Chichén Itzá - Bob The Travel Nerd

	Chichén Itzá
Completed: 600-1200 AD	*“The City of the Water Sorcerers”*	Size: 5km²
Time to visit: 1 day	Yucatán Peninsula, Peru	Visitors/year: 2.6mil

Arriving in Cancún / Playa del Carmen

Day 0 – 5:10am
Landing in Cancún

Took a direct flight from Bogotá Colombia, take-off at 1:25am.
3h45min later, I landed in Cancún at first light. No sleep the night before!
Fair warning, immigration was very slow, with stamp clearance taking over 2 hours.
Not the best start to my visit.😟

Day 0 – 8:30am
Arriving at my Hotel

Took an Uber from the airport to my hotel.
I chose to stay 1hr south of Cancún in Playa del Carmen because it made the tour pickup the following day much easier.
I stayed at Hotel Ambra, a cosy 3-star hotel – clean, solid A/C and Wi-Fi, friendly staff.

Xcaret Park

Day 0 – 10:30am
Arriving at Xcaret Park

How to spend a sleepless arrival day ahead of tomorrow’s Chichén Itzá tour? I give you: Xcaret park!
Located just 5km from the hotel, it’s part zoo, part water/theme park, part beach resort, part cultural centre.

Day 0 – 11:00am
Checking out the Animal Sanctuary

I started off walking around the many animal exhibits across the park.
I particularly enjoyed the underground shark tank and the butterfly pavilion.

Day 0 – 1:00pm
Exploring the nature reserve

After lunch, I enjoyed some much needed down time at the beach.
The coastline looked like something out of a postcard – just a stunning tropical paradise on Earth!

Day 0 – 3:00pm
Absorbing some culture and History

The park is also a living archaeological repository of Mexican culture.
I learned about Mexico’s history, and was treated to a traditional live mariachi performance.
I even got to preview the Chichén Itzá Castillo I’d be visiting the next day, along with a depiction of the ancient ball game of Pok-a-Tok.

The Local Food Scene

Day 0 – 6:45pm
Dinner at El Fogón

After freshening up, I headed over to Playa Del Carmen taco institution El Fogón (which translates to The Stove).
For me the classic pastor taco and the absolutely loaded loco taco were the best.
Then it was back to the hotel for me for some much needed sleep ahead of an early start the next day.

Chichén Itzá

Day 1 – 6:10am
The Adventure Begins!

I booked with México Kan Tours.
Highly recommended – guides were nice and informative, drop-off/pick-up at the hotel was convenient, minivan was comfortable with A/C, small group size of just 9.
We first headed to their office for supplies, which as a bonus had this beautiful mural by @panik_kie.

Day 1 – 9:00am
Arriving at Chichén Itzá

We arrived at the entrance to the ancient city after a 2h15min ride.
The lines weren’t long, and for
643 Mexican Pesos (USD$33) we were granted access.
A short stroll past local artisan stalls led us to our first sighting of the fabled Castillo at the heart of Chichén Itzá, which in Maya roughly translates to: At the brim of the well where the Wise Men of the Water Live.

Day 1 – 9:10am
A closer look at the Stonework

As we walked around looking at the many structures and ruins, the detail of the stone etchings was remarkably well preserved.
You can see many examples of human life depicted back when this was a bustling Mayan city.
Fun fact, there were paved roads in Chichén Itzá before they first appeared in Europe.

Day 1 – 9:15am
Faces everywhere

Even the brickwork seems to carry faces at every turn.
Unlike other city ruins I’ve visited, it was impossible not to look beyond the archaeological value of this site and remember the people who once lived here back when it was a major religious, political, economic, and cultural centre.

Day 1 – 9:20am
stalked by the Jaguar

This is the Temple of the Jaguar, which likely served as a ceremonial platform for religious and military celebrations.
The jaguar was considered a symbol of power and status in Mayan society.
It was also known as the ruler of the Underworld and a symbol of darkness.

Day 1 – 9:30am
seeing Snakes

Another common animal icon carved around the city is that of the snake.
This is a reference to Kukulkan, the Mayan feathered serpent deity associated with creation and rebirth.

Day 1 – 9:40am
An ancient Sports Arena

A brief walk from the Castillo is the largest known Pok-a-Tok court found among Mayan sites, measuring 160m x 70m.
The goal of the game was to launch a rubber ball through a 6m high stone hoop, using only your hips, knees, and elbows.
How they did this mind you remains a mystery to me, it seems borderline impossible. 🤔
Gruesome mood killer: Pok-a-Tok was as much sport as ritual, with the losing side typically losing their lives to human sacrifice.

Day 1 – 9:50am
A room With A View

This structure is known as the Temple of the Bearded Man.
Located at the far end of the Pok-a-Tok field, rulers and people of high status would would have enjoyed the game from here.
It’s fun to think that even 1000+ years ago there were box seats at sporting events.

Day 1 – 10:00am
The Wall of Skulls

An important feature in Chichén Itzá is its Tzompantli, which translates to Skull Rack.
In total more than 500 skulls have been carved into this wall – yet another chilling testimony to the Mayan practice of human sacrifice.

Day 1 – 10:10am
The Castillo

At last, a closer look at the iconic Chichén Itzá pyramid: El Castillo (which translates to The Castle).
Built between the 9th and 12th centuries and made of limestone, it stands at 30m high and 55.5m wide.

Day 1 – 10:20am
The Castillo (cont’d)

One of the extraordinary things about this structure is it’s a functional calendar.
The pyramid has 4 sides, each with a 91-step staircase, and a temple at the top, totalling 365 steps.
Even today, we still use the same 365 days per year from the Mayan astronomical calendar.

Day 1 – 10:30am
The Castillo (cont’d)

Even more impressively, the pyramid was meticulously aligned based on the equinoxes (a moment when day and night both last 12 hours).
Twice a year, the equinox sun casts perfectly positioned shadows that resemble a long serpent descending down the sides of the pyramid.
This was Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god descending from the heavens. You can see here its curvy shadow body leading to the stone snake heads at the base.

Day 1 – 10:40am
Group of the Thousand Columns

A stone’s throw from the Castillo is a massive quadrangle filled with columns.
It is believed that this structure housed great meeting halls, and the carvings of shields suggest a military purpose.

Day 1 – 10:50am
Supporting local artisans

Before heading on from Chichén Itzá, I walked around and admired the many stalls displaying local artisanal goods.
I like to bring back a wood carving of an animal associated with the place I’m visiting, hence this fierce jaguar.
On this occasion I also picked up a resin sculpture with Mayan symbols that I found interesting.

The City of Valladolid

Day 1 – 12:00pm
Arriving in Valladolid

We hopped back in the bus and after a 45min drive we arrived in the charming town of Valladolid.

Day 1 – 12:25pm
Lunch

After an action-packed morning, our group sat down to lunch at El Mesón del Marqués, a lovely traditional eatery opposite the main square, built in a 17^th century colonial mansion.
I had the chicken with dark mole which was yummy.

Delving into a Cenote

Day 1 – 2:00pm
Entering the Cenote

After lunch, we took a short drive to our final stop: Cenote X’ux Ha.
A cenote (pronounced se-NO-tay) is a natural sinkhole filled with fresh water, naturally carved out of limestone over time.
There are over 3000 cenotes in Mexico, and Mayans believed they were portals to the Underworld.

Day 1 – 2:10pm
Jumpin’ In

The descent into the cenote is a 25m drop, which really gives you the sense that you’re crossing a threshold into a forgotten world beneath the Earth.
Jumping into the deep blue refreshing water was a welcome respite from the burning heat above.
Despite being one of the most beautiful cenotes, X’ux Ha is actually not among the most visited, making it one of the best kept secrets of this region.

Day 1 – 2:20pm
Bathing in Ancient Waters

Swimming in this underground pool of crystal clear blue water bathed in a shaft of natural light was nothing short of magical.
This place seemed like something out a dream and ended up being a highlight of my trek across South America.

The Adventure Draws to a Close

Day 2 – 7:50am
Onwards to Rio

After heading back to the hotel and a quick dinner, it was yet again early to bed and early to rise for my next flight.
My short time visiting Chichén Itzá and its surroundings remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Next stop, Rio De Janeiro by way of Panama!