Xelha

Xelha (meaning 'water inlet' in Mayan) is an archaeological site on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico, initially settled around 600 BC. It served as one of the key ports of the inland Maya city of Coba during the Early Classic period (250-600 AD), facilitating canoe trade along the coast. The site features the Casa de los Pajaros with murals showing Teotihuacan influence, and the Jaguar Group with vivid blue and red painted murals -- among the most outstanding Maya paintings on the Caribbean coast. In 1527, conquistador Francisco de Montejo established a short-lived Spanish settlement here called 'Salamanca de Xelha'.