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A renegade tourist who was met by a furious mob after climbing an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico’s Chichén Itzá this week has been identified as a 29-year-old Mexican national.

Officials said that Abigail Villalobos had attempted to pass herself off as a Spaniard after she was arrested for her viral stunt, but it has since been determined that she is actually from Mexico.

Villalobos was detained for about 30 minutes at the Tinum police station Monday, fined the equivalent of $260 and then released, according to reporting by the Mexican news outlet Golfo Pacifico.

Villalobos sparked outrage when she flouted rules prohibiting visitors from scaling the 98-foot Mayan Temple of Kukulcán, which was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World by UNESCO in 2007.

She was seen in TikTok videos dancing on the steps at the top of the pyramid and entering the temple, before descending to the sounds of loud jeers from a crowd of visitors.

Furious onlookers hurled profanities at the rule-breaker, calling her an “a–hole” and an “idiot” in Spanish, and demanding that she be jailed.

Some particularly offended witnesses went so far as to spray Villalobos with water, knock the hat off her head and pull on her blonde locks as she was being led away by officials with the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The viral stunt has earned the clueless culprit the mocking moniker “Lady Chichén Itzá” on social media sites.

The Mayan pyramid, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, has been off-limits to visitors since 2008 for preservation purposes.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History said Monday that the temple, also known as El Castillo, has not been harmed.

Penalties established by Mexico’s Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas for accessing the site without authorization range anywhere from $2,500 to more than $5,000.

The step pyramid was built by the Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD to serve as a temple to the Feathered Serpent deity Kukulcán.

In 2021, a woman from Tijuana, Mexico, was fined for climbing the same pyramid while allegedly intoxicated.

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Tourist booed and mobbed after scaling ancient pyramid in Mexico

The blonde woman was filmed scaling up the 91 steps from a distance despite the public being prohibited from climbing the 79ft step-pyramid at the Chichen Itza archaeological site.

Tuesday 22 November 2022 19:35, UK

A tourist has gone viral after a TikTok video captured her trespassing up the ancient Mayan Temple of Kukulcan in Mexico and a crowd of locals booing her in the process.

The blonde woman was filmed scaling up the 91 steps from a distance despite the public being prohibited from climbing the 79ft structure at the Chichen Itza archaeological site.

She was seen posing and dancing on top of the pyramid, known as El Castillo, before she was ushered down by a security guard into the angry mob.

A closer clip showed her reaching the top where she appeared to go inside the monument before giving another wave and dance.

Furious locals were filmed pulling her hair, shoving her and drenching her with bottles of water as she made her way through the crowd.

Some were heard shouting "Out", "Lock her up" and "Jail!"

TikToker Angela Lopeze posted the footage with the caption: "This is why you don't disrespect historic Mayan Pyramids."

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Another person who filmed the incident said the act showed "a lack of respect."

El Castillo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the public has been banned from climbing it since 2008.

It was built by the pre-Columbian Maya civilisation sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD and served as a temple to the deity of Kukuclan.

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Video: Tourist mobbed after climbing sacred Mayan pyramid in Mexico

Tourist mobbed after scaling world-famous mayan pyramid.

A tourist was booed and doused with water after climbing the protected Mayan monument known as El Castillo, or Pyramid of Kukulcan, at the archeological site of Chichen-Itza in Yucatan, Mexico, on November 20.

There's always that one person on vacation. 

A recent video has gone viral showing a tourist climbing a sacred and protected Mayan monument prompting an angry crowd to confront her with boos and water being thrown at her. 

The woman was recorded climbing the Pyramid of Kukulcan at the archeological site of Chichen-Itza in Yucatan, Mexico, on November 20. 

Thomas Calderon live - streamed video showing the tourist, in bright-red pants, climbing to the top of the ancient structure. She then makes her descent into an angry crowd. In the caption, he wrote [translated], "Woman climbs the pyramid in Chichen-Itza is booed, beaten, and detained by the authorities."

As the woman climbs up and down the pyramid, a crowd starts videotaping her actions as onlookers begin to boo her and throw insults her way. 

Another video captured by Calderon shows the woman pushing her way through a crowd of angry people some of them who appear to be grabbing at her.

Climbing the pyramid has been banned since 2008 amid preservation concerns, and the Congress of the United Mexican States established hefty fines for such acts in The Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas.

Local news outlets reported the tourist was detained "and taken to the nearby town of Piste for questioning."

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Tourist mobbed by onlookers after climbing ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico

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A tourist was mobbed by onlookers after she was accused of disrespecting Mayan culture by climbing El Castillo, a step-pyramid in Mexico.

In a recent video posted on TikTok by @angelalopeze, that has since circulated on social media, an unidentified woman could be seen climbing the steps of the historical monument, which is known as the Temple of Kukulcán. The pyramid lies in the centre of the Chichen Itza , an archaeological site in Yucatán.

Once the woman made it to the top of the pyramid, she took her hat off and started to dance, prompting a crowd of onlookers standing at the base of the monument to boo. After she’d descended the pyramid, the tourist was reportedly escorted away by security at the archaeological site, while the TikTok video showed onlookers continuing to yell and taunt the woman.

The clip then showed as the tourist attempted to make her way through the crowd of people, during which onlookers could be seen filming her exit and throwing liquids. The woman’s hat was also knocked off by one of the individuals in the crowd, while others could be heard chanting “lock her up” and “jail, jail,” in Spanish.

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In the caption of the video, @angelalopeze criticised the tourist, writing: “This is so disrespectful..don’t mess with my Mexican people.”

The viral video has now been reshared on multiple social media platforms , prompting viewers to condemn the tourist for disrespecting Mayan culture and disobeying the monument’s rules. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) bans visitors from climbing into Chichen Itza’s chambers. As noted by the archaeological spot’s official website , the ban was put in place after an 80-year-old American woman climbed the 91 steps of El Castillo and fell to her death in January 2006.

“It’s about respect for: Old structure, the rules and order established by the people who try to preserve the place [and] culture,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“I visited here. They made it CLEAR that climbing is prohibited because, not only were people abusing the privilege to walk on them, but they would chip off pieces of the structure and take fragments home…or engrave marks in it,” another said. “People have no respect with or without the rule.”

A third added: “Imagine if someone climbed up on the altar in a cathedral and did a rude dance - this pyramid is sacred and that’s what she did.”

The Riviera Maya News reported that the woman was escorted through the mob of angry onlookers by two INAH personnel. The publication also said that she was “arrested by ​​Tinum Municipal Police and fined in accordance with Article 55 of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments”.

According to MercoPress , the INAH banned climbing on the Mayan monument in 2008, which is when the security cord around it was first installed. Visitors who break the rule can face fines up to 50,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $2,558) to 100,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $5,115), depending on how much damage is caused to the structure.

In a statement shared with The Independent , and translated to English using Google Translate, the INAH said the tourist did not cause any damage to the El Castillo.

“The reasons why it is not allowed to climb the pyramidal structures were explained to the person and they were made available to the Secretariat of Public Security of the State of Yucatan, where it will comply with the corresponding administrative sanctions,” the statement reads.

“The Ministry of Culture and the INAH call on the general public to respect the provisions established for public visits to archaeological zones and historical sites, which are determined to guarantee an enjoyable and safe experience for attendees and staff, as well as and to guarantee the conservation of heritage sites,” the INAH concluded.

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Tourist mobbed after climbing ‘sacred’ Mayan pyramid in Mexico

The Mayan pyramids are famed for their hieroglyphs depicting myths and scenes of ritualistic sacrifice.

The temple of Kukulcán in Mexico became a site of ritualistic humiliation after a tourist was doused with water and booed for scaling the sacred monument. Climbing the steps of the 79ft structure at the Chichen Itza archaeological site is prohibited.

In a video which has been viewed more than three and a half million times on TikTok, a woman is seen posing at the top of the pyramid, also known as El Castillo, before a man appears to beckon her away.

The tourist, who may have misunderstood angry cries as cheers, danced and waved her hat at onlookers below as she made her way back down — only to

Related articles

Tourist booed, doused with water after climbing stairs at protected Mayan pyramid in Mexico

In Mexico, a dumb tourist stunt prompted a very angry reaction.

People can be heard shouting "idiot" and other insults in Spanish as they doused the tourist in water.

This was at an ancient Mayan archaeological site known as El Castillo.

The pyramid is a protected monument, and climbing it has been forbidden since 2008.

For some reason the woman climbed it anyway.

When she got down, she was greeted with boos.

According to local news outlets, she was also detained by police who took her in for questioning.

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Tourist mobbed by onlookers after climbing ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico

A tourist was mobbed by onlookers after she was accused of disrespecting Mayan culture by climbing El Castillo, a step-pyramid in Mexico.

In a recent video posted on TikTok by @angelalopeze, that has since circulated on social media, an unidentified woman could be seen climbing the steps of the historical monument, which is known as the Temple of Kukulcán. The pyramid lies in the centre of the Chichen Itza , an archaeological site in Yucatán.

Once the woman made it to the top of the pyramid, she took her hat off and started to dance, prompting a crowd of onlookers standing at the base of the monument to boo. After she’d descended the pyramid, the tourist was reportedly escorted away by security at the archaeological site, while the TikTok video showed onlookers continuing to yell and taunt the woman.

The clip then showed as the tourist attempted to make her way through the crowd of people, during which onlookers could be seen filming her exit and throwing liquids. The woman’s hat was also knocked off by one of the individuals in the crowd, while others could be heard chanting “lock her up” and “jail, jail,” in Spanish.

In the caption of the video, @angelalopeze criticised the tourist, writing: “This is so disrespectful..don’t mess with my Mexican people.”

The viral video has now been reshared on multiple social media platforms , prompting viewers to condemn the tourist for disrespecting Mayan culture and disobeying the monument’s rules. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) bans visitors from climbing into Chichen Itza’s chambers. As noted by the archaeological spot’s official website , the ban was put in place after an 80-year-old American woman climbed the 91 steps of El Castillo and fell to her death in January 2006.

“It’s about respect for: Old structure, the rules and order established by the people who try to preserve the place [and] culture,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“I visited here. They made it CLEAR that climbing is prohibited because, not only were people abusing the privilege to walk on them, but they would chip off pieces of the structure and take fragments home…or engrave marks in it,” another said. “People have no respect with or without the rule.”

A third added: “Imagine if someone climbed up on the altar in a cathedral and did a rude dance - this pyramid is sacred and that’s what she did.”

@angelalopeze this is so disrespectful… don’t mess with my Mexican people 🇲🇽 #chichenitza #disrespectful #mayanpyramid #vacation #crazy #viral ♬ original sound - ang

The Riviera Maya News reported that the woman was escorted through the mob of angry onlookers by two INAH personnel. The publication also said that she was “arrested by ​​Tinum Municipal Police and fined in accordance with Article 55 of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments”.

According to MercoPress , the INAH banned climbing on the Mayan monument in 2008, which is when the security cord around it was first installed. Visitors who break the rule can face fines up to 50,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $2,558) to 100,000 Mexican pesos (approximately $5,115), depending on how much damage is caused to the structure.

In a statement shared with The Independent , and translated to English using Google Translate, the INAH said the tourist did not cause any damage to the El Castillo.

“The reasons why it is not allowed to climb the pyramidal structures were explained to the person and they were made available to the Secretariat of Public Security of the State of Yucatan, where it will comply with the corresponding administrative sanctions,” the statement reads.

“The Ministry of Culture and the INAH call on the general public to respect the provisions established for public visits to archaeological zones and historical sites, which are determined to guarantee an enjoyable and safe experience for attendees and staff, as well as and to guarantee the conservation of heritage sites,” the INAH concluded.

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Mexico tourist whacked with stick, heckled after illegally climbing sacred Mayan pyramid

The polish tourist was reportedly arrested and fined over the incident.

Mexico tourist whacked with stick and heckled after climbing sacred pyramid

A tourist from Poland was reportedly detained and fined after climbing the steps of a sacred temple at Mexico’s Chichén Itzá archaeological site. (Daniel Fretwell via Storyful)

A tourist was captured on video being beaten with a stick by a bystander after climbing up a sacred temple in Mexico .

The incident played out over the weekend at the Chichén Itzá archaeological site on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a popular tourist attraction, and involved an unidentified tourist from Poland running up the steps of the pyramid of Kukulkan, which is a move frowned upon by locals, The Independent reported .

In the videos from the scene, which went viral on social media, the tourist can be seen being led away from the pyramid by two Mexican officials and then beaten with a stick by a bystander.

 "Are you stupid?" an onlooker shouted at the tourist.

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A tourist in Mexico was arrested and fined after climbing up the steps of a sacred pyramid. (Daniel Fretwell via Storyful)

The Polish man was reportedly arrested and held for 12 hours before being released.

The director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) told Mexico Daily Post that the tourist was fined 5,000 pesos ($263) for the incident.

"Tourists must respect the security measures of the INAH in the archeological zone to preserve the cultural heritage of Mexico, take care of other visitors and enjoy that Mayan legacy," INAH Director José Arturo Chab Cárdenas said.

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Tourists visit the Temple of Kukulcan in the Chichén Itzá archeological site in Yucatan, Mexico, on Dec. 8, 2022. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A similar incident unfolded in November when a tourist was mobbed by bystanders and pelted with water for climbing the same pyramid, Fox Tampa Bay reported .

Climbing the sacred site has been banned since 2008 due to efforts by the Mexican government to preserve the Mayan pyramids.  

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People surround the Kukulcan Pyramid at the Mayan archaeological site of Chichén Itzá in Yucatan State, Mexico, during the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21, 2022. (HUGO BORGES/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to National Institute of Anthropology and History for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

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WATCH: Tourist Disrespects Mayan Pyramid by Climbing It — & the Crowd Wasn’t Having It

The boos came raining down on a tourist who decided she would climb a structure at a Mayan sacred site known as the Chichén Itzá pyramid.

A disrespectful tourist climbs an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico and gets booed pic.twitter.com/ZMAnwf0Euo — Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) November 21, 2022

Located in the Tinúm Municipality in Mexico , Chichén Itzá was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007.

From the video taken of the incident, it looks like the tourist walked up the steps of Templo de Kukulcán as other visitors of the ancient Mayan ruins shot video of what many considered a disrespectful stunt. Once at the top, the woman raised her hands and started to dance.

Lady Chichén Itzá: Una turista extranjera estuvo a punto de ser linchada por otros turistas y visitantes de la zona arqueológica, por subirse al castillo principal sin permiso de las autoridades. 📹Video: Especial pic.twitter.com/n0gtfSN7Tk — El Universal (@El_Universal_Mx) November 21, 2022

Once her feet hit the ground again, the other visitors expressed their anger. Along with booing her and recording her actions, the crowd surrounded the tourist and began to call her names like “stupid” and “idiot.” They even started dousing her with water from their plastic water bottles. One woman went as far as grabbing the tourist’s blonde hair and yanking it.

Shame on this lady. The structures at Chichén Itzá are off-limits to foot traffic for years now due to stress/saturation from all the bus-loads of tourists from Cancún. This is the Templo de Kukulkán, or El Castillo. (I climbed it when it was still open, in 2002.) https://t.co/wCzlkvM2GM — Daniel Hernandez ✍🏽🌞 (@longdrivesouth) November 21, 2022

Other people online shared the same annoyance about what occurred at the pyramid. “Shame on this lady,” one Twitter user posted. “The structures at Chichén Itzá are off-limits to foot traffic for years now due to stress/saturation from all the busloads of tourists from Cancún.”

Some believed that although the woman was wrong for climbing the structure, there was no excuse for the violence against her. “The tourist is bad, but nothing justifies the violence of the crowd.”

Mal la turista pero nada justifica la violencia de la muchedumbre. — Tere Lagos ®  (@terelagos) November 22, 2022

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7 of the best Maya ruins to visit in Mexico

Remnants of ancient civilisations still stand across Central America — and well-preserved temples and jungle-cloaked pyramids are open to visitors across southern Mexico.

Before the Spanish colonised Central America in the 16th century, the ancient Maya were one of the most sophisticated civilisations in the Western Hemisphere. They developed a complex calendar system through their knowledge of astrology and mathematics, used intricate hieroglyphics to record their history and built large, lavishly decorated cities, complete with pyramids, temples, and plazas.

At its height, the ancient Maya civilisation comprised 40 cities across Central America, spanning southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua. In the southern Mexican states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Chiapas, many of these settlements — the largest housed up to 50,000 people — still stand today, offering visitors a unique insight into the social, cultural and religious lives of the ancient Maya.

From carefully reconstructed sites like Chichen Itza to the wild, jungle-clad pyramids and ceremonial temples of Calakmul, these are the ancient Maya ruins not to miss in southern Mexico.

1. Chichen Itza

Named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, the beautifully preserved Chichen Itza in Yucatán is Mexico’s most famous Maya ruin. Despite the crowds, few are disappointed with El Castillo — a carefully restored pyramid that rises up 80ft and has 365 steps — or the city’s tlachtli , the largest Maya ball court in the Americas.

Occupied until the 16th century, Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited by the Maya and the only one built by the coast. The pyramids here aren’t as large as other Maya ruins in Mexico, but the setting, on 40ft-high cliffs above turquoise Caribbean waters south of Cancun, more than makes up for it.

Home to the tallest pyramid in the state of Quintana Roo, Cobá was once one of the most important Maya cities in Yucatán. Located around 30 miles west of Tulum ruins, the city was built in around 600 CE and it eventually grew to 50,000 inhabitants. Though much of Cobá has yet to be excavated, travellers can climb the 138ft-high Nohoch Mul — a pyramid that offers sweeping views over the Yucatán jungle. Cobá is also known for its sophisticated sacbe,   or ‘white road’2,   network —   limestone pathways that connect the city to neighbouring settlements.

4. Palenque

Deep in the jungles of northeastern Chiapas state in southern Mexico lies Palenque , a Late Classic Maya city known for its detailed hieroglyphic inscriptions and sculpted reliefs. These highly sophisticated designs have helped archaeologists understand more of the ancient Maya's history, mythology and calendar systems.

5. Calakmul

Cloaked by the second-largest expanse of tropical forests in the Americas, in Campeche’s Calakmul Biosphere Reserve near the border with Guatemala, Calakmul is one of Mexico’s wildest Maya ruins. It has the largest and tallest pyramid in Yucatán and more than 6,000 structures, many of them covered by jungle. The site is particularly beautiful at sunrise, when the surrounding jungle comes alive with birdsong, howler monkeys and, if you’re lucky, the roar of a jaguar.

6. Ek Balam

Around 25 miles north of the Yucatán city of Valladolid is Ek Balam , which means ‘black jaguar’ or ‘jaguar star’ in the Yucatec Maya language. The city reached its height in the eight century, when more than 20,000 people lived here. Its largest pyramid is 160 metres long and 105ft high, and contains the tomb of Ukit Kan Le´t Tok, the king of Ek Balam between 770 CE and around 797 CE. Archaeologists found the ruler buried with more than 7,000 pieces of jade, bone, ceramic, shell and precious metal, and the outside walls decorated with stone jaguars, winged creatures and human skulls.

A one-hour drive from the Yucatán capital of Merida is this seventh-century Maya city, once large enough to house 25,000 inhabitants. The Uxmal ruins are part of the Ruta Puuc, a 25-mile road network that connects Uxmal with the archaeological sites of Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak, Labná, Oxkintok, Grutas de Calcehtok and Grutas de Loltún.

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Angry mob ‘calls for tourist to be sacrificed' after she climbs ancient Mayan pyramid

She danced on top of the pyramid, despite the booing crowd.

Emma Guinness

It's an unspoken rule that tourists should be respectful when visiting sites of historical and cultural importance.

However, people can and often do overstep the mark, and one woman learned this hard way that this can have serious consequences when she climbed a Mayan pyramid :

In now viral footage posted on TikTok, the woman could be seen climbing the ancient structure - known as the Castillo de Kukulcán, one of the new seven wonders of the modern world - despite being booed by onlookers.

While this should have been a sign to stop what she was doing immediately, she did not and brazenly continued to pose at the top of the pyramid located in Chichén Itzá, southeastern Mexico , and even stopped to dance.

By the time she reached the bottom, an angry mob was waiting for her and were calling for her 'sacrifice' as a punishment.

As reported by the Merco Press, the crowd was chanting 'jail, jail, jail', 'lock her up' and 'sacrifice, sacrifice', 'because this woman does not respect the rules'.

This wasn't just any mob, either, and the video briefly takes the sheer size of it into account. To put it into context, there have been popular rock concerts with fewer people in attendance.

The woman is then sprayed with water as she tries to leave the historic site as the boos continue.

Climbing of the pyramid has been banned since 2008 by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

In a bid to deter people from doing so, there is also a fine that ranges from $2,558 to $5,115 USD, which is calculated based on the amount of damage caused to the pyramid.

While the woman's ethnicity is not known, the crowd added in their chants 'if she is from abroad, she should leave Mexico'.

Needless to say, social media commentators had a lot to say about the woman's actions, with one writing: "Please tell me she is not an American."

"Imagine someone from Mexico doing anything anywhere near this disrespectful to an American monument," speculated a second. "Every media outlet would be running the video continuously for weeks. But when Americans do it to a Mexican monument, it's not news."

"The crowd yelling 'jail, jail, jail!' makes me feel better about society seeing these acts as egregious rather than applaudable," added a third.

A fourth, meanwhile, said that the woman got off lightly compared to what the Myan people allegedly used to do to their enemies.

"The Mayans used to cut the heads of their enemies and roll them down those same pyramids," they wrote. "I'd say they're being nice."

In case it wasn't already obvious, tourists are banned from climbing these structures so that they can be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Topics:  World News , TikTok

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Maya Pyramids & Temples of Yucatan

Tour Dates: January 2025 in the planning stages (9 days)

Tour Leader(s): Jeff Karl Kowalski ,

This tour is in the planning stages for a January 2025 departure. For more information, and to be notified in advance when the tour brochure is ready, call 800-748-6262 or email [email protected] .

This exciting, nine-day holiday provides the best-paced itinerary available to see the sun-drenched Yucatan peninsula’s ancient sites, traditional Maya villages, and colonial architecture. Maya art and architecture abound, with visits to Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam, Uxmal, Dzibilchaltun, and more: iconic as well as off-the-beaten-path sites with soaring pyramids, distinctive temple complexes, and wonderful sculpture. There is free time to bird watch, shop for crafts, or relax, reflect, and enjoy our excellent accommodations. Enjoy two luxurious nights at the Mayaland Hotel (next to Chichén Itzá) and three at the Hacienda Uxmal (next to Uxmal).

Maximum of just 12 guests.

Tour Prices per person (8 nights) TBA

For more information or questions, please email us at  [email protected] (and include your full name) or call us toll-free at (800) 748-6262 (toll: 603-756-2884).

Black spiny tailed iguana at Chichen Itzá © Ken Thomas

Great Museum of the Maya World © J. Magno

Uxmal © Art Enyedy

Bonampak site © Art Enyedy

Ek Balam Pyramid © Art Enyedy

Day 1: Depart the U.S. on flights to Merida, Mexico Day 2: Merida: City tour, The Great Museum of the Maya World | PM at leisure | Welcome dinner Day 3: Ek Balam | Chichén Itzá | PM at leisure Day 4: Chichén Itzá | PM at leisure Day 5: Izamal Convent | Kinich Kakmo | Uxmal Day 6: Uxmal Day 7: Labna | Kaxil Kiuic | Umal Day 8: Dzibilchaltun | Progreso | Merida | PM at leisure | Farewell dinner Day 9: Fly home

View Detailed Itinerary

For reservations or questions, please email us at  [email protected] (and include your full name) or call us toll-free at (800) 748-6262 (toll: 603-756-2884). To reserve your space using the online form, click here.

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15 Facts About Chichen Itza, One Of The 7 Wonders Of The World

• Chichen Itza is a top cruise attraction, with many tourists visiting from nearby ports on organized tours.
• Local vendors sell goods near Chichen Itza, although tourists should be prepared for potential persistence.
• Chichen Itza was discovered twice and was used as an observatory by the Mayans. It is being restored and may have been used for sacrifices.

Chichen Itza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and is a historic site situated in Yucatán, Mexico. While most people realize that Chichen Itza was built by the Mayans thousands of years ago, there are many things tourists don't realize about this marvelous attraction. There are many interesting facts about Chichen Itza that everyone should know before visiting.

Chichen Itza refers to an archeological site, not the pyramid within it, which is the site's most popular tourist attraction. The pyramid itself was built to serve as a temple and a castle and is known as El Castillo - there are a lot more facts about Chichen Itza that you may want to know about both the site and the pyramid before you visit.

UPDATE: 2023/10/26 16:37 EST BY NOAH STAATS

There Is Much More To Understand When Coming To See Chichen Itza

This article has been updated with new information regarding Chichen Itza, as well as two lesser-known facts about this world-famous monument. Whether someone is coming from their cruise, shopping with locals, or wanting to learn more about this iconic structure, Mexico is filled to the brim with history and Mayan culture!

Chichen Itza Is One Of The Most Visited Cruise Attractions

• Cruise passengers account for much of the tourism at Chichen Itza.

Something to know about Chichen Itza in Mexico is that it brings most of its tourists from cruise ships porting in nearby areas. Cozumel is a landing point for many cruisers, with them hopping on a bus to witness the ancient Mayan structure in real-time. For this reason, people will almost always have the option of booking a tour of the site via their cruise company, as it's continuously one of the most in-demand choices among people coming to the country. From water to Chichen Itza!

Guachimontones is another prehistoric site in Mexico worth checking out for anyone with time to spare on the mainland.

Related: The Longest Bike Trail In The World Spans All The Way From Canada To Mexico

There Are Locals Selling Goods Near The Famous Monument

• Local vendors line the streets entering Chichen Itza.

Although this sometimes doesn't sit well with tourists, there are hoards of vendors selling goods just hundreds of feet from Chichen Itza. Most people are fairly calm about selling to tourists, although it has been reported vendors bombarding buses filled with guests in the area, as well as flagging them down at the monument. It's best to say no thanks and move on from the area if this persists. Or, if you want a handcrafted gift, then supporting vendors is a great idea: whatever makes everyone feel most comfortable.

It Was Discovered Twice

• Chichen Itza underwent two major discoveries, one in 514 AD and another in 1841.

One thing most people do not know about Chichen Itza is that it was discovered twice. In 514 AD, a priest by the name of Lakin Chan discovered the site that is known as Chichen Itza. It is believed that Chan was also referred to as Itzamna. Chichen Itza translates as “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.” Over the years following its abandonment, Chichen Itza was lost, and Mexico fell into turmoil and was ravaged by a series of wars. In 1841, American Explorer John Lloyd Stephens stumbled upon this site once again and turned it over to Mexico.

Related: Mayapan: Visit One Of The Yucatan's Most Stunning But Rarely Visited Mayan Sites

It Was Used As An Observatory

• At one point, Chichen Itza was used as an observatory.

The Chichen Itza is a marvelous site due to its rich architecture and historical value, but it also houses evidence that the Mayans were definitely ahead of their time. For starters, the Chichen Itza housed craftspeople, artisans, and scholars and was by no means a civilization of simple people. The Mayans were people of science and math and especially excelled in the field of astronomy. For this reason, tourists can visit the Mayan observatory known as El Caracol, which once was used by the Mayans to gaze into the heavens and study the motions of Venus.

It's Built With Diverse Materials

• The pyramids of Chichen Itza have been made with local materials, such as mica.

The pyramids of Chichen Itza have been a popular attraction for ages, but now they are being questioned, or rather, the method in which they were built. Historians have analyzed the buildings and structures located within this site and have found a variety of diverse materials that do not originate locally in Yucatan, Mexico . One of these materials is mica, which was used by the Mayans during construction to insulate their buildings, but there is one problem. Mica is found 2,000 miles away from the pyramids in Brazil, and scientists are baffled as to how it was transported without vehicles.

It Was Built Near Sinkholes

• This structure was built near sinkholes, often believed to be used for human sacrifice.

Another thing most people do not know about Chichen Itza is that it was built near sinkholes. While your first reaction to reading that might be confusion or worry, there was a very good reason for the Mayans establishing their community near two sinkholes. The area is generally spotted with numerous sinkholes in the limestone earth and is stable. They actually provided the only source of freshwater to the people of the area as there are no rivers or lakes nearby. Therefore, Chichen Itza was built near two massive sinkholes to ensure water availability year-round. These sinkholes are called cenotes and have clean water in them ( cenotes are also one of the top tourist attractions of the Yucatán Peninsula ).

It Is Being Restored

• Many restoration projects have kept Chichen Itza looking beautiful after all these years.

One thing most people find surprising about the buildings in Chichen Itza, particularly El Castillo, is the incredible condition it is in after all these centuries. This is due to the restoration projects headed by the Mexican government and some universities to ensure these structures stand the test of time.

Restoration efforts began in 1923 when Sylvanus Morley, an archaeologist, headed an expedition to the pyramid and realized it had suffered a great deal of decay. After gaining entrance to the pyramid, restoration efforts were started and continue to this day; due to this, El Castillo is stronger than ever.

It May Have Been Used For Sacrifices

• Many believe that sinkholes surrounding Chichen Itza were used for sacrifices during times of heartache.

Next up on this list is a morbid fact about Chichen Itza, which is not entirely butterflies and rainbows. The Mayans were peaceful and smart people but also believed in curses and sacrifice to the gods they worshiped. The sinkholes mentioned above were frequently used for sacrifices during times of adversity, such as a drought or famine. The Mayans would choose a person to be sacrificed to the gods in hopes that this would bring them luck. In addition to sacrifices, the Mayans were also big fans of death penalties, which were gruesome and publicized to maintain order and spread fear.

It Isn't Entirely Mayan

• The Chichen Itza was built in two stages: the pre-Classic and the latter period.

Next up is a fact that startles most people when they hear it, and it truly is shocking. Historians suggest that this famous Mayan community may not have been entirely Mayan, and that is true. The Chechen Itza was built in two stages, the pre-Classic and the latter period. The pre-Classic period was greatly influenced by the Mayans, but following an invasion of Toltecs in the 10th century, this all changed. As a matter of fact, the most iconic buildings of Chichen Itza, such as the Temple Pyramid El Castillo, may have been built by the Toltecs and not the Mayans.

There Are Smaller Pyramids Within

• There is a smaller pyramid cluster hiding below the El Castillo.

Another fact to know about Chichen Itza is that while the huge pyramid of El Castillo looms at a whopping 98 feet , it is, in fact, hiding something beneath it. Within the pyramid are two smaller pyramids that stand at 65.5 feet and 33 feet. The smallest of the three pyramids is believed to have been built by the Mayans, as it features a unique Colombian-style architecture style. In contrast, the other pyramids have Mexican influences in them. Scientists are studying the smaller pyramid to learn more about the ways of the Mayans, as the ways of the Toltecs are shown on El Castillo with its carvings and sculptures.

Related: This Forgotten City Has The Tallest Mayan Pyramid (& Its Not Chichen Itza)

There Was A Death At The Itza

• Tourists in modern times are not permitted to climb or even touch Chichen Itza.

Tourists at the Chichen Itza are frequently disappointed to know that they cannot climb to the top of the pyramid, and here is why. Until 2006 , tourists were allowed to climb to the top of El Castillo to gaze upon the sculptures at the top. That was until an American tourist stumbled on her way down and fell to her death. These accidents are increasingly common, and for this reason, the steps of El Castillo are restricted. In addition to providing an added layer of safety to tourists, this ensures the structure will not be damaged by the feet of hundreds of thousands of tourists climbing the steps.

That said, this Mayan pyramid in Mexico DOES allow climbing , so that's something to think about.

Chichen Itza's Glory Declined Mysteriously

• The Mayans are said to have vanished sometime around the 14th century.

This once great empire met its sudden doom when the Mayans who once inhabited this land mysteriously left in the 14th century and never returned to it once again. The Chichen Itza was a symbol of perseverance and power to the Mayans, who had moved around, ravaged by warfare until settling in the Itza. Their civilization was one of the most advanced of its time. Still, it met its sudden end due to a series of issues, such as drought and famine. After the fall of Chichen Itza, the Mayans persevered in the North till the 16th century.

Chichen Itza Has The Largest Mayan Ballcourt

• Chichen Itza is home to the largest Ballcourt known in Mesoamerica.

Much is not known about the Mayan Ballgame, but it would seem that for the Mayans, the game was more ritual in nature. The game was associated with human sacrifice, and the exact rules remain unknown (except it would seem players could only use their hips and thighs. Chichen Itza is home to the largest Ballcourt known in Mesoamerica .

Chichen Itza Has A Sacrificial Cenote

• There is a sacred cenote at Chichen Itza, where sacrifices occur.

At Chichen Itza, visitors can find the Sacred Cenote . It is an ancient sinkhole that the Mayans believed was sacred. Numerous artifacts have been discovered at the bottom of this cenote, including things associated with sacrifice, like gold, jade, incense, and human bones. The human skeletons include warriors, children, and maidens. Also, at Chichen Itza, visitors can see the Mayan baths where sacrificial victims were ritually cleaned before their sacrifice.

Chichen Itza Is One Of The Most Touristic Mayan Sites

• Chichen Itza remains one of the most popular Mayan sites in the world.

Chichen Itza is not only one of the most popular archeological sites in Mexico, but it is also likely the most popular Mayan archeological site in all of the ancient Mayan world. It is far from the only ancient Mayan city to have impressive ruins. Still, it is one of the most accessible and best known, and it benefits from being in Mexico (Tikal is remote in the jungle in Guatemala). Chichen Itza attracts around 2 million tourists every year.

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The Maya Train Will Get You to All of Yucatán’s Best Spots. But Not Yet.

In December, the train began running on its first route through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. On a five-day journey a few months later, the author encountered enthusiasm, and scheduling hiccups.

By Elisabeth Malkin

Elisabeth Malkin has been visiting the Yucatán Peninsula for three decades.

I stepped off the platform at the gleaming new Maxcanú train station, eager to see the magnificent Maya archaeological site of Uxmal. All I needed was a taxi to take me there, a trip of about 30 miles away.

There are no taxis, said the stationmaster, as we stood on the polished limestone floors of the high-ceilinged station, which was cool and breezy despite the brilliant late-morning sun outside. And I was the third person in two weeks to get off at Maxcanú expecting to reach Uxmal, he said.

I was midway through a five-day trip to explore the brand-new Maya Train and several of its destinations in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico . Designed to run 965 miles (1,554 kilometers) around a loop of 34 stations when completed, the train will whisk passengers in cool comfort through colonial cities, archaeological sites, splashy resorts and tropical forests.

Now I was stunned. Wrangling a taxi has never been a problem in Mexico. But the drivers gathered in the main square of Maxcanú offered only beat-up vans that hopscotch through small towns, where I might or might not find a taxi to Uxmal. The next van was leaving in 45 minutes.

Yucatán’s layers of history have long held me spellbound. During earlier car trips, I have clambered up deserted Maya temples and palaces, stepped into the cool naves of massive 16th-century churches and visited restored haciendas, testaments of the ostentation — and hardship — of the peninsula’s 19th-century plantation economy. Traveling by train, I thought, would allow me to steep myself in more of that history.

But as I found in Maxcanú, a train won’t necessarily get you to where you want to go.

During my February trip, I traveled on the only route then available, an east-west leg that opened in December and runs from Cancún to Mérida, and then south through the port city of Campeche to the Maya site of Palenque (a short route between Cancún and Playa del Carmen opened last month, with three trains a day). I encountered scheduling confusion, unfinished stations and a dearth of trains — just two operating daily each way between Cancún and Campeche, and only one to Palenque. Overnight sleepers and special dining trains seem years away.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador considers the Maya Train his showcase development project, and wants to inaugurate the rest of the train before he leaves office on October 1. Based on my experience, that goal seems elusive.

A $29-billion route through the jungle

I started my journey in Cancún, where in the pre-dawn gloom the station hovered like a glowing spaceship. An attendant scanned the ticket I had bought online and a half-dozen more pointed me toward my tourist-class car, which was about a quarter full. I planned to go to Campeche, about 300 miles away, stopping once each day. At 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) an hour, the train covers the route in about six hours, the same as a car. (When construction is complete, the train’s speed should increase to 160 kilometers an hour.)

The car’s wide windows looked out at a wall of low jungle. The blue-green seats were comfortable and there was ample space between the rows. I bought a very good cappuccino at the snack bar, but declined the plastic-wrapped sandwiches. The rest of the merchandise was fruit cups, milk boxes and junk food.

The train will ultimately cost much more than the $29 billion budgeted so far, and it’s not the first time ambitious planners have alighted on the region. Cancún was once a tiny fishing village, selected half a century ago as a tourist hub. Last year 10 million international tourists flew into its airport, more than the airports of Mexico City, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta combined.

But uncontrolled growth has stressed the Caribbean coast’s fragile environment. The Maya Train, scientists warn , will push those problems south, threatening the area’s water supply, its unique system of underground limestone caves and its vast nature reserves.

Mr. López Obrador has charged ahead, handing the train over to the military , and arguing that it will spread Cancún’s wealth and attract new visitors. Mexico received more than 42 million overseas tourists last year and they spent almost $31 billion .

Local governments see an opportunity. “The train will allow people to disperse throughout the peninsula,” said Michelle Fridman, the tourism secretary for Yucatán state, which promotes dozens of attractions far beyond highlights like Mérida and Chichén Itzá .

Now that the train is operating, transport companies will begin to connect stations with lesser-known sites nearby, she said.

It’s fair to ask whether the train is the most effective way to develop the peninsula’s tourism. Tour companies already run trips to many sites from major cities, which are well served by buses. Driving a rental car through most of the area is considered safe , according to U.S. State Department travel guidance .

Route of Mexico’s Maya Train

Canceled trip.

It took two hours (and one time-zone change) to reach Valladolid, a colonial city of handsome streets and ancient churches, where I bought the rest of my tickets at the station. A tourist-class ticket from Cancún to Valladolid costs 472 pesos (around $28) for foreigners and 355 pesos (around $21) for Mexicans. First class, with wider seats, costs 755.50 pesos and 566.50 pesos, and discounts are available for older travelers and residents of the five states along the train’s route. (A first-class bus from downtown Cancún to Valladolid costs between 222 and 344 pesos, depending on the time of day, and takes half an hour longer.)

It was impossible to run the new Maya Train tracks into dense city centers and the Valladolid station, like the rest, was outside the urban core. A waiting bus took disembarking passengers downtown, a 15-minute ride for 35 pesos.

That day I toured Ek Balam , the site of a ninth-century Maya kingdom that is dominated by a 100-foot palace distinguished by a facade of carvings depicting winged warriors, stylized animal features and geometric patterns bordered by giant fangs. Admission to the site includes entry to the X-Canché cenote, one of thousands of limestone sinkholes that were sacred to the Maya.

Later that afternoon, I was wandering through the Museum of Ethnic Clothing, a private collection of traditional dress, embroidery and hats, when a WhatsApp message from the ticket office blinked on my phone. My train scheduled for the following day was canceled.

I decided to deal with the problem in the morning and enjoy the city. As I wandered past the antique shops and boutique hotels of the elegant Calzada de los Frailes, it was clear that Valladolid’s tourism, and the infrastructure to handle it, was well established. The Maya Train is simply an alternative way to reach a city that tourists discovered years ago.

‘We’re on the Tren Maya!’

In the morning, I found that my train had not been canceled, but the station for which I had a ticket, Tixkokob, was closed. I got off instead one stop earlier at Izamal, known for its ocher streets and the giant Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, built atop the ruins of a pyramid.

During the 90-minute ride, I heard widespread enthusiasm among fellow travelers who expressed a willingness to give the train time to work out the kinks. “We’re an experiment,” said Oliva Escobedo Ochoa, 64, who was vacationing from her home in central Mexico.

Leticia Iliassich, 57, who is Mexican, was traveling with her Croatian husband along with relatives from Mexico and Croatia. They had initially been scheduled on an earlier train to Mérida that had been canceled. “We knew that it was a new project,” she said. “We don’t mind.”

The group had already sent a video to friends declaring, “We’re on the Tren Maya!”

At the Izamal station I hitched a 15-minute ride into the town center with a man who had asked me to take his photo alongside the train and his father. From there I negotiated a taxi to Hacienda San Lorenzo Aké, a working hacienda that still turns the fiber from an agave plant called henequén into coarse rope. Global demand for henequén, known as Yucatán’s “green gold,” brought fantastic wealth to the region in the mid-19th century, speckling the peninsula with more than 1,000 haciendas. ( Many are now sumptuous hotels.)

Where geometry, nature and the divine merge

It was during my third day that I found myself stuck in Maxcanú, after a 90-minute train ride from Izamal. The stationmaster, an army captain, offered me a ride to Uxmal, just as he had to the stranded tourists before me.

Eying Uxmal’s 4 p.m. final ticket sale, I accepted.

My situation made it clear just how distant the Maya Train’s promises are for tourists seeking to explore more of Yucatán. In time, that will change, said Ms. Fridman, the tourism secretary. “The idea is to have more hotels along the train line,” she said. “That will happen little by little.”

But Uxmal , among the most stunning of the Maya sites, made up for the inconvenience. Uxmal’s grand buildings are faced with intricate decorative masks as well as friezes in which geometry, nature and the divine merge. New plaques at each structure offer detailed information in English and Spanish, part of the government’s investment in improving displays at Maya sites for the train project.

Most tourists either take day trips by car or bus to Uxmal from Mérida or stay at one of three nearby hotels. As I finished dinner at my hotel, the dining room began to fill up: 47 Polish tourists had arrived.

Panama hats and a cramped van

My plan for the day was to go by taxi to Bécal, a town where Panama hats are woven in limestone caves to keep the fibers soft, and then pick up the afternoon train in nearby Calkiní for the port city of Campeche.

But I spent so much time watching the hat-making demonstration and then fitting my new hat and buying gifts that we set off with little time to reach the station. To my chagrin, I missed the train, the last one of the day.

On Calkiní’s central square, I found a van that was leaving for Campeche. Cost: 65 pesos. Time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes, similar to what I would have spent on the train. Of course, I was trapped in a cramped seat and had to listen to the driver’s choice of sentimental ballads, but I was dropped off in downtown Campeche, close to my hotel.

The next day, I toured the Museum of Maya Archaeology , an expertly curated collection that included haunting jade funeral masks, glyphs and delicate ceramic figures.

José Madrigal, 45, an engineer from Fremont, Calif., was trying to make Maya pottery interesting for his twin sons. The boys had just turned 5 and their birthday present had been a ride on the Maya Train. “They love trains,” Mr. Madrigal said. Then the family moved on, keeping up a brisk clip through the museum. They had another train to catch.

Should you take the train?

Yes, if you are traveling between larger stations. The train also offers a way to get to Palenque, which is harder to reach and has roads with security concerns. Travelers can stow bicycles on board.

To see train times, check the destinations on the website . You cannot buy tickets online more than a week in advance. But when you finally board, the ride is smooth — and the coffee is excellent.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .