When I heard I was going to study in Mexico, I put the visit of Chichén Itzá on the top of my bucket list: the ancient mayan city was voted as one of the new seven world wonders and I couldn't wait to see it with my own eyes.
We booked a tour on Viator with transportation included as taking the bus from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá was way to long (more than 3 hours). The standard bus would also make us arrive during the warmest hour (around 36°C at noon).
Our ride took 2 hours and since we left Playa del Carmen very early (6:30am), I slept most of the time. We arrived onsite at 8:30 (the site opens at 8 so that was perfect timing). It wasn't too warm yet and not too crowded either so I could take some great shots without any tourists taking selfies on them ;)
Our guide gave us some precious info regarding the impressive architecture and sound structure. We played with the echoes by clapping our hands at certain spots of the pyramid and it resonated like the chirp of a bird. I highly recommend visiting the area with a guide, this place is full of mysteries and interesting facts! If you don't like guides, you can easily spot groups playing with the echoe and witness how amazing the architecture of the pyramid is.
The whole visit took us around 2 hours. If you don't do the visit with a guide, it would probably take you less than that. The site contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation. Many of them have been restored: the three most impressive ones are the Great North Platform, which includes the monuments of El Castillo (the most famous one), the Temple of Warriors (photo above) and the Great Ball Court, where mayans used to play a deadly ball game.
Next to the Temple of Warriors, there are series of thousands columns. Quite impressive! When the city was inhabited, these would have supported an extensive roof system.
We spotted a lot of iguanas on the ruins, they seem to enjoy tanning under the Mexican sun as much as I do!
The entrance fee is 254 pesos, apparently it is free for students but my fees were included in the tour price so I didn't get to enjoy the student discount.
