El Castillo pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico
by Uspn, used under GNU Free Documentation License
Chichen Itza
Mexico
Chichen Itza is the largest ruined city of the Maya civilisation. It is located in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Due to its proximity to the resort of Cancun, it is one of the most visited Mayan sites, and Mexico's top tourist destination. Chichen Itza received Unesco recognition as a World Heritage Site in 1988.
What to see at Chichen Itza
The ruins to see in Chichen Itza are:
El Castillo or Pyramid of Kukulcan. This is the landmark of Chichen Itza. The name El Castillo means "The Castle". It is also called the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, for the sculptures of "feathered serpents" running down the sides of the northern staircase. During the spring and fall equinox, you can see the shadow descening the staircase, like a descending serpent. As of January 2006, visitors are no longer allowed to climb it.
Interior Temple: Within the Pyramid of Kukulcan are older temples.
How to go to Chichen Itza?
Chichén Itzá is located on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is about 100km from Cancun, on the main toll highway the runs between the provincial capital city of Mérida and Cancun. If you have more time, you can consider using the trunk road insteadof the toll highway. The trunk road passes through Mexican villages - you need to watch out for pedestrians and animals crossing the road, though.
External Links
Mexicoian Tourist Authority
Mexico State Information Service
Chichen Itza on Wikipedia
Chichen Itza in Unesco Website
Mayan observatory at Chichen Itza
by Bruno Girin, used under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License
