When we booked our trip to Mexico, we knew that Chichen Itza was a must-do item. We booked the excursion through our hotel, so everything was super easy (but definitely at a premium!)
We left our hotel super early in the morning to make the drive (which took multiple hours) alongside other hotel guests, and other guests from different hotels that we had to pick up along the way. On our coach was our guide, Nahebi, who was there to educate us about Chichen Itza and more broadly answer questions from is.
Arriving at Chichen Itza was an experience in itself. What looked like hundreds and hundreds of identical coaches are constantly streaming in, and the entrance plaza was full of tourists trying to move.
NB. This was the point that I realised that my idyllic visions of capturing stunning photographs of the monuments, standing alone in their majesty, were just a pipe dream. It was a monumental effort to be able to take pictures without other humans in them.
Before we had even seen a proper glimpse of Chichen Itza itself, Nahebi took us around some of the things to see by the entrance, including stalls that local artisans sold souvenir-type things at, and also at some recreations of how people lived at the time that Chichen Itza was thriving, including replicas of their huts.
After wandering around there, I got my first glimpse of Chichen Itza itself. Up until this point, I hadn’t properly appreciated its scale – but the thing looked HUGE to me, peeking out from between the trees.
As we made our way through the trees, we arrived at an extremely large open clearing. In the center, the main monument that you picture in your mind when you hear ‘Chichen Itza’. The thing is indeed a monster, and makes you marvel at how it was constructed. It is also in pretty great shape for an incredibly old monument.
We spent a few hours at the site – and there lots to see and marvel at aside from just the “main” monument. There are lots of ruins, and if like us, you go with a dedicated guide, they are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about explaining the history and significance behind each thing. In fact, I would highly recommend to go on a guided tour versus just on your own, as you will miss a ton of context.
One thing that will always stick in my mind is that our guide explained how the acoustics of Chichen Itza are very special, and have been built in a way that making certain sounds echo in certain ways, or mimic animal sounds. Super cool stuff that we would have never have understood or known without him. (Aside, this is why if you go to Chichen Itza, there will 100% be people clapping in strange ways at certain spots!)
Another thing that our guide was great at explaining was the meaning of all the different kinds of engravings on the stones. Pretty much everything is intricately carved in some way to depict a story, so its really worth going with someone who can explain what they mean.
Aside from the actual monuments themselves, there is also a bunch of wildlife at Chichen Itza! I saw so many iguanas – spotting them became a fun little pastime after we had toured all the different monuments 🙂
All in all, I really enjoyed my trip to Chichen Itza and really recommend you making time to go if you are in Mexico. Two final tips for you:
- Go as early as possible, because apparently the crowds get even worse later in the day. It is also cooler earlier in the day.
- Speaking of, I recommend taking lots of water and an umbrella, because it is hot and pretty open to the elements.
