Coba was established between 50 BC and 100 AD. At its peak during the Late Classic Period (550 to 900 AD), archeologists speculate it was a capital and home to 50,000 people. This would have qualified as the largest city in today’s Quintana Roo state of Mexico. Historically, only two Mayan cities were larger: Tikal in Guatemala (about 100,000) and Caracol in Belize (about 140,000). Coba was abandoned during the Contact period (1511 – 1697) when Spaniards conquered the Yucatán Peninsula. In the background is the Pyramid Iglesia meaning The Church.
