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Yucatán Peninsula

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

The pyramid of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá, an ancient Maya temple in Mexico.

Yucatán Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula is a big, flat piece of land in southeast Mexico. It also touches tiny parts of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula stretches out toward the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico on one side from the Caribbean Sea on the other.

This land is made mostly of soft rock called limestone. Because of this, the ground has many special holes called cenotes. These cenotes are like natural pools where people can find fresh water.

Long ago, the Yucatán Peninsula was home to the ancient Maya people. They built big, wonderful cities like Chichen Itza, Coba, Tulum, and Uxmal. You can still visit these places today and see how clever the Maya were.

The name Yucatán might have come from an old story. When Spanish explorer Francisco Hernández de Córdoba arrived in 1517, the local people said something he didn’t understand. It sounded like yucatán to him!

Today, the Yucatán Peninsula is famous for its beautiful beaches and ancient ruins. Places like Cancún and the Riviera Maya attract visitors from all over the world. People love to explore the old Maya sites, swim in cenotes, and enjoy the warm sun and sea.

Images

Colorful swirls in the ocean off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula show natural sediment and tiny ocean plants moving with ocean currents.
A map showing the location of the Chicxulub crater on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, where an asteroid impact occurred 65 million years ago.
Natural cenotes in Yucatán, Mexico – beautiful underground water pools formed by sinkholes.
Aerial view of Chichen Itza, an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico, recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
A view of the Cantarell oil field and Laguna de Terminos in Yucatan, Mexico, showcasing the natural landscape and geography of the region.
A scenic view of Mérida, Yucatán, showing city streets and buildings from a hotel window.

Related articles

Yucatán
Mexico
Belize
Guatemala
Peninsula
Gulf of Mexico

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Yucatán Peninsula, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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