Zona Arqueológica de Chichén Itzá

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About Zona Arqueológica de Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá was one of the largest Maya cities on the Yucatán Peninsula, reaching its height between the 9th and 12th centuries. The name means mouth of the well of the Itzá, referring to the Sacred Cenote and to the people who dominated the region. The architecture mixes Maya style with elements from central Mexico, such as feathered serpents and warrior columns. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988 and was chosen in 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

At the center is the Kukulcán pyramid, called El Castillo, with four stairways and about 30 meters in height. The steps combined with those on the top platform total 365, the number of days in the year. In late afternoons near the March and September equinoxes, the light creates on the north stairway a figure that resembles a descending serpent.

Beside it are the large ball court, the largest known in Mesoamerica, with reliefs of players on the walls; the Temple of the Warriors, with the Chac Mool at the top and a forest of columns; and the Tzompantli, the platform of carved skulls. A stone path leads to the Sacred Cenote, a well about 60 meters in diameter where offerings were thrown.

In the southern sector are El Caracol, a round-shaped observatory, and the group called Las Monjas. The structures are viewed from the outside; climbing El Castillo is usually prohibited.