Chichen Itza has been considered part of the the new 7 wonders of the world! Ever since I started to have a passion for travel and hear about this wonder my interest grew so much to the point I decided to visit this marvelous place! When people hear the word Chichen Itza the first thing that comes to mind  is El Castillo, the most famous structure in Chichen Itza also known as Temple Kukulkan , the feathered serpent god. What many people do not know is that there is more to Chichen Itza than just this beautiful structure. I would like to give you an overview of what you can find at Chichen Itza and share my experience with you. Enjoy! 

How To Get To Chichen Itza 

There are many options to get to Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is located in Yucatan about 75 miles away from Merida or 1-2 hours and 2-3 hours away from Cancun. Considering the distance you may prefer to drive. If you opt for this option the only fees you need to worry about are parking and entrance to Chichen Itza. The parking fee is only $22 pesos and main entrance for adults is $224 pesos and all children under 13 years of age are free as well as seniors. You can also take the public transportation using their buses ADO and take an early departure so that you can have plenty of time to explore and return int he evening. Cost for transportation is about $144 pesos. Whether you are staying in Cancun or Merida there will be plenty of tour available to visit Chichen Itza for the day. Some of these tours include food as well and the tour guide. These do tend to be higher than if you were to drive there and get a tour inside Chichen Itza. 

What to Find in Chichen Itza 

• Temples 
• Buildings
• Ball Courts
• Quadrilateral Platforms
• Sink Holes
• Roads
• Vendors

Temples of Chichen Itza

El Castillo, Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan is the most famous temple in Chichen Itza. It is located in the north platform. This is such a beautiful archaeological site that brings millions of tourism to visit every year! There is a light show that is done at nights and this structure is used for this show. A focus to this show and the building is to show the serpent effect on the stairs of the structure. Unfortunately, due to a death of a woman back in 2006 as she was climbing the structure, it is not permitted anymore to climb so we can only admire the structure and take pictures. This step pyramid is about 98 ft high and has a series of square terraces. I would have loved to climb the pyramid and see Chichen Itza from above, but it was still very beautiful to be here. Other temples you will find here are Temple of the Jaguar, Temple of the Bearded Man and Temple of the Tables. 

Ball Courts

There have been 13 ball courts found in Cjichen Itza. The most famous ball court is named the Great Ball Court. Located north of El Castillo, this impressive ball court is the largest and still remains as a preserved ball court. The Mayans were considered great sportsmen and loved to build large ball courts to play their games. The ball games consisted of rituals and human offerings. The game was already brutal even without sacrifices due to the heavy ball and injuries that were caused in the game and many were killed during the games. 

Sink Holes 

Yucantan is well-known for its sinkholes or cenotes. These beautiful natural pits have clear water as they are filled with the rain. You can find the Sacred Cenote in Chichen Itza. This cenote also know as the well of sacrifice. During the time of the Mayans, sacred objects and humans were thrwon into this well of sacrfice. The main purpose of this was to worship the Maya rain god Chaac. There is however one cenote that is visited by many tourist every year near Chichen Itza. This cenote is open to the public for swimming and there are many tour buses that can take you here. I unfortunately was not aware when I visited therefore, I must return. This is one of those places that leaves you speechless! 

Vendors 

There are plenty of vendors in Chichen Itza. Many of the indigenous people here create arts and crafts related to the Mayan culture. Make sure to bring cash for these things as this is the payment accepted. The arts and crafts are so beautiful and unique that I had to take one home with me especially associated with good fortune. They do a very good job explaining the different types of  crafts and what they represent. I also felt good contributing to these people as they make their living pretty much from these arts and crafts they create. 

Facts Mentioned in the Tour

• Chichen Itza was considered the most influential and largest city in Yucatan. El Castillo is the most famous structure in Chichen Itza also known as Temple Kukulkan , feather serpeant god. 
• Chichen Itza was famous for its well of sacrifice. Humans and precious objects were tossed into the sink hole as offerings to their rain god Chaac. Human blood was the most precious thing that could be sacrificed. 
• The Mayans built their spectacular monuments with the stone age technology, this included stone and wooden tools. They did not have access to metal tools. 
• Since the Mayans were obsessed with watching the night sky, they were able to have the most accurate calendars than any  other calendar used in the western world. 
• When the conquistadors arrived to Yucatan the Mayan cities were abandoned and small villages began to form. 
• The mathematical system of the Mayans was considered to be ahead of its time even more than the Greeks and Egyptians. This was implemented in the the construction of their monuments and temples. 

Visiting Chichen Itza has been one of the things I have enjoyed the most. If you love culture and seeing wonders of the world I highly recommend it. Make sure to take a tour guide to learn about the history of the Mayans and Chichen Itza. Also do not miss the opportunity to see the cenote near by Il Kil! If you have the time I also recommend spending the night at one of the hotels nearby so that you can experience Chichen Itza during the day and also during the night for the light show, which I have yet to do! 

Hope you have enjoyed this post and learned a little more about Chichen Itza!

Thank you for your support!