 AD. It is believed these coastal temples would serve as a beacon to Mayan seafarers. The temple shown above is easily visible fromthe sea, and flags and/or torches would be displayed as ameans to aid navigation to those Mayans returning from the island of Cozumel.

When sixteenth century Europeans reached these coasts, they were surprised to find such densely populated areas. Unlike most of the small islands of the Antilles, the approach from the sea along these Yucatán shores presented numerous buildings and the explorers would describe them as houses made of mortar and stone. This particular coastal temple was located in the ancient Mayan coastal city of Polé. Several kilometers inland from this temple, a series of ceremonial buildings were found, with the main building standing apart from the others because of its blue, red, and orange façade and the throne found inside. (Photograph taken July 2023 by Chris Makowski, Coastal Education and Research Foundation (CERF), Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.)