Mexico Is Reopening Its Famous Ruins With Capacity Restrictions, Temperature Checks, and Mask Requirements

Editor's note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

Mexico’s famous ruins are starting to reopen to tourists after a monthslong closure due to the coronavirus.

The country, eager to revive its tourism industry, will limit capacity at the ruins to 30 percent, require temperature checks and face masks, and have hand sanitizer available at its archeological attractions, The Associated Press reported. The pyramids of Teotihuacan — the country’s most-visited archaeological site — opened Thursday. The Mayan Ruins in Tulum and Cobá expected to reopen Monday and the reopening of Chichen Itza is expected to follow.

At Teotihuacan on Thursday, capacity was limited to just 3,000 people per day, and visitors were not allowed to climb the Pyramids of the Sun or Moon, the wire service noted. The famous site typically sees tens of thousands of visitors for the Spring and Fall equinoxes.

“We had this trip planned since last year,” a visitor who visited with his wife and children told the AP on Teotihuacan's opening day. “We had the package and everything else, but unfortunately due to the contingency we had to postpone it until now.”

The ruins aren’t the only attraction in Mexico that has looked to welcome visitors once again. Last month, the “floating gardens” in the Xochimilco neighborhood of Mexico City reopened. There, operators are required to wear face masks and shields and boats are limited to 12 people.

While the land border between the U.S. and Mexico remains closed to nonessential travel until at least Sept. 21, Mexico is one of the countries U.S. tourists can travel to.

Mexico is currently under a Level 3 travel advisory, telling Americans to “reconsider travel” to the country, according to the U.S. Department of State. But several states, including Quintana Roo (where Cancun and Tulum are) and Mexico City, are under a lower Level 2 advisory, telling U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution.”

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.