Visiting Chichen Itza, Mexico: A guide to the Ruins

Travelers who chose not to go to the Chichen Itza ruins will unquestionably have a terrific holiday on the powdery beaches of the Mayan Riviera.

The truth is, however, that they missed out, big time. As one of the new seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza should have its place alongside Machu Picchu and the terrific wall of China as an exemplary archeological marvel.

I mean, would you check out Lima and not make the long trip to Machu Picchu? would you check out Beijing and not spend a day getting to the wall and back?

Chichen Itza is one of the must-see places in Mexico!

In this guide, learn all you need to know about checking out the popular Chichen Itza ruins in Mexico.

Innholdsfortegnelse
Chichen Itza Facts and History
Chichen Itza Temples and Pyramids to Visit
Things To Do at the Chichen Itza Ruins
3 best Chichen Itza Ruins Tours
7 top ideas for checking out the Chichen Itza Archeological Site
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Konklusjon

Chichen Itza Facts and History

With several million people checking out Chichen Itza every year, it’s one of the most popular vacationer destinations in Mexico.

The majestic, angular pyramid of Kulkulkan is one of the most crucial symbols of Mexico as well.

And there’s much a lot more to the ruins than the famous pyramid. checking out Chichen Itza involves at least three or four hours of exploring the substantial site, which also has walls of skull carvings, a large ball court, an astronomical observatory, fields of columns, and two cenotes.

Chichen Itza was an active city from 525 a 1200 CE, and it was the capital of a large Mayan territory from 987 to 1200 CE, which corresponds to the end of the classical Mayan period and the beginning of the Postclassical period.

Like other major Mayan cities, Chichen Itza experienced a rapid decline and collapse about a thousand years ago. The reasons for this are still uncertain, although a lot of scholars believe it had to make with problems with the water supply.

The advanced civilization disappeared, but the Mayan people survived. Today they live in large numbers in southern Mexico and northern central America, especially Guatemala.

Today, Chichen Itza remains a sacred center for local Mayans.

The spring and fall solstices are the most crucial days at the ancient city. As the sun sets, moving shadows on the main pyramid’s edges resemble the body of a snake slithering down to the stone snake heads at the base.

This crucial occurrence not only brings in local shamans and other spiritually-minded folks, but also thousands of tourists checking out Chichen Itza from all over the world.

Chichen Itza Temples and Pyramids to Visit

The popular pyramid is El Castillo (the Castle). It’s also called the temple of Kukulcan, named after the feathered serpent, one of the most crucial Mayan deities.

The pyramid was built in such a way that clapping at certain points in front of it results in a loud, sharp echo. If you go on your own, without a guide to show you, look for clapping excursion groups to find the ideal spot.

El Castillo’s design is symbolic of the Mayan calendar, with 91 steps on each of the four sides, which add up to 364. add the platform, and it’s 365.

What’s more, the pyramid was actually built over a cenote, one of the freshwater sinkholes found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.

El Castillo is roughly in the center of the archeological site, with the park entrance and ball court to the west, the sacred Cenote to the north, the Thousand Columns group and market to the east, and the circular observatory El Caracol (the Snail), another cenote, and several interesting temple complexes to the south.

You can check out these areas in any buy you like. check the maps on-site very carefully to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Things To Do at the Chichen Itza Ruins

You’ll spend your time checking out Chichen Itza by walking around, taking photographs, and sitting on park benches in the shade.

The area around the sacred Cenote has dense jungle and lots of places to sit. It’s a good spot to get away from the heat and crowds. You can’t swim in the cenote to amazing off, but you can get ice cream from the little shop located there.

There’s a gift shop and a respectable restaurant at the entrance. The restaurant is a little overpriced and not as good as the exceptional options in the nearby town of Valladolid, but it’s better than leaving early or going hungry.

In the evenings, there’s a night show at the Chichen Itza Mayan ruIns kalte Kulkulkan netter. Besøkende sitter på stoler, gleder seg over lys som er projisert på El Castillo og lytter til dramatiske stemmer forteller den gamle byens historie på spansk.

Det er en egen billett fra den vanlige inngangsbilletten, og parken stenger før lysets show, slik at du ikke kan holde deg inne for å vente på den.

3 Beste Chichen Itza Ruins Tours

Fordi det er så mange andre interessante steder i området, inkluderer mange utflukter til Chichen Itza en utsjekking til byen Valladolid, en svømmetur i en cenote eller et stopp på et annet arkeologisk sted.

Å bestille utflukt indikerer at du vil ha en erfaren guide for å beskrive historien og relevansen av stedet. Du trenger ikke å finne ut logistikken for å komme dit og tilbake, noe som er spesielt nyttig hvis du ikke snakker spansk.

1. Chichen Itza, Saamal Cenote & Valladolid All-Inclusive Tour

Hvis du skal ta turen helt til Chichen Itza fra Cancun, Playa del Carmen eller Tulum, kan du like gjerne sjekke ut to andre toppattraksjoner i området.

Etter å ha sjekket ut Chichen Itza, vil du på denne utflukten dra til byen Valladolid og den saamal cenote. Det inkluderer en buffé lunsj. Du har mye gratis tid også, noe som alltid er hyggelig.

Dette er den beste utflukten til Chichen Itza. Lær mye mer om kostnadene, logistikken og mye mer om denne høyt rangerte ekskursjonen her.

2. Chichén Itzá: Hubiku Cenote, Tequila & Valladolid Tour

Denne utflukten styres av en arkeolog og inkluderer en utsjekking til Hubiku Cenote, lunsj, en tequila -smaks og en tur til Valladolid by også.

Selvfølgelig vil du utforske Chichen Itza og lære alt om dette magiske nettstedet. Lær mye mer om denne morsomme dagsturen hit.

3. Chichen Itza, Coba og Tulum Ruins & Ik-Kil Cenote

Med stopp ved Chichen Itza, Tulum og Coba, tar denne utflukten deg til de tre store arkeologiske stedene i nærheten av Cancun, Playa del Carmen og Tulum.

Mellom ruiner vil du ha sjansen til å fantastisk med en svømmetur i Ik-Kil Cenote. Utflukten bruker henting i Cancun og Playa del Carmen. Lær mye mer om denne toppturen til Chichen Itza her.

7 Topp ideer for å sjekke ut Chichen Itza arkeologiske nettsted

Her er noen ideer for å sikre at du har en fantastisk tur til Chichen Itza.

Hvis du går på egen hånd, ankommer du Chichen Itza -ruinene så tidlig som mulig. Dette gjelder spesielt i helgene og i høydesesongen. Det blir både varmt og overfylt fra og med klokka 11.

2. Ikke gå på søndag, når inngangen til stedet er gratis for meksikanske statsborgere, eller under en meksikansk ferie, når det er travlere enn normalt.

3. Hvis du har tid, kan du bo en natt eller to i Valladolid, den fargerike kolonibyen nær Chichen Itza. Det er mye å se i Valladolid, og det har en mye mye mer autentisk stemning enn feriestedene på den karibiske kysten. Pluss at å bo der setter deg i en fantastisk posisjon for å sjekke ut ruinene tidlig dagen etter.

Å bo to netter i Valladolid indikerer at du etter en dag med å sjekke Chichen Itza under den varme solen, kan komme tilbake til den rolige lille byen i stedet for å ta en flere timers busstur tilbake til reisebasen din.

4. Hvis du går til Chichen Itza Maya -ruinene på egen hånd og vil lære alt om historien og arkeologiske relevansen av nettstedet, kan du leie en guide inne i parken, ikke utenfor.

Guidene utenfor kan være billigere, men de er ikke offisielle guider og kan være mye dyktigere til å kjøre et hardt kjøp enn å faktisk beskrive noe. Motstå deres insistering med et firma “nei takk.” Bedre ennå, bli med på en utflukt, slik at du ikke trenger å bekymre deg for noe.

5. For å spare penger og lære noen fakta om Chichen Itza, få en guidebok til ruinene fra gavebutikken. Når du først er inne, avlytter du på utfluktgrupper – utenfor El Castillo, for eksempel for å se hvor de skal klappe for å høre ekkoet.

6. Sørg for å ta med myggavvisende, solkrem, snacks og mye vann. Du kan få det du glemmer i butikkene utenfor ruinene eller i gavebutikken nær inngangen, men for oppblåste priser.

7. Hvis du skal sjekke ut en cenote etter ruinene for litt svømming, ikke bruk solkrem. Det er ille for ferskvannet. Hvis det er planen din, skjuler du godt med en hatt og lange ermer mens du sjekker ut Chichen Itza.

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Nedenfor er noen svar på ofte stilte spørsmål om å sjekke ut Chichen Itza.

Hvor ligger Chichen Itza?

Chichen Itza ligger i sentrum av den nordlige halvdelen av Yucatan -halvøya i det sørøstlige Mexico. Det er omtrent halvveis mellom Merida, hovedstaden oglargest city in Yucatan state, and Cancun, the popular resort city on the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Driving to Chichen Itza takes about two hours and 15 minutes from Cancun or Playa del Carmen and about two hours from Tulum. add 30 minutes or a lot more to these times for taking a local bus, depending on the route and number of stops.

Note that Yucatan state, where Chichen Itza is located, and destinations on the Mayan Riviera (in Quintana Roo state) are in different time zones. Chichen Itza is one hour behind Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun.

When Is the best Time to Visit?

The weather is hot year-round in the interior of the Yucatan Peninsula where Chichen Itza is located. Winters are dry and summers are typically rainy, and the weather is normally unpredictable, especially in summer.

If you check out from the late spring to the early fall, you must bring a raincoat or an umbrella. A stunning sunny morning can become a hard afternoon rain with little warning. Fortunately, storms are typically brief, and once the hot sun returns, you’ll dry off in no time.

Chichen Itza gets very crowded during height travel season and Mexican holidays. expect large crowds, especially on weekends, from late December to early January (particularly between Christmas and the new Year), and from late July to early August.

Semana Santa (Holy Week), the week before Easter, is another time when lots of Mexicans travel. If possible, don’t travel in Mexico during Semana Santa.

As mentioned, moving shadows on the Castillo pyramid resemble a slithering snake on the spring and fall equinoxes. Unless you’re figured out to see this and don’t mind a enormous crowd, avoid checking out Chichen Itza on these days.

Whether you go on your own or with a excursion group, Chichen Itza is best appreciated in the morning.

Try to get there when it opens at 8 AM, or look for a excursion that arrives early. A long line of excursion buses begins to form around 11, and other groups may still be arriving ideal up to the last minute.

What Is Chichen Itza’s entrance Fee?

The basic fee for Chichen Itza is 80 pesos ($4 USD), which is the current price for a lot of archeological sites in the Yucatan Peninsula. check the official web site for updates.

Chichen Itza has additional charges from the state of Yucatan, which at the moment are 417 pesos (about $21 USD) for foreign visitors and 130 pesos (about $6.50 USD) for Mexican nationals with official identification.

This may seem expensive compared to other archeological sites in Mexico, but keep it in perspective — it’s not really all that expensive for a world-class attraction.

The ruins are complimentary for Mexican nationals and foreign residents of Mexico (with identification) on Sunday.

What Are Chichen Itza’s opening Hours?

Chichen Itza is open each day from 8 AM to 5 PM, with the last access at 4 PM.

Many of the outer areas of the park, including the ball court, the sacred Cenote, the Thousand Columns Group, and the observatory, close at 4 PM.

Where Can You Park at Chichen Itza?

There’s plenty of vehicle parking at Chichen Itza, with large lots outside the entrance and spots on the street too.

As soon as you start getting close, people will wave at you to park in their lot or on the section of road they’re watching. They wear vests and uniforms, look official, and wave at you as if you’re obliged to stop.

Du er ikke. keep going, because you might be able to get much closer.

Can You Climb the Ruins of Chichen Itza?

No, you can’t climb anything when checking out Chichen Itza. The sheer quantity of tourists makes it impractical, both because of potential damage to the ruins as well as the probability that one would slip and tumble down a steep slope.

For Mayan ruins you can climb, check out Coba to the south of Chichen Itza and massive Palenque in the nearby state of Chiapas.

How about checking out Chichen Itza on Your Own?

It’s absolutely possible to