beach
Playa del Carmen Beach
A lively Riviera Maya beach with soft white sand, warm Caribbean waters, and a vibrant pedestrian strip just steps away.
50 km · about 60 min drive
North AmericaMexicoQuintana Roo
El Tintal
Quintana Roo, Mexico · North America
About El Tintal
El Tintal sits on the route: 10 minutes from Ignacio Zaragoza, 50km from Carretera Federal 307 (Riviera Maya).
El Tintal is in Quintana Roo, Mexico, with about 1,100 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Ignacio Zaragoza, about 6 km away.
El Tintal is a Maya archaeological site in the northern Petén region of Guatemala, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of the modern-day settlement of Carmelita, with settlement dating to the Preclassic and Classic periods. It is close to the better known sites of El Mirador (20 kilometres (12 mi) to the north),Read more
to which it was linked by causeway, and Nakbé (20 kilometres (12 mi) to the northeast). El Tintal is a sizeable site that includes some very large structures and it is one of the four largest sites in the northern Petén; it is the second largest site in the Mirador Basin, after El Mirador itself. El Tintal features monumental architecture dating to the Middle Preclassic similar to that found at El Mirador, Nakbé and Wakna. Potsherds recovered from the site date to the Late Preclassic and Early Classic periods, and construction continued at the site in the Late Classic period.
The causeway system linking the sites of El Tintal, El Mirador and Nakbé involved a significant labour investment and an enormous quantity of construction materials, indicating an accomplished engineering programme in the Preclassic Period.
Although the site's existence was known to archaeologists for decades, due to its remote location no thorough investigation of the site took place until 2004, when the Mirador Basin Project carried out the first systematic excavations.
Where to Stay in El Tintal
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in El Tintal.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near El Tintal.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near El Tintal?
Within an hour or so of El Tintal: Playa del Carmen Beach (50 km), Carretera Federal 307 (Riviera Maya) (50 km), Cobá (52 km).
Are there any good drives near El Tintal?
The nearest famous roads are Carretera Federal 307 (Riviera Maya).
Where is El Tintal?
El Tintal is in Quintana Roo, Mexico, about 6 km from Ignacio Zaragoza.
Road trip
Drive to El Tintal
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of El Tintal. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 1,074
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Mexico
- Region
- Quintana Roo
- Timezone
- America/Cancun
- Coordinates
- 20.8919, -87.4661
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Mexico
Green Angels (free tourist roadside assistance on federal highways): 078.
Full driving guide for MexicoTags
Worth the detour from El Tintal
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
coastal drive
Carretera Federal 307 (Riviera Maya)
The coastal highway from Cancún through Playa del Carmen and Tulum, linking beaches, cenotes and Maya sites along the Caribbean.
50 km · about 60 min drive
ancient ruins
Cobá
An ancient Maya city hidden deep in the jungle featuring the tallest pyramid in the Yucatán Peninsula, Nohoch Mul at 42 meters.
52 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near El Tintal
- 50 kmCarretera Federal 307 (Riviera Maya)The coastal highway from Cancún through Playa del Carmen and Tulum, linking beaches, cenotes and Maya sites along the Caribbean.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near El Tintal.
Plan a trip around El Tintal
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from El Tintal.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.