Chichén Itzá, Journey Back to the Land of Gods
Published by Kristin Cowles, Editor-in-Chief
Country: Mexico 
The Experience
The ruins of Chichén Itzá take you back in time to an era of a vast and powerful Mayan empire, once the center of being for all of the Yucutan civilization ruling over politics, religion, and military. Today the ceremonial structures and various other buildings that were in their time of grandeur between 800 - 1200 A.D are in various states of preservation, and open for travelers to explore. Set in a clearing surrounded by jungle, the history of Chichén Itzá entails stories of humans sacrifices and ultimately a violent end spurred by a revolt against the reigning powers that shifted development away from Chichén Itzá. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was recently declared one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. Exploring the secret rooms, passages, and summits at Chichén Itzá, make you feel like you are the first to delve into the mysteries that lay around each corner.
The site has many fascinating stone buildings that are a must see when exploring this lost Mayan world. El Castillo also known as the temple of Kukulkan, will stop you in your tracks once you pass though the turnstile to enter into Chichén Itzá. This temple is particularly intriguing at the rising and setting of the sun during Spring and Fall Equinox, when the suns shadow casts the impression of a snake slithering down the North stairway. Another complex called the Temple of Warriors includes many large stepped pyramids scattered amongst many rows of carved columns that depict various warriors, and is adjacent to the Great Market. Las Monjas, also known as “The Nunnery” is one of the more captivating complexes built in Puuc architecture style, the structures here are believed to be living quarters for the elite Mayans and are covered in relief carvings. There are 7 ball courts, but the most notable is the Great Ball Court approximately 150 meters north west of El Castillo. These ball courts housed many games and festivities and at each end of the field is a raised temple in which you can envision Mayan Kings sitting in presiding over the activities. It is said that the captain of the winning team would present himself to the captain of the losing team to be decapitated. It might seem a bit backwards, but the Mayans believed this tradition to be the highest honor, granting them direct access to heaven versus the 13 steps Mayan culture believed they had to go through.
Just east of the primary ruins is an underground world called Cenoté. To get into these underground caves with glowing cool water set against the backdrop of blood read stalagmites you must climb down steep vertical hole, with entry steps carved by the Mayans themselves thousands of years ago.
The site has many fascinating stone buildings that are a must see when exploring this lost Mayan world. El Castillo also known as the temple of Kukulkan, will stop you in your tracks once you pass though the turnstile to enter into Chichén Itzá. This temple is particularly intriguing at the rising and setting of the sun during Spring and Fall Equinox, when the suns shadow casts the impression of a snake slithering down the North stairway. Another complex called the Temple of Warriors includes many large stepped pyramids scattered amongst many rows of carved columns that depict various warriors, and is adjacent to the Great Market. Las Monjas, also known as “The Nunnery” is one of the more captivating complexes built in Puuc architecture style, the structures here are believed to be living quarters for the elite Mayans and are covered in relief carvings. There are 7 ball courts, but the most notable is the Great Ball Court approximately 150 meters north west of El Castillo. These ball courts housed many games and festivities and at each end of the field is a raised temple in which you can envision Mayan Kings sitting in presiding over the activities. It is said that the captain of the winning team would present himself to the captain of the losing team to be decapitated. It might seem a bit backwards, but the Mayans believed this tradition to be the highest honor, granting them direct access to heaven versus the 13 steps Mayan culture believed they had to go through.
Just east of the primary ruins is an underground world called Cenoté. To get into these underground caves with glowing cool water set against the backdrop of blood read stalagmites you must climb down steep vertical hole, with entry steps carved by the Mayans themselves thousands of years ago.
When to Go to Chichen Itza
Odds n' Ends
Chichén Itzá is open year round from 8 to 5:30. There are two main options to consider on how you want to get to the ruins, either by tour bus or by renting a car. Its advantageous spending the extra cash and renting a car to avoid the unnecessary delays that can be standard on some bus tours. Renting a car also allows you to set you own agenda and pace, which means you can get there early to avoid the crowds that invade later in the day. The drive to Chichén Itzá is well marked, and takes approximately 2 hours from Cancun. Kids 13 and under receive free entry to the park while the cost for adults is under $10 Canadian. Your entry fee also gives you the ability to watch the nightly light show that narrates the stories and legends of the Maya people over the walls of the various stone temples. The ruins are marked with several plaques in English, Spanish, and Mayan that explain the various details and legends of each site. You can also opt to hire a local guide for approximately $25 - $35 for one to two hours. Be sure to pack lots of water to avoid dehydration, sunscreen and good walking shoes.
Want a Guide?
- Highlights Of Mexico - GAPAdventures.com
- Soar high in the Sierre Madres and explore colonial cities, ancient Mayan sites and picturesque mountain villages where indigenous culture thrives.
Places to Stay Nearby
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Location The bungalow complex is in the heart of the Chichen Itza archaeological park and has its own private access point to the Mayan temples. ...
$1091 MXN+
Location. Hacienda Chichen Resort & Yaxkin Spa is located in Piste, close to Chichen Itza. Hotel Features. Dining options at Hacienda Chichen Resort & Yaxkin ... 0 miles away
$1613 MXN+
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More Experiences Nearby
- Admire the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico
- A lazy holiday at Cancún resort can easily be highlighted with a trip to the Mayan ruins at Tulum, Mexico. As the most important archaeological site on the coast of the Riviera Maya, Tulum is a fascinating cultural experience, and provides an opportunity to glimpse the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula as it might have been hundreds of years ago. Tulum is just a few hours south of Cancún, and is one of the most easily accessible archaeological sites in the area. When temperatures and humidity are soaring, the relatively small size of the Tulum site (compared to Coba and ...81 miles away.
Carpe Diem! Book to do this experience now!
During your stay in Cancun, you simply must take the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza, the most important archaeological zone in Yucatan. Explore the ancient ...
Starting from $62.10 per person.
Starting from $62.10 per person.
Books and DVDs
- Climbing the Pyramid: Rediscovering Maya Mysteries from Chichen Itza's Great Pyramid
- Victoria Thomas and David Bjorkman are former journalists who, in 1996, gave up their contractual work to focus on the Maya pyramids, people and places of the Yucatan Peninsula.
- Twin Tollans: Chichén Itzá, Tula, and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World (Hardcover)
- The selected essays revisit long-standing questions regarding the nature of the relationship between Chichen Itza and Tula. Rather than approaching these questions through the notions of migrations and conquests, these essays place the cities in the context of the emerging social, political, and economic relationships that took shape during the transition from the Epiclassic period in Central Mexico, the Terminal Classic period in the Maya region, and the succeeding Early Postclassic period.
- Mexico Travel Guide LonelyPlanet
- Get out there and watch flamingos, climb volcanoes, bike ride to remote indigenous villages...or get yourself a cold Mexican beer and take it all in at a beach bar or in a plaza with splashing fountains.
Elsewhere on the Web
- Chichén Itzá - Wikipedia
- Chichén Itzá pronounced Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' from Yucatec Maya meaning:"At the mouth of the well of the Itza" is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico.
- Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza - UNESCO
- This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city.
- The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico - New 7 Wonders
- Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization.
- Travel Report Mexico - Voyages.gc.ca
- WARNINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Angkor Wat 360 Degree - Panorama
Media References
- Ancient Maya sacrificed boys not virgin girls: study - Reuters (magazine)
- MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The victims of human sacrifice by Mexico's ancient Mayans, who threw children into water-filled caverns, were likely boys and young men not virgin girls as previously believed, archeologists said on Tuesday.
- New 7 Wonders announced - Globe and Mail (newspaper)
- Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, and Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid were chosen alongside the Great Wall of China, Jordan's Petra, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal.
- YUCATAN'S CHICHEN ITZA: A HALLIBURTON 'MARVEL' - NY Times (newspaper)
- Chichen Itza is ornate, ceremonial, and awesome. Tulum is confined, but you can believe people lived there. Each is open, mentally manageable at first impression
- Maya Sites Are Focus Of Yucatan Tours - NY Times (newspaper)
- Two nonprofit organizations are offering winter tours to Maya sites on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
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Language Guides
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