Chichen Itza
The Ancient City of the Maya

See my 3 minute video of Chichen Itza

Chichén Itzá was selected in August 2007 as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Who chose? Voters around the world who in a public internet competition, that lasted for eight years, casted almost a 100 million votes according to the article "The New World Wonders" published by Hispanic Magazine in August 2008.

The city was constructed with mathematical and geometrical precision, it boast an observatory -a necessary structure for one of the best astronomers ever known, the biggest ball court in all Mesoamerica, a castle Chichen Itza Pyramid or El Castillo, and the Sacred Cenote which witnessed Mayan religious sacrifices.

There are many more buildings in this ancient city that you should visit and they are located throughout the site. I just mentioned the most recognizable.

A Bit of History About Chichen Itza

This UNESCO World Heritage site was built before 800 A.D. by the Maya civilization and became an important economic, political and cultural center of the Mayan empire.

Chichen Itza is located in northern area of the "Peninsula de Yucatan" in Mexico. The name Chichén Itzá means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" where Itzá is the name of the ethnic group that dominated the northern peninsula.

The topography of the region is arid and has no above ground rivers. For Chichén Itzá, the main source of fresh water is the "cenotes" or sinks holes that provided enough for the inhabitants.

Cenote Sagrado or Sacred Well at Chichen Itza

The most recognized sink hole is the "cenote Sagrado" or the sacred well. The region has many cenotes and you can see signs throughout when you drive towards the ancient city using the "Carretera Libre."

This ancient city used its port site of Isla Cerritos to obtain locally unavailable resources from distant areas such as central Mexico and even gold from Central America.

Chichen Itza fell by around 1000 AD and the city became unpopulated but not completely abandoned. The "Cenote Sagrado" continued to be a place of pilgrimage.

The Spaniards arrived at Chichen Itza in 1526 trying to take the city with Francisco Montejo leading the operation. Initially the Spaniards encountered no resistance. Later on they were pushed out by the Maya who made the Spaniards abandon Chichén Itzá in 1534.

Chichen Itza Tours

There are many companies that offer tour services to tourists who stay in the Riviera Maya hotels. For us, having a native Spanish speaker in the family (me,) and pretty much being accustomed to travel at our own speed we decided to tour the city on our own.

When visiting Chichén I recommend being adventurous. Take the "Carretera Libre" which means free or without any tolls. We did it and never regretted it.

We rented a car and traveled the "Carretera Libre" with our 3-year old son who loved seeing how different the towns look in comparison to the ones in the U.S. (we live in Long Island, NY.)

Trips from Playa del Carmen to the ruins take about 31/2 hours using the "Carretera Libre" and less time using the "Caretera Cuota" or the one with tolls as you can go a bit faster. You will pass two toll booths on the way to Chichén Itzá using the "Carretera Cuota."

Fueling off the beaten path

You can ask at the service desk of your hotel for detailed instructions on how to get there using the "carretera Libre." That is exactly what we did, although it took us more time to get there than expected and we had the opportunity to soak in the culture.

Remember to fuel early along the road because finding gas stations is difficult.

Along side the "Carretera Libre" you can find many stands or "puestos de comida" which are homes on the side of the road where women prepare food for people in town and where locals go for a good meal. That is what we did and we loved it!

Woman preparing lunch:
Tortillas with pork, arroz and frijoles

We ate breakfast at our resort and stopped alongside the "Carretera Libre" to eat the typical tortillas stuffed with pork and onions served with rice and beans. You can see the women preparing them on the pan over the fire. Be prepared to eat along side locals even on the same table if space is limited.

Part of the experience of visiting Chichen Itza is seeing the sites surrounding the ancient city. There are some small towns and many cenotes on the way where you can swim and enjoy. Also you can stop at stores that have the beautifully hand crafted articles at more reasonable prices than those offered at the boutiques in the resorts.

I was surprised to see how many people were bilingual Spanish and Maya, the ancient language of the Mayan civilization.

If you decide to book one of the many Chichén Itzá tours you have to be aware of the variety of prices. Most tours booked through your all-inclusive resort cost more than $80 per person and include transportation, lunch and a guide in the most common foreign languages. The transportation is comfortable and air conditioned.

The chichén itza tours take you through a different road, the one that has tolls so it is a very different experience.

You can also book a Chichén Itzá tour by going to 5th Ave in Playa del Carmen through one of the friendly Mexicans that stop you to offer the tours or through kiosks located there. These tours are less expensive and often include visiting Valladolid or other places of interest.

Prepare Yourself to Enjoy Your Visit to Chichén

I have the old habit of reading before going. I just don't want to miss anything and before I land at my destination I pretty much have a good idea of what I am going to see. Going to Chichén Itzá was no different.

These are the structures I recommend you to see with pictures we took and a brief explanation of each.