Zona Arqueológica de Kohunlich, Archaeological site in Othón P. Blanco, Mexico
The Zona Arqueológica de Kohunlich is a Maya archaeological site in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It sits on a low hill and contains stone temples, open plazas, and residential complexes built over several centuries.
People first settled at Kohunlich during the late Preclassic period, before 250 BC, building small platforms around a central plaza. The site grew steadily through the Classic period and reached its peak activity around 600 to 900 AD, before gradually declining by the early Postclassic.
The name Kohunlich comes from the English words cohoon ridge, referring to the corozo palm trees that grow across the area. Visitors can still see these palms around the ruins today, giving the site a living connection to its own name.
Kohunlich is about 69 kilometers from Chetumal, reached by taking Federal Highway 186 to the town of Francisco Villa and then following a secondary road for roughly nine kilometers. The site is open every day, and visitors can walk freely through the different areas with the help of on-site signs and guides.
Before the site received its official name, it was known as Clarksville, after a nearby woodcutter camp. The American archaeologist Raymond Merwin later called it Cohoon Ridge, and local people gradually shifted this to cojumrich before Kohunlich became the accepted name.
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