Lakes are rare on the Yucatán Peninsula so many of the Mayan cities relied on cenotes. These sink holes gave them access to fresh ground water. The Mayan civilization at Coba, however, was surrounded by five lakes. This led to success in agriculture, allowing them to actively trade their crops with neighboring villages and even other countries. Lago Macanxoc is near the entrance of the Coba Group. Today this large lake is home to turtles and several species of birds including toucans.
