Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Chichén Itzá is the largest of the pre-Columbian Maya cities of the Yucatán Peninsula and one of the most visited places in Mexico. It earned World Heritage status in 1988 and a place among the New Seven Wonders of the World.
El Castillo
Great Ballcourt
Temple of the Warriors
Sacred Cenote
+4 more places
For over a thousand years this was a center of pilgrimage for the ancient Maya.
Many visitors come on a day trip, but a night or two nearby lets you reach the gates early, before the heat and the tour groups.
Plan for a long, hot and absorbing day. The site is large, mostly open and best explored on foot, and a guide can add context about Maya culture, the calendar and the astronomy built into the architecture.
The Pyramid of Kukulcán is the best known landmark of Chichén Itzá. Feathered serpent sculptures run down the northern staircase, and on the spring and autumn equinox the shadows from the corner tiers make the serpent appear to move.
Feathered serpent sculptures run down the sides of the northern staircase of El Castillo. Photo: Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
There are several courts for the Mesoamerican ballgame at Chichén Itzá, but this one is by far the largest and most impressive in ancient Mesoamerica. Walk the length of the long stone walls and look for the carved reliefs.
The Great Ballcourt is the largest and most impressive of the ballcourts at Chichén Itzá. Photo: edenpictures, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Rows of carved columns lead to the Temple of the Warriors, which cannot be climbed. The nearby Great Market and the Platform of the Skulls are worth a slow look for their carved detail.
The Temple of the Warriors is fronted by rows of carved columns. Photo: Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short path leads to the Cenote of Sacrifice, the large natural limestone sinkhole that was holy to the Maya rain god Chaac. It is not a swimming spot, but it explains why the city became a place of pilgrimage.
The Sacred Cenote was a place of pilgrimage and offering for the ancient Maya. Photo: diaper, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
This circular temple stands on a rectangular platform and is also sacred to Kukulcán. It served as an astronomical observatory, a reminder of how closely the Maya watched the sky.
El Caracol is a circular building on a rectangular platform that served as an astronomical observatory. Photo: Fcb981, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Nunnery complex was the royal palace before the Toltecs arrived and shows the earlier Maya style at Chichén Itzá. The High Priest's Grave, a smaller version of El Castillo, is close by.
The Nunnery complex was the royal palace before the Toltecs arrived. Photo: Infrogmation, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
About 3 kilometres from the archaeological site, Ik Kil is an open cenote near Pisté where a carved stairway leads down to a swimming platform. The water lies roughly 26 metres below ground level, and vines hang from the opening above.
Ik Kil is an open cenote near Pisté that is open to the public for swimming. Photo: Shinya Suzuki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Close to Chichén Itzá, these caves hold ancient pottery and idols still lying where the Maya left them in pre-Columbian times. Check the current visiting arrangements before you go.
About 40 kilometres east, Valladolid is a colonial city and a Pueblo Mágico with a relaxed center. It is known for its longaniza sausage and for local sweets made with honey, coconut and corn.
Valladolid is a colonial city about 40 kilometres east of Chichén Itzá. Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
In the evening a light show is projected onto El Castillo, with narration in Spanish and headsets available for other languages.
Yucatecan cooking is the reason to eat well here. Cochinita pibil is slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto, then wrapped in banana leaf. Sopa de lima is a bright chicken and lime soup served with tortilla chips, and poc chuc is pork marinated in citrus and grilled over charcoal, usually with pickled onion and beans.
The restaurant at Hacienda Chichén serves regional dishes on a colonial terrace, and cafes in Pisté suit a quick lunch. In Valladolid, try the municipal market and the eateries around the main square.
Popular dishes to try in Chichén Itzá
Pisté is the small town beside the ruins, with simple hotels along the highway. It suits travellers who want to be at the gates when they open, and the cenote at Ik Kil is a short ride away.
Valladolid, about 40 kilometres away, is the most appealing base for a night or two. It has colonial streets, restaurants and cenotes nearby, and it suits couples and travellers who like to walk in the evening.
Mérida is the regional capital, roughly an hour and a half from the ruins.
Where to stay in Chichén Itzá
The dry season, from roughly November to April, is the most comfortable time for walking the site, though it is also the busiest. The middle hours of the day are hot year round, with very little shade, so go early and bring a hat and sunscreen.
Around March 19 to 21 the Descent of Kukulcán draws the biggest crowds, with music, dance and theatre at the site. Sundays also bring larger groups, because entry is free for Mexican nationals that day.
Chichén Itzá lies on the main highway between Mérida and Cancún, about an hour and a half from Mérida and more than 160 kilometres from Cancún.
If you drive, the free road runs through villages and has frequent speed bumps, so use the toll road after dark. Do not park at the crossroad when touts wave you in, and use the visitor center parking instead.
Arrive at opening time and walk El Castillo, the Great Ballcourt and the Sacred Cenote while it is cool.
Spend the morning at El Caracol, the Nunnery and Akab' Dzib, then continue to Valladolid for a stroll through the center and a dinner of local specialties.
Visit nearby cenotes or the Caves of Balankanché, or continue by road or Tren Maya to Mérida for the next stage of your Yucatán trip.
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