Chichén Itzá- Mexico

Kukulcan's Pyramid, El Castillo, the main pyramid at Chichen Itza

The sacred well at Chichen Itza.

The Juego de Pelota (Ball Court) at Chichén Itzá

El Caracol, the Observatory

View from the top of the pyramid

Traveling/Touring Chichen Itza

Recently voted as one of the new 7 Wonders of the World, the ruins of Chichen Itza lie about midway between Cancun and Merida, so that the journey from each city takes around 2 or 3 hours via the toll highway. It is possible to see the main structures on a day trip from Cancun, and many tour buses do just this resulting in a large influx of visitors around 10-11am. Some cruise ships offer tours, if you are in port in Cozumel, the trip is extremely long. Chichen Itza is the most visited site in the Yucatán and it can get very crowded, so if at all possible try to arrive soon after the 8am opening. You can also leave your visit until later in the day and stay overnight nearer the site, returning in the early morning. Ideally, you will need a full day for a good understanding of the site, which covers 4 square miles.

Admission to the ruins is around 10 US dollars. The evening sound and light show costs around 4 dollars (add another 3 dollars for headphones if you want to listen to the commentary in English). The show usually starts at around 7.00pm, but we'd suggest you re-confirm the time when you arrive. Your ticket permits re-entry on the same day only.

At the entrance to the site is a large visitors’ complex, with cafeterias, restrooms, bookshops and a small museum. There are also models of the layout of the site. It's useful to remember that there is a second refreshment shop with toilet facilities by the cenote.

When we visited Chichen Itza, you were still permitted to climb the main pyramid. We have heard this is no longer allowed. If you know otherwise, please email the Sleeping Tourist.

The History of Chichen Itza

The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichen-Itza are over 1500 years old and are located only 75 miles from Merida. The name Chichen-Itza is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth) CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the Itza tribe). Some believe people were occasionally thrown into the nearby cenote as sacrifices, and those who survived were believed to be seers.

As the most famous of the Mayan pyramids on the Yucatan peninsula, Chichen Itza has been studied extensively and is the most popular Mayan ruin in Mexico.

The ruins are divided into two groups. One group belongs to the classic Maya Period and was built between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D., at which time the city became a prominent ceremonial center. The other group corresponds to the Maya-Toltec Period, from the later part of the 10th century to the beginning of the 13th century A.D. This area includes the Sacred Well and most of the outstanding ruins.

When Chichen-Itza was first settled it was primarily agricultural. Due to the many cenotes in the area, it would have been a good place to settle. During the Central Phase of the Classic Period, referred to as Florescence, (625 -800 A.D.) arts and sciences flourished here. It was at this time that Chichen-Itza became a religious center of increasing importance, this is evidenced by the buildings that were erected: the Red House, the House of the Deer, the Church, the Nunnery and its Annex, the Akab Dzib, the Temple of the Three Lintels and the House of Phalli.

Toward the end of the Classic Period, from 800 to 925 A.D., the foundations of this great civilization weakened, and the Mayans abandoned their religions centers and the rural land around them. New, smaller centers were built and the great cities like Chichen-Itza were visited only to perform religious rites or bury the dead. The Itza people abandoned their city by the end of the 7th century A.D. and lived on the west coast of the peninsula for about 250 years. However, by the 10th century A.D. they returned to Chichen-Itza again.

Around 1000 A.D. the Itza allied themselves with two powerful tribes, Xio and Cocom, both claiming to be descendants of the Mexicans. This alliance was favorable to the Itza for about two centuries. It was during this time that the the people of Chichen-Itza added to the site by constructing magnificent buildings bearing the touch of Toltec art: porches, galleries, colonnades and carvings depicting serpents, birds and Mexican gods.

The Toltec influenced the Itza in more ways than just architecture. They also imposed their religion on the Itza, which meant human sacrifice on a large scale. They expanded their dominions in northern Yucatan with an alliance with Mayapan and Uxmal. As the political base of Chichen-Itza expanded, the city added even more spectacular buildings: the Observatory, Kukulcan's Pyramid, The Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors, and The Group of the Thousand Columns.

The Temple of the Warriors has pillars sculptured in bas-relief, which have retained much of their original color. Murals once adorned its walls. It is surrounded by numerous ruined buildings known as the Group of a Thousand Columns.

The Cenote of Sacrifice was reserved for rituals involving human sacrifice involving the rain God. The victims were not only young women, but also children and elderly men and women.

Possibly the best known construction on the site is Kukulcan's Pyramid. El Castillo (Kukulkan-Quetzalcoatl), a square-based, stepped pyramid that is approximately 75 feet tall. This pyramid was built for astronomical purposes and during the vernal equinox (March 20) and the autumnal equinox (September 21) at about 3 P.M.. The sunlight bathes the western balustrade of the pyramid's main stairway. This causes seven isosceles triangles to form imitating the body of a serpent 37 yards long that creeps downwards until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway. Mexican researcher Luis El Arochi calls it "the symbolic descent of Kukulcan" (the feathered serpent), and believes it could have been connected with agricultural rituals.

In 1194, Mayapan broke the alliance and subdued Chichen and Uxmal. The city was gradually abandoned.