El Rey in Cancún in Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo, Mexico — The Yucatan Peninsula (The Southeast)
Templo del Alacrán
Scorpion’s Temple
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
1. Templo del Alacrán Marker
El templo se levanta sobre un basamento de paredes verticales con una escalinata de cuatro peldaños limitados por dos alfardas en forma de dado: en la parte superior se construyo una plataforma que sustenta el templo de una sola cámara cuyo interior se accesa a través de tres claros formados por dos columnas: el techo plano que lo cubrió estuvo conformado por un arquitrabe de madera de una serie de morillos colocados uno muy cerca del otro: los muros muestran una ligera inclinación hacia afuera: el friso queda limitado entre dos comisas y lo corona un solo plano inclinado.
Toda la construcción estuvo estucada y pintada, de lo en cual, en la actualidad, no se conserva algún vestigio.
La ubicación cronológica lo sitúa en el periodo pos-clásico tardío (1200-1550 d.C).
Its name is attributed to the remains of a scorpion’s sculpture found in one of the walls of the temple.
The temple stands on a base of vertical walls with a staircase of four steps limited by two stones in the form of a dice. The upper part a platform was built that supports the temple with a single chamber whose interior is accessed through three clearings formed by two columns. The flat roof that covered it was made up of a wooden architrave of a series of andirons placed one very close to the other: the walls show a slight outward slope: the frieze is limited between two cornices and crowns it a single inclined plane.
The entire construction was stucco and painted, of which, at present, no trace remains.
This temple is chronologically located in the late post-classic period (1200-1550 A.C.)
Topics.
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Location. 21° 6.628′ N, 86° 45.638′ W. Marker is in Cancún, Quintana Roo, in Benito Juárez. It is in El Rey. It can be reached from Punta Nizuc - Cancún. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Punta Nizuc - Cancún 1835, Cancún QR 77500, Mexico. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Mexican Maya Heartland and on the Yucatán Peninsula. Globally, it is on the Caribbean Sea, in North America, in Mesoamerica, in a Gulf of Mexico state, and in the Western Hemisphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also a Spanish colony.
Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within 18 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Carlos García Castilla (approx. 16.3 kilometers away).
More about this marker. This marker and site are publicly accessible at no cost. Visitors will need to access walking paths through either the Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort or the Ocean Front Condos Resort.
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
2. Templo del Alacrán Marker
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
3. Templo del Alacrán
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
4. Templo del Alacrán
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
5. Templo del Alacrán
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 6, 2023
6. Templo del Alacrán Marker
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 3, 2023
7. The Ruins of Yamil Lu'um
A historic MesoAmerican timeline resides inside the lobby of the Westin Resort which is adjacent to the ruins; it is only publically accessible to foot traffic entering the resort property.
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, October 1, 2023
8. Discover Yamil Lu'um
A historic MesoAmerican timeline resides inside the lobby of the Westin Resort which is adjacent to the ruins; it is only publically accessible to foot traffic entering the resort property.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 77 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 17, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. 7, 8. submitted on February 18, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
