Several small nearby lakes made Coba a rarity among Mayan sites; a city with abundant water. Given that other locations rose and fell with their water supplies, these lakes no doubt contributed to the prominence and longevity (it is among the longest-inhabited of all Mayan cities) the city achieved. Because Coba is still in the fairly early stages of discovery and reconstruction, it offers visitors a fascinating look at the lengthy and complex process of restoring Mayan cities.

The largest structures at Coba are the huge Late Classic temple called Nohoch Mul and a giant pyramid called the Castillo. Both rise more that 75 feet above the surrounding forests. Many other structures are still being excavated and even discovered, emerging from the cloak of a thousand years of overgrowth. Today's visitors have the privilege of seeing the story as it first begins to unfold, an epic tale still in its early chapters.