"Ruins of Chichen Itza" Ruinas Chichén-Itzá by Waxbag

Ruinas Chichén-Itzá Travel Guide: 473 reviews and 1,252 photos

Perhaps one of the most famous of all Mayan Cities, Chichen Itza is one of the best restored of all the important cities on the peninsula. It offers the visitor one of the most amazing of the pyramid style temples and the largest known ball court in the Mayan world. The importance of the Mayan astronomical calendar is shown clearly through the various temples dedicate to the telling of time. Another huge draw of Chichen Itza is its grizzly past. There is much evidence that during the Toltec era there were many sacrifices. Several of the platforms have reliefs depicting skulls and men having their hearts ripped out. In the Cenote Sagrado many human remains have been discovered as well as many fine artifacts.

Wall Of Skulls

Chichen Itza was settled during the late classic period of the Mayans some time during the 9th century by the Itzas, a purely Mayan people. It was abandoned in the late 10th century only to be re-settled and then taken over by the brutal Toltecs that practice human sacrifice. It was finally abandoned in the late 14th century. The Itzas immigrated south to Lago Petin Itza in present day Guatemala where they founded their city on the island of Flores.

Chac Mask

The style of Chichen Itza is a blending of that from the Toltec of the north and the Puuc of the Yucatan Peninsula. Much of the Toltec structure are newer and have been built over the Mayan Puuc as is the case with El Castillo. The Puuc god is depicted in the Chac Mask. He is the rain god, an important deity in this dry region. The Toltec god is Quetzalcoatl and is represented by a plumed serpent.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Well Preserved Mayan Ruins, Accessible
Cons:Very Touristy
In a nutshell:Touristy But Excellent Ancient Mayan Site

Last visit to Ruinas Chichén-Itzá: Jun 2002
Intro Updated Jan 2, 2004
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Reviews (9)

Ball court at Itza - Ruinas Chichén-Itzá

Use Valladolid as a Base to Explore... Transportation (1)

Valladolid is a great base to explore the surrounding villages and Mayan ruins. Chichen Itza and Coba are very close.... more travel advice

Stay in Nearby Valladolid Hotels (1)

Stay in Vallodolid's Albergue la Candelaria located about 45 minutes away towards Cancun. This place is great. They have... more travel advice

Temple of the Warriors - Ruinas Chichén-Itzá

Temple of the Warriors Things to Do (7)

The Temple of the Warriors is apart of the Grupo de las Mil Columnas (Group of a Thousand Columns) and faces El... more travel advice

El Caracol (The Obeservatory) Things to Do (7)

The observatory, also known as El Caracol, was one of the most important structures in Chichen Itza. It has a unique... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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Maria_75 Nov 16, 2004 at 10:46 AM

Its really a wonderful place! Great pages.
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Helga67 Mar 24, 2004 at 11:23 PM

Chichen-Itza was my favorite spot. Very informative page with excellent pics.
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ukirsari Jan 20, 2004 at 11:29 AM

Enjoy your presentation and pictures very much. Thanks for sharing :)