Preservation Over Pictures: Why Protecting Heritage Sites Matters More Than Ever

🇲🇽 Latest Update — Nohoch Mul pyramid at Cobá archaeological site Reopened (But With Mixed Emotions)

As of December 2025, the climb to the Nohoch Mul pyramid — the tallest pyramid in the Yucatán Peninsula — has officially reopened after six years of restoration work. A newly installed wooden staircase replaces the old, worn stone steps; it is designed to make ascent safer and to preserve the original structure for future generations. 

As I read the announcement, I felt conflicting emotions. On one hand, yes, it’s incredible to offer travelers the chance to climb and admire a jungle-covered pyramid from the top. On the other hand, these monuments were never built as tourist attractions. Ancient pyramids like this were sacred places: only priests, shamans, or kings would ascend. Allowing mass tourism changes their meaning. Is it worth risking their integrity for photos and views?

🎯 Why Protecting Historical Heritage Sites Matters — More Than Ever

1. Over-tourism and wear accelerate irreversible damage

We already know what's happening elsewhere. Consider Machu Picchu (Peru): decades of mass tourism, with over 1.5 million visitors yearly, have caused significant wear on stone terraces, erosion of ancient paths, and environmental stress on surrounding ecosystems. UNESCO experts and conservation bodies have repeatedly warned that heritage sites like these suffer irreversible damage when visitor numbers exceed carrying capacities. 

At Machu Picchu, overuse has already led to closures of sensitive zones like the Temple of the Condor or the Sun Temple — a sign that even the most iconic sites aren’t immune to deterioration when overwhelmed. 

These aren’t isolated cases. Across the world, monuments meant to stand for centuries are being degraded in a matter of decades because of irresponsible tourism volumes.

2. Every small action matters — footprints add up

It’s not just daily visitor numbers. Even a few thousand ascending or descending a pyramid each day, or a handful of tourists removing a stone as a “souvenir,” contribute. Over time, that cumulative effect erodes structural integrity, destabilizes sacred stones, and disturbs archaeological contexts.

One careless step, a loose stone, graffiti, litter — all chip away at heritage. And once a stone is lost or a structure cracked, you can never truly restore it to its original state.

3. When access becomes privilege — we lose context and respect

These sites were sacred. Climbing a pyramid was not a casual selfie moment; it was a ritual, a pilgrimage, a sacred act. They carry spiritual, historical, and cultural meaning.

Turning them into “tourist attractions” risks degrading that meaning. Overcrowded ruins, noise, disrespectful behavior — these erode not only the physical site, but its intangible heritage: the stories, the mysticism, the reverence.

Responsible tourism is not just about entering a place; it’s about entering with respect.

🌍 Global Moves to Protect Fragile Sites — Lessons to Learn

• At Machu Picchu, the government and conservation bodies responded to over-tourism by imposing visitor limits (daily quotas around 4,500–5,600 depending on season) and redesigning circuits to avoid the most fragile areas. 

• Some of those measures include limiting allowed paths, designating zones for intense use versus strict protection, and planning alternative entrance/exit routes to distribute visitor flow — though not all plans have been fully implemented yet. 

• More broadly, global heritage-site management is gradually shifting from unrestricted access to carrying-capacity management, time-slot tickets, guided access only, and visitor education, to ensure preservation without totally banning tourism. 

✅ What This Means for Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

If you build tours around famous, climbable pyramids and ruins, it’s time to rethink your model:

• Don’t assume pyramids will always be open. Changes in regulations, conservation needs, safety concerns — any can force closures.

• Factor preservation costs/responsibilities into your planning. Climbing ≠ guaranteed.

• Encourage clients to respect sites: no souvenirs (stones, fragments), no climbing if restricted, no loud behavior.

• Promote lesser-known—and still authentic—sites. There are many nearly undiscovered ruins, temples, and archaeological zones in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and beyond — where impact is lower, experience is still rich, and tourism can be more sustainable.

Me with my guided group on top of La Danta pyramid in the Guatemalan jungle, after 5 days of trekking

Alternative Sacred Sites to Promote (and Protect)

Why heritage site preservation also means promoting lesser-known ruins

For travel agencies, supporting heritage site preservation doesn’t mean stopping cultural tourism — it means redirecting demand toward places that can handle it sustainably. The truth is: not every traveler needs to stand atop Chichén Itzá or Machu Picchu to have a life-changing moment.

There are extraordinary, nearly tourist-free archaeological sites where climbing is still allowed, where the atmosphere is raw and sacred, and where your group may be the only visitors all day. These destinations offer higher authenticity, lower environmental stress, and more meaningful cultural impact.

Here are three powerful alternatives where your guests can still climb, explore, and feel the magic — without contributing to over-tourism:

🇲🇽 Tenam Puente (Chiapas, Mexico)

Hidden deep in the highlands near Comitán, Tenam Puente remains one of Mexico’s most underrated Mayan cities. You can still climb its pyramids, admire sweeping mountain views, and wander plazas with almost no crowds. It’s ideal for agencies crafting off-the-beaten-path cultural trips.

🇬🇹 El Mirador (Petén, Guatemala)

Often called the “cradle of Mayan civilization,” El Mirador is only accessible by a multi-day jungle trek or helicopter, which is why mass tourism hasn’t reached it. Its pyramid, La Danta, is one of the largest pyramids ever built by humankind. Agencies offering adventure-culture hybrid trips will find this destination gold.

🇵🇪 Choquequirao (Cusco, Peru)

Known as “the next Machu Picchu,” Choquequirao is far more remote, far harder to reach, and far less crowded. The Peruvian government has discussed future transportation improvements, but for now, it’s one of the last major Inca cities where you can roam freely and feel the full weight of history without crowds.

Ideal for agencies targeting trekking groups, adventure travelers, and culture-focused clients seeking a deeper, rawer connection to the Andes.

💡 My Conclusion (And Personal Standing)

Yes — I believe in responsible tourism. I believe that climbing the Nohoch Mul pyramid, or standing on top of an ancient temple, can be a powerful, unforgettable experience. But that experience must come with awareness, respect, and humility.

If we keep pushing heritage sites for the sake of “must-see checklists,” we’re not honoring them — we’re exploiting them.

As travel professionals, we have a duty: Not just to sell trips, but to protect history. If you want help designing tours around lesser-known ruins, or building sustainable route plans with heritage protection in mind, I’m here to help.