December 21, 2012, is the last day of the 13th baktun of the Mayan calendar, a day on which many believe that something big is going to happen. Rather than preparing for the apocalypse, why not plan a 2012 tour of the Mayan pyramids and prophesies in Guatemala? Explore the grand ruins of ancient Mayan civilisations. Meet a traditional living Mayan community of today and find out firsthand what they are thinking and doing as you take part in sacred rituals and ceremonies.

Away from the modernity and sophisticated of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, visitors usually delighted to discover that there are 12 ancient archaeological sites standing as living testimony to the ancient Mayans, one of the greatest civilizations in the entire history of the world. Read on for a glimpse at the four probably best known to locals – Tulum, Coba, El Meco and El Rey.

Mexico’s Yucatan is home to countless ancient sites that offer important archaeological clues about the Mayans, one of the world’s most advanced ancient civilisations. They were skilled engineers and architects able not only to build pyramids on a colossal scale but to construct them in a fashion that demonstrated their awareness of astronomical phenomena and the constellations. Along the Riviera Maya, I recommend visiting at least one of the following incredible sites, for they are truly magical and convey a sense of the rich culture Mexico has to offer to the world: Chichen Itza, cenotes and Celestun.