Chichen Itza

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza - meaning "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" - is Mexico's most visited archeological site, a magnificent display of Mayan culture and the ceremonial center of the Yucatán. The highlight of Chichen Itza is the Kukulkan Pyramid, known as "El Castillo", 24 meters (79 feet) high of step pyramid construction. Mesoamerican cultures occasionally built larger pyramids on top of smaller ones and this is the case for El Castillo where an excavation discovered a temple with an elaborate jaguar throne.

At sunrise and sunset on the Spring and Fall equinoxes the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow of Kukulkan, a feathered serpent god, creating the illusion of a snake slithering down the North side with the sun's movement. The Cenote Sagrado is also an impressive natural site at Chichen Itza, featuring a sinkhole gateway into an underground body of water 60 meters (197 feet) in diameter. Visitors to Chichen Itza get a good feel for ancient Mayan culture through these impressive structures.

Practical Info

Chichen Itza is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, made up of many stone buildings in various states of preservation, but all sites are connected by a network of roads, called sacbeob. The three most well-known of these monument complexes are El Castillo, Temple of Warriors and the Great Ball Court. While some groups like the Ossario group and Central group are open to everyone, Chichen Viejo (Old Chichen) is only open to archeologists.