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As one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is a highlight of any Yucatan vacation. This ancient site is the largest and best preserved set of Maya ruins in the entire Yucatan Peninsular. The renowned UNESCO site, which once supported over 35,000 people is now an extremely popular day trip in the area. Being the first Wonder of the World that I had seen with my own eyes, I was blown away for the duration of my Chichen Itza visit. With so much to see, you should count on spending a few hours at the site. With so much to see in this 15 square kilometer complex, in this post, I’ll cover the highlights that you can’t leave without seeing.
To really appreciate Chichen Itza, you need to know the history behind this monumental site. The site’s name itself is Mayan for “mouth of the well of the Itza tribe”, a reference to the sacred cenote that likely played a key role in the Maya establishing the settlement in this location.
This ancient city was one of the major hubs of Mayan culture in the Yucatan, having been founded in approximately 600 AD. Under its original inhabitants, the city quickly became a commercial, religious and military power with sprawling territory and trade networks. Despite this, Chichen Itza was abandoned for largely unknown reasons in the 9th century. It was repopulated about a century later however, with the Toltecs invading after migrating here from regions surrounding modern Mexico City. From the late 10th century onwards, Toltec and Mayan culture blended at Chichen Itza, resulting in the Mayan adopting their own version of the god Quetzacoatl (Kukulkan) to whom sacrifices and worship was carried out throughout the city’s temples (as evidenced by numerous carvings and inscriptions throughout the site).
Eventually, the Maya moved their political capital to Mayapan, however Chichen Itza continued to serve as their religious capital throughout the Postclassical Period. By the 14th century, Chichen Itza would once again fall into decline, as did the Maya civilisation. Its unknown why this occurred, with leading hypotheses including famines, natural disasters and wars. Regardless of how it occurred, the once great city was already well and truly abandoned and swallowed by jungle by the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. It would remain that way for the most part until it was rediscovered by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Calderwood in 1842, ushering in many archeological expeditions over the next century.
The best piece of advice I can give you when visiting Chichen Itza is to get there early. Wonder status and all, it probably comes as no surprise that the site gets packed, with crowds picking up as the tourist buses arrive from 10.00am onwards. If you can get there for opening, you’ll have a good two hours to explore without the crowds, and realistically, in that time you can pretty much see the key features. Chichen Itza is still doable later in the day (its a huge complex filled with lots of sprawling ruins), but if you’ve got the choice, I really think you’ll be glad to be there early.
Naturally that means the closer you stay to Chichen Itza the better. The town of Valladolid is one of the best places to stay in Mexico’s Yucatan. Considering its only 45 minutes away, you won’t have to wake up too early to be at Chichen Itza for opening. Local colectivo (shared vans) set out for the ruins from Valladolid from around 7.00am, departing when they fill up and are quite affordable. If you’ve got your own car, there’s plenty of parking on-site, but you’ll need to pay a fee of about $30 MXN.
Unless you’re coming on an organised tour (where your tickets are included), come to Chichen Itza with cash. You’ll need to pay at least part of your admission (the government fee (about $85 MXN) in pesos. Throughout the site, you’ll also find numerous vendors and artisans setting up shop, so you’ll have tons of opportunities to buy some souvenirs while wandering about.
Lastly, know what you’re looking at. I prefer to explore sites on my own rather than taking a tour. If you’re like me, pick up a guidebook from the shop at the entrance.
I was surprised by just how much there was to see at Chichen Itza. Like most people, I had heard of the centrepiece Mayan pyramid, and figured there would be a few other smaller ruins to look at around it. I definitely didn’t expect to spend the better part of a few hours following paths through the jungle and being gobsmacked by another structure around seemingly every corner. Each of the various buildings throughout Chichen Itza had a function that tied to the city’s status as a focal point for Mayan philosophy, science, religion and art. Learning what stood in the place of these ruins many centuries ago is the best way to go about the site.
This is in no way a comprehensive guide to every single ruin at Chichen Itza. That’s beyond the scope of this blog (and you don’t want me to spoil everything!). Instead, the following are the main sights that you should make sure you dedicate time to appreciate on your visit.
Passing through the jungle path from the main entrance to Chichen Itza, you’ll come out into a clearing face to face with the undisputed focal point of the site. The spectacular Temple of Kukulcan dates back to 800 AD and stands 24 metres tall. The towering pyramid was dubbed El Castillo by the Spaniards (translating to the Castle). You can see it in photos, but there’s nothing like seeing with impressive structure in person. Paying homage to the Maya serpent god, the pyramid becomes more and more impressive as you come to appreciate its finer architectural details.
The four points of the pyramid’s base each mark the cardinal points (north, south, east and west). Each side of the pyramid contains a 91 step staircase. Add the number of steps together and you’ve got 365 – it can’t be a coincidence that this matches the number of days in the solar year. In fact, the entire pyramid is a gigantic Mayan calendar. The positioning of the staircases causes the pyramid to contain 18 terraces – matching the 18 Mayan months. The 52 flat panels on the pyramid’s facade corresponds with the 52 years of the traditional round Mayan calendar.
While these numbers are all impressive, the most spectacular property of the pyramid is its relationship with the solar equinox. On this twice yearly happening, light projects off the north side of the temple to create the illusion of a serpent slithering down its staircase and across the square in front. This literal depiction of Kukulkan only adds to the significance of the monument.
Recent discoveries have shown that there’s actually a smaller pyramid dedicated to the moon inside the pyramid’s western base. Unfortunately you can’t see it on a visit.
Just west of the Pyramid is the second most famous sight of Chichen Itza – the Mayan ball court. If you spend any amount of time in Mesoamerica, you’ll become accustomed to the ancient ball game that was played in these ancient cities. While versions of the game differ, the general idea remained the same – two teams played a soccer like game in which they attempted to hit a hard rubber ball through a stone hoop to be declared the victor. Variations on the rules are depicted in the carvings on the site – some show players wearing padding on their knees and elbows, while others depict players wielding bats.
The game is most known for its sacrificial element, which is thought to have come to Chichen Itza with the Toltecs. Essentially, the losing captain (and potentially their entire team) were sacrificed in a bloody tribute to the gods. This might seem harsh, but in the Mayan civilisation, this was considered an extremely honourable fate.
The Ball Court at Chichen Itza spans 146 metres long and 36 metres wide. This makes it the one of the largest ball game courts in all of the Maya world. It’s actually one of eight courts you can see in Chichen Itza, but this one is definitely the most impressive. Walking between the boundary walls that mark the court, you can see the stone hoops hanging eight metres above, enshrined with the form of intertwined serpents. Meanwhile, the Temple of the Jaguar at the southern part of the court’s eastern boundary is thought to have served as a spectator stand for the festivities. I definitely recommend taking your time to view the inscriptions throughout the rather impressive structures. You can also test the court’s acoustics – you’ll hear claps and conversations from one end to another!
On the opposite side of the Castillo pyramid, you’ll come to the Temple of the Warriors. As the name suggests, this 10th century shrine is dedicated to Mayan warriors and is comprised of a large structure surrounded by stone pillars, many of which are carved out in warrior form. While you can’t climb up, the Temple’s summit contains a heavily adorned sanctuary with further depictions of animal (especially serpent) deities. The most prominent sculpture here is that of Chac-Mool, the Mayan Rain God, to whom many believe offerings were presented in this Temple. An additional temple to Chac-Mool was discovered underneath the Temple of Warriors by archeologists in 1926.
Follow the stone pillars surrounding the Temple of the Warriors and you’ll pass into the adjoining Grupo de las Mil Columnas (Group of the Thousand Columns). This forest of pillars stretches to the south and east, and you can actually pass through a gap in the columns. Not only is this an excellent place for photos, but it gives you access to an additional part of the ruins deeper in the jungle. Its worth crossing into this section of the ruined city, which is called the Marketplace. As the name suggests, this wide spaced area is thought to have served as the administrative centre of Chichen Itza, while the columns would have supported a perishable roof structure. Also nearby, you’ll find the Columnata Noreste and its prominent pedestal reliefs as well as the Bano de Vapor (Steam Bath), which was used for ritualistic purifications.
Moving into the southern part of the site, there’s even more spectacular ruins throughout this section of Chichen Itza. The most awe-inspiring is the Observatory, or as the Spanish called it, El Caracol (the Snail). The Spaniards named it such due to its interior spiral staircase that leads to the top tower of the 16 metre structure. While you can’t go inside the Observatory today, it’s just as impressive from the outside, partially collapsed facade and all.
The Observatory was one of the most important buildings in all of Chichen Itza. Its well established that the ancient Maya were interested in astronomy, philosophy and mathematics, along with many other subjects, and were incredibly advanced for their time. The area at the top of the Observatory was used exclusively for the study of astrology. It’s amazing when you realise just how switched on the Maya were to the world. The external doors of the Observatory align with the cardinal points (just like El Castillo), and the windows of the building were also aligned to match the position of certain stars on specific dates. While the Observatory was not absolutely tied to the religious functions of Chichen Itza, its thought that priests would have gathered under its dome to decree times for rituals, harvests and celebrations, based on the work of its astronomers.
Just a short walk from the Observatory is the Edifico de las Monjas, commonly referred to as the Nunnery. It stands 60 metres long, 30 metres wide, and 20 metres tall. This massively imposing structure was probably a place reserved for Maya royalty. It got its name from the Spaniards who believed the building’s various rooms resembled a European convent! The Toltec influence is strong throughout the Nunnery, with serpent motifs all over, and a sacrificial stone in front.
Adjoined to the Nunnery is La Iglesia (the Church). Much smaller than its counterpart, this single storey building has only one entrance, facing out to the west. A mask of Chac occupies a prominent position in the Church. The unique imagery, carvings and positioning of the structure suggest that the Church actually served as a tomb of some kind.
I recommend finishing up your tour of Chichen Itza with the walk north from the main pyramid. Following a 400 metre path, you’ll reach the cenote which gave Chichen Itza its name. The sunken well here is a natural water body 60 metres in diameter and 35 metres in depth. Its walls are covered in tangled vines and vegetation. Unlike other cenotes throughout the Yucatan, you can’t swim here – though you wouldn’t want to, even if you could. Its muddy waters are filled with algae. Whats more, human remains have been excavated from this cenote, suggesting it was used as a site for human sacrifices.
Many guests miss out on seeing the Sacred Cenote when visiting Chichen Itza because it’s hidden away from the rest of the site. Considering the significance cenotes held for Mayan culture and religion, you shouldn’t leave without seeing it. In fact, the Sacred Cenote is believed to have been a Mayan pilgrimage destination dating back to the 5th or 6th centuries, before the city of Chichen Itza was even completed.
While the Sacred Cenote isn’t the only cenote at Chichen Itza, it is the largest. The smaller Xtoloc Cenote, lies south of the pyramid, and was likely a water storage site (while the nearby Temple of Xtoloc was probably used in funeral rites and cremations). Cenotes served various purposes to the Mayans, and its rare that you’ll find a Mayan site without them.
There’s so much to see at Chichen Itza, but if you get to the above highlights, you’ll have seen the most notable parts of the ancient city. Visiting Chichen Itza was an unforgettable day. As a Wonder of the World, it should be at the very top of your list of priorities when visiting Mexico’s Yucatan region, especially if you’re a history buff. It certainly made me realise that I have to see the Seven Wonders in my lifetime! Have you been to Chichen Itza? Let me know which Wonders of the World you’ve been to!
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