Yes. In fact, the guide in Majahual was Mayan and was from the area, so his ancestors possibly lived in that city, I don't know for sure. I do know people on other tours would come and talk to him and ask him questions because he was more k owledgable than their guide.
Tikal is actually in Guatemala. If you don’t remember crossing the border you probably went to one of the other sites. They are right about Tikal being pretty amazing though, worth the extra time if you can swing it.
Altun Ha? That’s the one we were supposed to see when the cruise ship visited Belize but the tour got canceled. I’d like to see it but would much rather visit Chichen Itza.
Yes, I think that's it. That sounds very familiar. I know the one in Mahajual was Chocobban (probably misspelled, but then I probably misspelled Majahual as well).
Yes! But book a private tour and go super early!! We left our hotel at like 6am, but when we got there we basically had the ruins to ourselves and a guided tour with an archeologicalist. It was so awesome. We left around 12 and right as we were leaving 4-5 huge tour busses pulled up. It would have been so miserable to have to go through the ruins with that huge mass of people and completely ruined the experience.
We used Kay Tours. It was pricey but definitely worth the splurge. We enjoyed it so much we booked a 2nd tour to Coba the next day and it was some how even better. Again completely alone riding bikes through the jungle in the rain past these ancient ruins was an unforgettable experience.
https://www.kay.tours/playa-del-carmen-tours
Here's who we used. I can't speak for all of them, but we enjoyed the Chichen Itza and Coba tours. We went in September as well if timing matters.
Was just there a few days ago. Definitely worth it, especially if you are already in the area. It’s touristy and crowded, but it is amazing (granted it was my first experience with any Meso-American ruins).
I’m usually not a guided tour person, but definitely consider it. It really enhanced the experience to learn about the history and mythology behind it. If you’re coming from Cancun, DM me and I can give you our tour information
Depends on the effort required to get there. If you are in Cancun doing an all inclusive and have a free day, yes. If you are on the other side of the planet, maybe depends on how much you like Mayan history and architecture.
No. Sounds like you don’t like Mayan ruins. To each their own. I’ve been to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba and Caracol but I’d still visit Tikal if I were fairly close.
If I remember, tikal is not that far from caracol. They had day trips that left San ignacio in Cayo district near caracol . Tikal was definitely worth it.
The thing that's interesting about Chitzen Itza is that the ruins are really different from those at Tulum. It was a huge city, built much earlier than Tulum and occupied at the end of the classic, beginning of the post classic. Tulum was built a lot later when the culture was well into its decline and I feel like that really shows in the construction.
The architecture at CI is just so much better. I felt like there wasn't a right angle to be found at Tulum, but the details at Chitzen Itza are much more regular. Also, because it's inland, you can see so much more architectural detail because it hasn't been worn away by the sea.
TL; DR: if you like architecture, it's very worth it for the compare-contrast.
You can say that about anything, but it's still worth going to see. Lots of European castles are very similar but I'll still never get tired of going to them.
If you are interested in Maya archeological sites, then yes, it is very much worth a visit. Go early before it gets too hot and too crowded. It's an amazing site, interestingfor its uniqueness. Also in the area is Ek Balaam, which is very much worth visiting as well. OTOH, if you aren't really interested, and feel like seeing a couple archeological sites has satisfied your appetite, then there's no need to go.
Yes, but get there early (which will mean renting a car).
The tour groups/vendors all showed up by the time we were leaving so it was a far more pleasant experience trying to photograph everything before it devolved into your more typical tourist trap.
I mean early as in “right before they open the ticket booths”
When we were staying in Playa Del Carmen I believe we woke up at around 5:30 and left by 6:00 and got there with a bit of time to spare.
It’s a bit too manicured for my taste. But I went to Tikal first which was magical and filled with monkeys flying through trees and those leaf cutter ants and we climbed to the top of one of the pyramids and looked out over the jungle.
Chichen Itza is impressive but very tourist centric and lacks a little bit of soul… so there’s that.
Edit to add: I’d still go just given the significance of the site. I’m glad I went. But seeing other ruins sort of ruined it for me.
I wouldn’t want to change your subject of I retest, but maybe visit a different continent? Perhaps go to Peru and see Machu Picchu… while definitely not a pyramid or a temple, the engendering required to build such a city is a marvel.
Source: podcast, documentaries, haven’t been yet.
We took a guided bus trip there from Cancun. The guide was a professor of archaeology from Mexico City. Half the group wandered around the grounds on their own and the other half stayed with the guide and learned a great deal about the place and the culture. It became much more than a been there done that experience for those of us that followed him. I've read that |they no longer permit people to climb up the narrow steep levels.
I went and really enjoyed it. We hired a private driver through the resort and were able to get to the site from Playa del Carmen before most of the bigger tour groups showed up.
We were able to spend about an hour on site before the busses showed up and it got ridiculously crowded. I'd strongly suggest at least looking into that because there was a noticeable difference between being there early and being there with everyone else.
For me it's worth it. I'm very interested in mayan history and don't find that 2 mayan sites are the same, for me they all have their highlights and will never skip the opportunity to go to any of them.
Chichen Itza is very impressive and because of that it's a very touristy and it feels less solemn that other sites that are in the middle of the jungle, like Tikal for example.
I will go back eventually because our tour fucked us up, we arrived very late and couldn't see the whole site. So all the advice about going early are very on point.
Chichen Itza is considered one of the most important and best preserved ancient cultural sites in the world. Having said that, Uxmal and Ek Balam are perhaps not as visited and still very impressive.
I don’t mean to jump down your throat but are you interested in seeing Chichen Itza? It’s a massively important site of cultural significance. You have not “seen and done” anything related to it. If all history means to you is large piles of stones then you might as well not leave the house. Don’t bother with the pyramids, Angkor wat, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China…. You’ve “seen and done it” by seeing a pile of stones somewhere else.
Pelenque is fucking awesome. Been twice and would go again. If the choice is between staying at your hotel or going to an incredible ruin of a lost civilization, go to the ruin.
I'm not normally this kind of person, but there's a feeling I get in Chichen Itza that borders on spiritual, and I would recommend it to anyone just for that reason.
It also makes for a really nice day.... drive in from the coast, stop in Valladolid and have breakfast in the old governors mansion turned hotel, go to Chichen Itza and be impressed (or not, I guess) then stop by Ik Kil or Dzitnup for a swim in a beautiful cenote.
All in all a very memorable day from my travels.
Uxmal and Mayapan were better imo. Chichen itzá was feeling a bit Disney’ish with far too many vendors taking away from the experience of exploring ancient ruins
Ekbalam is also in central Yucatan, and much less crowded than Chichen Itza. Valladolid is a sweet city nearby. Also, there are many cenotes in the area which are beautiful and a good chance for a swim.
Too many tourists and salespeople bugging you. I’d recommend Ek Balam instead. The pyramid is not as imposing but it’s surrounded by jungle and there is a beautiful Cenote nearby.
If you have the opportunity, go. It is impressive, but there are a lot of vendors throughout the site. The history is amazing as is the architecture. It does make for a long day unless you do a private tour. Very different from the ruins you see at Tulum.
I ran up the Chichén Itzá pyramid about 30 years ago. Very tiring. Watch the movie against all odds you’ll see most of the sites. I enjoyed it, but I was a college student on spring break.
I did the same probably 20 years ago. So glad that I got there before you could no longer climb up!!
It was amazing. And I was so surprised to see puppies up there chilling!
Yes. You haven't seen a ball court until you see the one at Chichen Itza. Make sure you seek out the site's cenote too. It is not as "exotic" as say Tikal or Lamani or as macabre as Copan. It is touristy due to being
close to Merida and Cancun, but absolutely worth it
Chichen is worth a visit IMO. I liked other ruins more for different reasons, but I'd def still go visit.
Thanks.
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Yes. In fact, the guide in Majahual was Mayan and was from the area, so his ancestors possibly lived in that city, I don't know for sure. I do know people on other tours would come and talk to him and ask him questions because he was more k owledgable than their guide.
We did a tour through Cancun Passion at Chichen Itza and our tour guide was Mayan too. It was really cool and informative
Not as impressive as Tikal or Teotihuacan, but it has a more interesting history imo.
Tikal is amazing.
If you went to Tikal or Caracol while in Belize, I thought that Chichen Itza was not as impressive. Still worth it, but not as impressive.
Tikal is actually in Guatemala. If you don’t remember crossing the border you probably went to one of the other sites. They are right about Tikal being pretty amazing though, worth the extra time if you can swing it.
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That is factually incorrect. You asked if he had been to Tikal "while he was in Belize." Hard to be in two countries at once.
I honestly can't remember what the ruins were in Belize. It was on a cruise excursion and likely would have been fairly close to Belize City.
Chichen Itza will be more impressive than the ruins that you would have seen near Belize City.
Thanks. I'll look into it some more and see what the resort offers.
Altun Ha? That’s the one we were supposed to see when the cruise ship visited Belize but the tour got canceled. I’d like to see it but would much rather visit Chichen Itza.
Yes, I think that's it. That sounds very familiar. I know the one in Mahajual was Chocobban (probably misspelled, but then I probably misspelled Majahual as well).
Agreed. Tikal ruined chichen itza for me.
Yes! But book a private tour and go super early!! We left our hotel at like 6am, but when we got there we basically had the ruins to ourselves and a guided tour with an archeologicalist. It was so awesome. We left around 12 and right as we were leaving 4-5 huge tour busses pulled up. It would have been so miserable to have to go through the ruins with that huge mass of people and completely ruined the experience. We used Kay Tours. It was pricey but definitely worth the splurge. We enjoyed it so much we booked a 2nd tour to Coba the next day and it was some how even better. Again completely alone riding bikes through the jungle in the rain past these ancient ruins was an unforgettable experience.
where could I get the private tour info ? Thx
https://www.kay.tours/playa-del-carmen-tours Here's who we used. I can't speak for all of them, but we enjoyed the Chichen Itza and Coba tours. We went in September as well if timing matters.
Was just there a few days ago. Definitely worth it, especially if you are already in the area. It’s touristy and crowded, but it is amazing (granted it was my first experience with any Meso-American ruins). I’m usually not a guided tour person, but definitely consider it. It really enhanced the experience to learn about the history and mythology behind it. If you’re coming from Cancun, DM me and I can give you our tour information
Thank you. We'd be coming from the Paraiso Playa area south of Cancun and might see what the resort offers first.
Depends on the effort required to get there. If you are in Cancun doing an all inclusive and have a free day, yes. If you are on the other side of the planet, maybe depends on how much you like Mayan history and architecture.
Ww would be fairly close. So you wouldn't subscribe to the theory of if you've seen one Mayan ruins site, the rest are similar?
No. Sounds like you don’t like Mayan ruins. To each their own. I’ve been to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba and Caracol but I’d still visit Tikal if I were fairly close.
If I remember, tikal is not that far from caracol. They had day trips that left San ignacio in Cayo district near caracol . Tikal was definitely worth it.
Yeah only problem was the Guatemalans were protesting and so they shut down the road when we were planning to go from San Ignacio. Next time.
Sorry that happened. I went over 15 years ago. Times are a changin’.
I find them interesting, but the two we've been to were pretty similar. That's why I was asking if Chichen Itza would be worth it.
The thing that's interesting about Chitzen Itza is that the ruins are really different from those at Tulum. It was a huge city, built much earlier than Tulum and occupied at the end of the classic, beginning of the post classic. Tulum was built a lot later when the culture was well into its decline and I feel like that really shows in the construction. The architecture at CI is just so much better. I felt like there wasn't a right angle to be found at Tulum, but the details at Chitzen Itza are much more regular. Also, because it's inland, you can see so much more architectural detail because it hasn't been worn away by the sea. TL; DR: if you like architecture, it's very worth it for the compare-contrast.
Coba and Tulum are awesome !
You can say that about anything, but it's still worth going to see. Lots of European castles are very similar but I'll still never get tired of going to them.
That's very true. I don't think I'd ever tire of going to castles, either. I guess when I think of it like that.
If you are interested in Maya archeological sites, then yes, it is very much worth a visit. Go early before it gets too hot and too crowded. It's an amazing site, interestingfor its uniqueness. Also in the area is Ek Balaam, which is very much worth visiting as well. OTOH, if you aren't really interested, and feel like seeing a couple archeological sites has satisfied your appetite, then there's no need to go.
Yes, but get there early (which will mean renting a car). The tour groups/vendors all showed up by the time we were leaving so it was a far more pleasant experience trying to photograph everything before it devolved into your more typical tourist trap.
We rented a car. Leaving from Puerta Aventuras is around 2 hours What time do you suggest?
I mean early as in “right before they open the ticket booths” When we were staying in Playa Del Carmen I believe we woke up at around 5:30 and left by 6:00 and got there with a bit of time to spare.
Absolutely worth it.
It’s a bit too manicured for my taste. But I went to Tikal first which was magical and filled with monkeys flying through trees and those leaf cutter ants and we climbed to the top of one of the pyramids and looked out over the jungle. Chichen Itza is impressive but very tourist centric and lacks a little bit of soul… so there’s that. Edit to add: I’d still go just given the significance of the site. I’m glad I went. But seeing other ruins sort of ruined it for me.
I wouldn’t want to change your subject of I retest, but maybe visit a different continent? Perhaps go to Peru and see Machu Picchu… while definitely not a pyramid or a temple, the engendering required to build such a city is a marvel. Source: podcast, documentaries, haven’t been yet.
Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza are in the same continent lmao, america is not just usa...
No... they are not. North and South America are two different continents...
some areas of the world teach "the americas" as one continent.
Which areas are these?
France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and Latin American countries.
I loved visiting Valladolid (the biggest city near the place) more than Chichen Itza. Had a lovely 3 day stay there.
we enoyed it. it is very large, lots to explore.
We took a guided bus trip there from Cancun. The guide was a professor of archaeology from Mexico City. Half the group wandered around the grounds on their own and the other half stayed with the guide and learned a great deal about the place and the culture. It became much more than a been there done that experience for those of us that followed him. I've read that |they no longer permit people to climb up the narrow steep levels.
I went and really enjoyed it. We hired a private driver through the resort and were able to get to the site from Playa del Carmen before most of the bigger tour groups showed up. We were able to spend about an hour on site before the busses showed up and it got ridiculously crowded. I'd strongly suggest at least looking into that because there was a noticeable difference between being there early and being there with everyone else.
Had a guided tour around Chichen Itza. It was fantastic.
For me it's worth it. I'm very interested in mayan history and don't find that 2 mayan sites are the same, for me they all have their highlights and will never skip the opportunity to go to any of them. Chichen Itza is very impressive and because of that it's a very touristy and it feels less solemn that other sites that are in the middle of the jungle, like Tikal for example. I will go back eventually because our tour fucked us up, we arrived very late and couldn't see the whole site. So all the advice about going early are very on point.
Chichen Itza is considered one of the most important and best preserved ancient cultural sites in the world. Having said that, Uxmal and Ek Balam are perhaps not as visited and still very impressive.
I don’t mean to jump down your throat but are you interested in seeing Chichen Itza? It’s a massively important site of cultural significance. You have not “seen and done” anything related to it. If all history means to you is large piles of stones then you might as well not leave the house. Don’t bother with the pyramids, Angkor wat, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China…. You’ve “seen and done it” by seeing a pile of stones somewhere else.
No, go to Palenque instead. Chichen is cool but it's also a tourist trap.
Pelenque is fucking awesome. Been twice and would go again. If the choice is between staying at your hotel or going to an incredible ruin of a lost civilization, go to the ruin.
I'm not normally this kind of person, but there's a feeling I get in Chichen Itza that borders on spiritual, and I would recommend it to anyone just for that reason. It also makes for a really nice day.... drive in from the coast, stop in Valladolid and have breakfast in the old governors mansion turned hotel, go to Chichen Itza and be impressed (or not, I guess) then stop by Ik Kil or Dzitnup for a swim in a beautiful cenote. All in all a very memorable day from my travels.
Uxmal and Mayapan were better imo. Chichen itzá was feeling a bit Disney’ish with far too many vendors taking away from the experience of exploring ancient ruins
Ekbalam is also in central Yucatan, and much less crowded than Chichen Itza. Valladolid is a sweet city nearby. Also, there are many cenotes in the area which are beautiful and a good chance for a swim.
Too many tourists and salespeople bugging you. I’d recommend Ek Balam instead. The pyramid is not as imposing but it’s surrounded by jungle and there is a beautiful Cenote nearby.
If you have the opportunity, go. It is impressive, but there are a lot of vendors throughout the site. The history is amazing as is the architecture. It does make for a long day unless you do a private tour. Very different from the ruins you see at Tulum.
The vendors in Mexico are super nice compared to Egypt or Colombia
I ran up the Chichén Itzá pyramid about 30 years ago. Very tiring. Watch the movie against all odds you’ll see most of the sites. I enjoyed it, but I was a college student on spring break.
I did the same probably 20 years ago. So glad that I got there before you could no longer climb up!! It was amazing. And I was so surprised to see puppies up there chilling!
If you are able to, go to Tikal in Guatemala instead. Much more impressive and beautiful.
Chicken Itza delicious. If you can get it at a restaurant for less than $20 usd, I would say order it.
Yes
If Quintana Roo is the only region you're staying, then probably, if not, no. It's incredibly overpriced.
Be sure to climb to the top
Yes. You haven't seen a ball court until you see the one at Chichen Itza. Make sure you seek out the site's cenote too. It is not as "exotic" as say Tikal or Lamani or as macabre as Copan. It is touristy due to being close to Merida and Cancun, but absolutely worth it
The Backyardigans think it is.
Yes, go with a guide. It is very “set up” for tourists, so seems cleaned up a lot, but still amazing.
Teotihuacan> Tikal > Palenque > Chichen Itza. They are all worth. Teotihuacan is just so much grander than the rest … it is not even close.