Day 12 of our 13-day adventure across Mexico took us to the archaeological site of Chichen Itzá.
One of the interesting parts of this visit was that our resort, Mayaland Hotel, and Bungalows, was at one point part of the Chechen Itzá site.
At the back of the resort, there are remains of a ticket booth and an entrance to the archaeological site. And from our hotel room, you are able to see the Observatory.
It seems this entrance may have closed during COVID-19 and never reopened. So, we got an early start, boarded our bus, and drove around to the opposite side of the site to a line of buses and tour vans waiting for access.
Seven Wonders of the Modern World
For us, Chichen Itzá has an interesting history. Sometime in the 1980s, before we met, Chuck had been to Chichen Itzá when you were still able to enter the chambers under El Castillo.
In 2006, a few years after we met, we went to Chichen Itzá as part of an excursion from a Cancun resort. At the time, while you could not enter the chambers, you were still able to climb to the top of El Castillo. Mark did the climb alone since Chuck does not do heights.
In 2007, Chichen Itzá was named one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World by a global survey.
Chuck, Mark, and Seven Modern Wonders
Neither of us is exactly sure when or how this happened. But at some point in our dating, we decided that seeing all seven of the modern wonders would be a bucket list adventure.
Having seen Chichen Itzá together in 2006, we saw the Colosseum in Rome during a trip for Mark’s 50th birthday in 2011, the Great Wall of China in 2018, and the Taj Mahal in 2020.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 derailed plans to see Petra in Jordan and Macchu Picchu in Peru.
We’ve actually just returned from Peru – and promise we’ll catch up with blogging and share that adventure soon.
So right now, we have seen five of the seven wonders and hope to get to Brazil to see Christ the Redeemer in Rio and get Petra back on our list.
Anticlimactic Visit
Truth be told, having been to Chicken Itza previously and having explored lots of Mayan ruins across the Yucatan since our move here in 2022, this visit was kind of anticlimactic. It may have also been that we’d also spent nearly two weeks exploring ruins all across central and southeastern Mexico.
Realistically, Chichen Itzá has become a bit too commercial for our liking. Yes, it’s a magnificent complex with an incredible history as one of the most notable cities in Mayan history.
But, we find it to be pricier than many of the other archaeological sites across the region we have been to.
And, we also find it to be VERY crowded. On the morning we arrived, there were four or five full-sized charter buses ahead of us and maybe six or seven tour vans. By the time we left a few hours later, there had to have been almost 80 charter buses and at least as many tour vans.
The other annoyance is that Chichen Itza allows local vendors inside the site, while most others keep them outside of the gates. We just found them a bit overwhelming as they seemed to be along every path.
Preservation
We were pleasantly surprised to see some of the buildings undergoing some preservation and restoration.
Archaeologists worked diligently cleaning and piecing back together some of the facades of smaller buildings.
Living in the Yucatan, we see areas adjacent to many sites that are overgrown and left in ruins. The fact that they are working to unearth and piece back together so many of the buildings here makes us very happy, and hope to see the work expand.
New To Us
From our previous visits, two things stood out in our minds. The Pyramid, El Castillo, and the Ball Court.
On this visit, somehow, the Temple of the Warriors and the Group of the Thousand Columns stood out.
The Temple of the Warriors is said to contain a large altar supported by small statues in the shape of warriors.
The columns surrounding the temple became known as the Group of the Thousand Columns. Rows and rows of seemingly endless tall, round, stacked columns were thought to hold a long, flat room.
And while the name might suggest a thousand of these columns, there are actually only about 200 of them.
Know Before You Go
Regardless of our lack of excitement, Chichen Itzá is one of the Seven Modern Wonders and worth a visit.
The site is open Monday – Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm, with the last admissions at 4 pm. We HIGHLY suggest not going on a Sunday as it is free for Mexican Citizens and foreigners with Residency. So it can get very crowded.
The current admission price for Adults 13+ is 614 pesos or about $ 35.00 U.S. But know that additional fees for things like video cameras or professional shoots require a special permit. FYI, tripods of any size are not permitted as they are seen as ‘professional equipment.’
We highly suggest one of the professional onsite tour guides. The guides have so much information to share and are reasonably priced.
For our fellow seniors, the grounds are pretty flat and easy to navigate. Pace yourselves, and don’t hesitate to take a seat in the shade and take in the wonder of the site.
And lastly, if at all possible, get there EARLY. Once the tour buses arrive, it gets chaotic.
Off To Cancun
After leaving Chechen Itzá, we were off to lunch. And then on to our seaside hotel in Cancun for the last day of our trip!
Very interesting… Thanks for sharing.