Explore Mexico's Ancient Mayan Sites on a New Train Line

A new project in the works in Mexico will make exploring the country's historical landmarks easier. As Travel + Leisure reports, the proposed Mayan train line will shuttle tourists around the Yucatán Peninsula, making stops at both famous and lesser-known sites in the area, and connect to the state of Chiapas.

The Mexican government first began discussing the new line—a southern extension of the current Mayan train that runs from Cancún to Tulum—in 2012. Plans were put on hold in 2015 due to funding issues, but they re-entered the national conversation when Andrés Manuel López Obrador made a campaign promise to revive the project. Now, the Mexican president-elect is talking about moving forward with construction after he's sworn into office in December.

When the new Mayan train opens, it will run from Cancún to Palenque, an ancient Mayan village in northern Chiapas. Stops will include Chichen Itza, Mexico's most famous Mayan pyramid, as well as lesser-known archaeological sites that don't see as many visitors. By connecting these places to Cancún, one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, the hope is that more vacationers will add these less-trafficked Mayan sites to their itineraries.

Construction, which will cost an estimated $6 billion to $8 billion, is slated to begin early 2019 and wrap up within four years.