Day 32: Visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan - Cenote Ik Kil - Valladolid
Today is the day we are going to visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan, one of the places to visit in Mexico essential and that as expected, we will not miss this trip to Mexico in 45 days.
After asking yesterday on social networks what was the best day for visit Chichen Itza, since we have Friday and Saturday to be able to do it and that 90% of people told us that it is much better to opt for Friday, since Saturday there are usually more people, in addition to organized groups, today has been the day chosen for Enjoy this amazing place.
Breakfast at the Hotel Mesón del Marqués, our accommodation in Valladolid the next three nights starts at 7 in the morning, so we go to the punctual breakfast room for energy and when there are a few minutes to 7:30 in the morning , somewhat later than we anticipated, we set out to visit Chichen Itza, which is approximately 30 minutes from the center of Valladolid and about 50 kilometers.
Breakfast at the Hotel Mesón del Marqués
How to go to Chichen Itza
- Car: This is the way chosen by us since we have a rental car in Mexico since we arrived in Campeche. It gives you total freedom of schedules and movements, so it is one of the best options.
- Organized tour: This is one of the most common ways to visit Chichen Itza. Depending on the origin there are different options.
Visit Chichen Itza from Cancun:
Excursion to Chichen Itza
Excursion to Chichen Itza and Mayan Cenote
Buffet lunch and night show in Chichen Itza
Excursion to Chichen Itza by plane
Offer: Chichen Itza + Xcaret in two days
Offer: Chichen Itza + Tulum in two days
Private tour from Cancun
Visit Chichen Itza from Riviera Maya (Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum):
Excursion to Chichen Itza
Excursion to Chichen Itza and sacred cenote
Buffet lunch and night show in Chichen Itza
Airplane ride and excursion to Chichen Itza
Offer: Chichen Itza + Xcaret in two days
Visit Chichen Itza from Merida:
Chichen Itza excursion
Buffet dinner and night show at Chichen Itza
After practically 15 minutes of queuing at the toll road of the access highway to the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, where we pay 65 pesos, we arrive at the parking lot of Chichen Itza when a few minutes past 8 am, leaving the car in the zone enabled and going directly to the ticket offices to try to access as soon as possible.
Entrance to Chichen Itza
Tips for visiting Chichen Itza in Yucatan
- As we said at the beginning of the post, if your visit coincides with the weekend, it is best to arrive early, to be able to enter at 8 in the morning when they open the archeological site and thus be able to spend almost only time visiting the place .
- Organized groups usually arrive around 10-10: 30 in the morning, so if you enter when they open you make sure you have about two hours of tranquility.
- If you come by car the journey from Valladolid this more or -50 km about 30 40 minutes
- The access road to the archaeological site of Chichen Itza includes a toll and 65 pesos must be paid per car.
- The schedule to visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan is from 8 am to 5 pm.
- If you want to enjoy the night show of light and sound, in summer it starts at 8pm and in winter at 5pm.
- As in the rest of the archaeological sites of Yucatan, the entrance ticket to Chichen Itza consists of two tickets, one for the local government and one for the state government. The total price of both is 202 pesos per person. (Update 2019: We are informed that the price has risen to 480 pesos per person).
- At the ticket office you can pay by card, but if you do so, they will charge you both tickets separately.
- At the entrance to the archaeological site you have different coffee shops and several restaurants, as well as shops and an ATM.
- Do not forget to wear a hat, water and sunscreen since the archaeological site of Chichen Itza is quite large and although there are places where there is shade, most of the route is done under the sun.
- Unlike other archeological sites in Mexico in Chichen Itza you can find, at several points not many, small kiosks in which to buy a soda or snack.
- Although we know that the Pyramid of Kukulcán is the most famous structure and the image of Chichén Itzá, we recommend you not only stay with that image, since Chichén Itzá is much more. We recommend you to discover the entire archaeological site, since at the time you leave the main areas, you can visit being practically alone and the truth is that it is a unique experience.
Visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan
- We had read that an average of 2-3 hours could be used to visit Chichen Itza. According to our experience, if you want to make a complete visit, stopping at the structures and also see it with tranquility, the necessary time is about 4 or 5 hours, depending on the time you are in the sites, so we recommend you book a morning or a late, according to the time you come.
- Something that does not happen in other sites is that you will find many vendors in practically all the paths of the route through the site. From small tables to some stores with more elaborate structures. Even if you come with the idea of buying, we recommend that you first visit and once finished, go shopping. We believe that this is the best way to get to know Chichen Itza.
Souvenirs in Chichen Itza
- As we also mentioned in Palenque, we believe that an exit space dedicated exclusively to stores should be enabled, since seeing the paths of the site completely collapsed in stores, at least for us, takes away the place's magic.
- As in the other archaeological sites, although here something else since it is one of the most visited places in Mexico, we believe it is essential to enjoy the visit with education and respect. If you scream and without getting on the structures in which it is prohibited, in addition to being careful with the times used to take pictures. We must remember that everyone wants to see things, everyone wants to take pictures and if we all manage to do it with respect, the visit we are sure will be much more enjoyable.
More practical information to prepare your trip to Mexico
- The 10 best excursions in Riviera Maya
- The 10 essential places to see in Riviera Maya
- 10 essential things to do in Cancun
- 10 essential places to visit in Mexico
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Mexico
- Best travel insurance for Mexico
- Security in Mexico
What to see in Chichen Itza
Known for being one of the new 7 wonders of the world, in addition to one of the most visited places in Mexico, Chichen Itza is undoubtedly one of the places you can not miss if you are in this area of the country.
Although it is always full of tourists, mostly in the surroundings of the spectacular Pyramid of Kukulcán, its most famous structure and today a symbol of the site, if you move away a little from the most central areas you can enjoy this incredible place, from which you can understand and delve into a unique way in the history of Mexico.
If you arrive by car or public transport to Chichen Itza, a good option to not miss anything and learn about the history of the archaeological site is to book this guided tour in Spanish or this private tour.
Visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan
Pyramid of Kukulcán or El Castillo
The most important and well-known structure of Chichen Itza, in addition to one of the country's postcards, appears as if nothing in sight of the traveler. Without warning. Virtually without giving you time to get the idea that you are approaching one of the most incredible places in the Mayan world.
Kukulcan Pyramid
With 25 meters high, it is its staircase, in which you can see a snake, one of the greatest attractions of the Pyramid of Kukulcán, in addition to its impressive perfect geometry. Until 2006 you could climb the stairs to see the prints, although today this is impossible after a woman fell down the stairs and died.
Kukulcan Pyramid
In addition to the stairs, it is incredible to think how this nine-level pyramid, in turn divided by two by the stairs, perfectly represents a gigantic Mayan calendar that has remained to this day.
Kukulcan Pyramid
We recommend you not only stay with the front part of the Pyramid of Kukulcán, since its rear part, in which the restoration is not so obvious, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular areas in which in addition, there is practically never no one.
Group of the Thousand Columns
Very close to the Pyramid of Kukulcán is in Group of the Thousand Columns, in which you can see an impressive terrace, full of columns that are what give the structure its name.
Group of the Thousand Columns
Group of the Thousand Columns
Great Ball Game
Undoubtedly, the Great Ball Game is one of the most incredible structures of Chichen Itza and Mexico, as it is considered to be the largest that can be seen in the country.
Something to keep in mind is, as in many ball games, the acoustics they have. In this they say that if you clap at one end, the echo has a surprising effect.
Great Ball Game
Barbado Temple
This beautiful structure, the best preserved of those around the Ball Game, also located next to the Pyramid of Kukulcán, owes its name to a composition, which today cannot be seen, which is in its inside.
Inside there is only one room, in which in addition to the bearded man You can see several figures and Kukulcán.
Temple of the Bearded
Skulls Platform
This incredible and large platform owes its name to the impressive reliefs that adorn it in the form of skulls of which it is said, was used to expose the heads of the sacrifices.
Skulls Platform
Platform of the Eagles and the Jaguars
Located right next to the previous one, the Platform of the Eagles and the Jaguars, this platform stands out for the engravings of both animals, which if you notice, carry hearts between their legs.
Platform of the Eagles and the Jaguars
Sacred Cenote
Something away from the main structures is the Sacred Cenote, just over 30 meters deep, which cannot be accessed but can be seen from a viewpoint that surrounds it almost entirely.
Sacred Cenote
The ossuary
This pyramid is another of the most striking structures of Chichen Itza, in which in addition to several exquisite engravings you can admire some reminiscence of the Puuc architecture, which we saw a few days ago on the Puuc Route.
The ossuary
The snail
For us one of the most incredible places of the Chichen Itza site, where you can see a snail-shaped structure in the middle part of the platform.
Although you cannot visit or get too close, we recommend you get as close as possible to get a glimpse of its impressive architecture.
The snail
Building of the Nuns
With spectacular dimensions, this structure receives this name from the Spaniards who associated its form with a convent rather than with the palace it represented.
With exquisite decoration and several rooms, this is one of the mandatory stops at Chichen Itza.
Building of the Nuns
On the back you can see a smaller structure, known as the church, in which beautiful engravings stand out.
Building of the Nuns
Akab-Dzib
This is the oldest building in the area and also the furthest from the central area of Chichen Itza. Although less spectacular than the rest, we recommend you come as it usually receives few visits and its location, among vegetation, makes it really attractive.
Akab-Dzib
We leave you a map with the points to visit in Chichen Itza in Yucatan.
It's 1 noon when we finish the visit to Chichen Itza, although seeing what time it is we decide to make a stop at the Oxtun restaurant, which is right at the entrance of the same archaeological site where we order some tacos of cochinita pibil, a dish of pasta, 2 lemonades and two coffees for 610 pesos.
While it is true that it is more expensive than in other places, the truth is that it has not been as much as we expected and the food is quite good so it is a good option if you are in the archaeological site and then you will go somewhere And you don't want to go back to Valladolid.
After lunch and when it is 2 pm and with a sky already completely cloudy, something that puts the traveling gods On our part we head towards the Ik Kil cenote, one of the most famous in the area, stopping before at the Pemex gas station in Piste, the town next to Chichen Itza where we filled the tank for 625 pesos.
The Ik Kil cenote is only 7 kilometers from Piste, where we arrive when it is 2:30 noon, parking right at the door, next to several coaches that advance and inform us, although silently, that we will not be alone alone inside.
We go straight to the box office, where we pay 80 pesos per person after walking a few meters, passing through the hotel grounds on which the cenote is located, to find us directly with the entrance to this incredible nature formation.
Ik Kil Cenote
There are several recommendations that you have to keep in mind when you come to a cenote of these characteristics and are to take a shower before bathing, bring a towel and flip flops, and most importantly, do not use sunscreen or repellents, so as not to dirty or damage the Environment or water.
To take into account that the Ik Kil cenote can be seen from several different perspectives, all of them highly recommended. From the highest part that is accessed, there is a viewpoint that practically surrounds it completely and from where you have incredible views.
Then you can go down the stairs, where there are three levels from which you can peek at small viewpoints, from which you have the most impressive perspectives and from where you can see the true magnitude of the cenote.
Ik Kil Cenote
We have to say that initially we had the idea that coming to a cenote was only and exclusively for bathing. We did not see very clearly the possibility of coming only to take pictures, but in Ik Kil we have become aware that visiting a cenote is not only for bathing, since in most cases they are so incredible formations, that it deserves as much or more the worth spending some time to enjoy only place and this incredible spectacle of nature.
If you want to enjoy the Ik Kil cenote without people, they recommend coming between 8 and 10 in the morning, when the organized groups have not yet arrived, since these usually come after visiting Chichen Itza.
We are here until 3:15 in the afternoon when we decided to end today's day, which has been most complete, returning to Valladolid where we arrived a few minutes before 4 in the afternoon, to leave the car directly at the parking lot of the Hotel Mesón del Marqués, where after taking a shower and resting for a while, we go back to the streets of Valladolid to enjoy for a couple of hours the atmosphere and the color of this small but charming city of Yucatan, which we will travel Tomorrow afternoon more thoroughly.
Valladolid
Valladolid
And how could it be otherwise, we ended the day with a new dinner at the restaurant El Mesón del Marqués, where we stayed and where today we ordered a guacamole, salmon and salad plus beer, melon water, dessert and coffees for 670 pesos with those of us who finished a perfect day in which we have finally met the magic of Chichen Itza.
We leave you a map of today's route visiting Chichen Itza and the Cenote Ik Kil.
Day 33: Best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán: Xkeken, Samula, Hacienda Selva Maya, Hubiku, Popcorn, Agua Dulce, Xca'anjaltun and Suytun "
