There are many ancient civilisations that have developed across Mexico and Central America, all within the area known as Mesoamerica.

Most well-known of these is the Maya empire which covered huge ground stretching across the Mexican states of Chiapas, the Yucatán and Quintana Roo right down through Guatemala and Belize to Honduras. The Maya were highly intelligent possessing great knowledge of astronomy, were capable of advanced mathematical and calendrical calculations and their ruins have withstood the test of time well.

All these civilisations had certain traits in common - they all had a form of writing, a calendar, a ball game, the custom of building temples and agricultural methods. They were also distinct from each other in very many respects and visiting their remains today make for fascinating exploration not only to learn about the history of each individual culture but often also for their unique settings – ranging from spectacular cliff-top to buried in the steamy jungle surrounded by wildlife.