Chichen Itza: A Blast From The Past

The next couple of blog entries I publish are going to be my favorite places in Mexico. I have personally traveled to these places and would highly recommend them.

The first I am going to talk about is Chichen Itza.

(Photo by Christina Stymfal)

Chichen Itza is the ancient capital of the Mayan Empire. The name Chich’en Itza actually means “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.” Many of the different translations of the name revolves around the topics of water and magic.

Located just 100 miles from Canucn, Chichen Itza is one of the most important archaeological zones in Mexico. Within Chichen Itza is an observatory, sacred cenote, ball court and castle.

The Mayan communities surrounding Chichen Itza have developed specific sited for travelers to experience the true Mayan culture. Everything you ought to see during your visit will definitely take at least a weekend to see so you might as well enjoy and see as much as possible.

Here are some of the landmarks I visited to I thought were quite interesting and spectacular to see:

The number one thing to see is the Pyramid of Kukulan that is pictured above. It is the most famous landmark in Chichen Itza. The pyramid/temple was made in honor of the Feathered Serpent God. As of 2006, no one is able to climb up the pyramid.

Since I went in 2004, I was one of the lucky ones that got to do so. However, I am afraid of heights so I really couldn’t enjoy it that much – there is absolutely NO hand-railing.

Along the pyramid, Feathered Serpents run down the sides of the staircase. In the 1980’s, this feature became extremely popular during the Spring and Fall equinox. At this time, there is a light and shadow effect that causes the temple to look like the serpents along the staircases are slithering down the pyramid.

The second thing I suggest everyone see is the Great Ballcourt. This is the largest out of seven at Chichen Itza. The Great Ballcourt is extremely breathtaking. It is a gigantic area of grass with two tall stone walls on each side.

At the very top of these walls are two small hoops, which a ball is supposed to go through. This entire structure was built to play a game, nothing more. Even though the purpose is simple, the view is amazing. You won’t regret walking through this area.

The third thing to see is El Caracol. It is a circular temple that was built as an astronomical observatory. Sadly, people are not allowed within the building so you have to look at a distance.

If you plan on staying in Cancun and then making a small trip down to Chichen Itza, then the following information is just for you.

There are many tours available at each of the hotels in Canucn. They offer about four hours of time to spend at Chichen Itza. At the site is when there are tour guides available for everyone.

During my visit to Chichen Itza, my family and I spent half of the time on the guided tour and the other half on our own, exploring at our own pace.

The tours that take you the 100 miles from Cancun to Chichen Itza will pick you up directly from your hotel in the early morning and drop you back off at your hotel that night.

Don’t worry, the buses you travel on are fully air conditioned and the guides speak English!