Chichen Itza, Yucatán Mexico
Chichen Itza is one of the 7 wonders of the world, it is an archaeological site that you can not miss. It has hundreds of amazing & interesting structures like temples and pyramids the Mayans created thousand years ago. If you visit the World Wonder of Chichen Itza, keep reading this important article!
Where is located Chichen Itza?
This World Wonder is located in the State of Yucatán, Mexico 121 kilometers east of the city of Merida. From Cancun, Chichen Itza is 268 km away, about a 3 hour trip. I would recommend that if you want to travel in comfort and without stops in other cities, book a Shuttle, it will pick you up in your hotel and take you directly to Chichen Itza with some good benefits: air conditioning, music and a quick stop for snacks and beverages. (Some Tours to Chichen Itza have transportation included, click here to see more)
What’s inside Chichen Itza?
Here are several amazing structures built by the Mayas that you are going to see in your trip to Chichen Itza:
Kukulkan Pyramid
Certainly, Kukulkan is the most recognized structure in Chichen Itza, you have surely see it. Something incredible about Kukulkan is the phenomenon that occurs each summer and autumn equinox where a snake can be seen descending from the pyramid.
Cenote Sagrado
This cenote, located inside Chichen Itza, where given offerings to God Chaac (the Lord of Rains) and also where high-ranking prisioners were held sacrifice.
Currently valuable pieces are found in this cenote as jades, obsidian knives, gems, precious stones, treasures and skeletons but it’s said this cenote has not been fully explored.
El Caracol (Observatory)
It is also called the Temple of Venus, because observing and studying this planet was one of the most important objects of study for the Mayans. The observations made from the Mayan Caracol were intuitive in many cases only using the eye. That was how the Mayans predicted 29 eclipses, equinoxes, solstices, etc. These predictions can be seen through the sculptures located in the Caracol.
The Great Ball Game (Juego de Pelota)
The Great Ball Game is a huge field oriented north / south direction. The point of this game for the Mayans was a rematch between the team captains to show who was going to be beheaded. The whole scene is done in each game displayed on a disc in the center of each slope that borders the area of the game.
Jaguar Temple
This temple, part of the ball game, it’s called Jaguar Temple because of the amount of jaguars carved that has its structure in the main part.
The Temple of the Warriors
In the eastern part of the square of Chichen Itza, you will find the Temple of the Warriors. Here is where you will see the incredible castle surrounded by “A Thousand Columns”.
The Thousand Columns are one of my favorite structures and performances. Each column represents something very interesting: within the human being even though each one has a negative part we all also carry our part of being warriors, which help us fight this negativity and evil that we carry inside.