The Wonders of Parque los Fundadores

• Los Fundadores Park is located on Quinta Avenida, in front of the sea and the beach, a stone's throw from the colorful letters of Playa del Carmen (it's worth a photo!) and from the Ultramar ferry landing to Cozumel.

• It is one of the oldest parks in the city, where various events take place. Here you can admire the Portal Maya statue, an emblem of the city.

 
A must see :  The Voladores from Papantla (A UNESCO World Heritage Site ceremony) by day and pre-Hispanic dance by night. Both are free!

Did you know that:

Los Fundadores Park in Playa del Carmen is a historical site to visit any time of the year. 

It represents the ancient Aztecs, who sacrificed humans here. In addition, the natural beauty of the area and its historical relevance also make Los Fundadores a popular tourist attraction. 

• The Spaniards collected various artifacts (1) from many different sites to form El Carmen de los Exploradores, now known as El Carmen de los Invasores. These artifacts (1) included stone carvings, paintings, and ceremonial objects used by the ancient Aztecs. 

The mixture of cultures that contributed to this site has great significance to the history of the region. While some of these artifacts (1) date back to the colonial period, others date back to the pre-colonial period, a testament to the previous civilizations that once thrived in this region.

• Perhaps one of these civilizations was represented by a stone sculpture found at this site: a snake biting its tail. Los Fundadores was used by the ancient Aztecs as a place for human sacrifice. Although it has been speculated that Hernan Cortes hosted his own human sacrifice at this site, there is no conclusive evidence to support this claim. 

However, there is ample evidence that Cortes oversaw human sacrifices during his lifetime. In 1519, he led an expedition to Tenochtitlan where he was assisted by Tlascalan Indians who were skilled in human sacrifice. With its natural beauty and historical relevance, Los Fundadorts is today a popular tourist attraction in Playa del Carmen.

• In addition to representing previous civilizations, Los Fundadores Park in playa del carmen presents an indigenous interpretation of history through its Mixtec-style architecture and its depiction of the Olmec (2) and Maya using Olmec tools thousands of years ago.

Perhaps one day the Olmecs (2) will return here with Olmec artifacts (1) that they inherited, just as the indigenous peoples inherited theirs from previous generations. Regardless of what lies ahead for this park and its surroundings, it has already played an important role in shaping local history and culture for centuries...

(1) An archaeological artifact is a human-made feature or object discovered during an archaeological excavation.
(2) The Olmecs were the first great civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco, and had their center in the city of La Venta.