South Plaza

Chances are you bee-lined straight from the entrance to the Acrópolis and the frieze [1]—who can blame you? Descending the pyramid, you can see that Ek’ Balam [2] is a small site, with buildings somewhat crowded together. It has two plazas (north and south) with the ball court in the middle.

On the south side of the south plaza—opposite the Acropolis—stands La Rodonda, or the Oval Palace. A squat midsize structure, La Rodonda has an eclectic array of overlapping lines and curves, stairs and terraces. It underwent numerous iterations, as did virtually all Maya temples, but the result here was especially eclectic. Archaeologists suspect La Rodonda was used for astronomical observations, and the discovery of several richly adorned tombs suggest it had a ceremonial purpose as well.

Flanking La Redonda are Las Gemelas (The Twins), known as Structure 17. As the plaque indicates, these identical structures are perhaps the best example of Ek’ Balam’s particular architectural style. Having perfected the use of stucco, Ek’ Balam’s builders did not concern themselves with precise masonry, as the stones would be covered in a thick stucco cap. However, stucco proved much less resilient to erosion, and centuries later the structures here appear shabbier than even much older ones, like in the Río Bec region [3], where stucco was less common and stone blocks were more carefully cut and fitted.

Guides usually can be hired at the entrance to the ruins, or arranged via Genesis Ek’ Balam.