If viewing Mayan Ruins is not on the top of your ‘Must See’ List – Why Not?
As a child, I had a thirst for Mayan ruins & their history but never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would be landing in Mexico or even able to visit Yucatan pyramids or Mayan ruins. This adventure we have finally got off the ground has begun with Mexico which blows my mind just thinking that – The Big Guy & I, two seniors on a budget spening almost six months in this beautiful country! We are still in that phase of looking at each other everyday & remarking how much we love it here! Back to Mexican ruins in the Yucatan…
One thing I didn’t realize was the number of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan that are within driving distance of Merida! If you are living in Mexico for any extent of time, then I’m betting you have read up on the Mayan ruins & made a list of Mayan ruins on your ‘to do’ list. I know we have! On this trip, we begin our adventure with a road trip to Chichen Itza, easily accessible by road from Merida. Let’s get started!
What is Chichen Itza? Where did the name come from?
Chichen Itza comes from the Mayan words “Chi” for mouth; “Chen” for well; & “Itza” from the name of the people who governed that area at that time. It is thought that the name could also be from the ‘well’ of rivers that ran underneath & was probably a main water supply to the Mayans living there.
Chichen Itza was designated one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World 2007 & had previously been recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988! One thing I didn’t realize was the number of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan that are within driving distance of Merida, our home for the next four months.
Raphael, our tour guide at Chichen Itza, was a treasure trove of knowledge about the Mayan ruins as he himself was Mayan & grew up in Chichen Itza as a child with the Mayan Ruins as a playground for the Mayans. At some point the Mayan people living in that area were moved several kilometers down the road making the Ruins a national treasure & off limits to being a play area for the kiddos. As of 2006, the Chichen Itza ruins became off limit to anyone walking on the ruins. Okay, I am getting ahead of myself…
How To Get to The Mayan Ruins…
- Private Driver – we were referred to Rodney from a friend & it was pesos well spent! He picked us up at our apartment at 8 a.m. & we were off to the the ruins. He was a super nice guy & full of Yucatan history & information on our ride to the Ruins. We ‘had’ him for a pre-discussed number of hours & paid half of the gas since the trip would take us out of Merida town. To us, this was & remains our #1 pick. If you are interested in Rodney’s service, drop me a note & I’ll gladly share his What’s App with you!
- Secondly, you can take the ADO Mayan Tours. They have multiple morning departures from their terminal & the cost seems to be reasonable.
- Thirdly, Travel Tour Agencies could be an avenue to research. If so, let me help you out here.
- Finally, Uber. Now we do love Uber & have used many times since we arrived in Merida but for longer trips we have learned that hiring a private driver is more cost efficient to us & just downright fun since we have a relationship with him. But, again, you do you!
Where are Mayan Ruins located in Mexico?
Although there are hundreds, if not thousand of Mayan ruins found in Guatemala, Belize & Honduras, the more impressive & possibly most well known ruins are located right here in Mexico & the Yucatan Peninsula. To name just a few, besides Chichen Itza:
- Uxmal – The Pyramid of the Magician, the Governor’s Palace, the Nunnery & Temple of the Turtles are only a few of must see ruin sites in Uxmal located south of Merida. For more history of this city that dates to around the 6th Century.
- Coba is an ancient Mayan city located in Quintana Roo. It documents life back to the 600-900 A.D. with its countless stone carvings, etc. More more info check here.
- Izamal is definitely on our to check out Kinich Kak Moo, a 57 ft high pyramid. For more info on Izamal & how to get there, check this out.
- The list goes on & on.
Now lets talk Mayan Ruins that make up Chichen Itza!
There are five main ruins in Chichen Itza – Piramide de Kukulkan [known to some as El Castillo], Temple of the Warriors, the Grand Ball Court, The Nunnery & the Observatory. On this trip we made it to the first three – Piramide, Temple & the Ball Court. What we saw…
The Piramide de Kukalcan is a wondrous site rising into the sky & is, no doubt, one of the most recognized Mayan ruins! It is 79 feet tall not counting the top building. A fun fact – if you stand in front of the Piramide de Kukulkan facing it, Raphael showed us how to clap our hands to hear the chirp answer us from the ruins.
The Temple of the Warriors is evenly impressive with its carvings embellished with warriors, eagles & jaguars eating human hearts. This Temple is one that was actually large enough to hold gatherings of people with three levels. For more info check this out. Raphael explained to us that the columns were at one point covered.
Our guide told us that some stones of the Mayan Ruins have been moved/stolen over the ancient years to rebuild in another place. The statues that were not touched were the snakes as they were evil.
The Grand Ball Court is an indication of how much Mayans enjoyed there sports. It is an open arena 225 ft wide & 545 feet long. The Priest sat on each end with the ‘royalty’ sitting in the side seats overlooking the field. Check out the hoop on the wall. The players used a 6-8 lb ‘gum’ ball & could only use their feet & knees to play.
Another interesting fact about the walls of this arena is that on one side the stones were small gradually building into larger stones at the far end of the wall. They would run opposite on the opposite wall making the acoustics amazing. The field was so long that when announcements would be made at one end, the other end of the arena would be able to hear a few seconds later. Amazing how the Mayans were so far ahead in their building!
Lets talk about ‘losing your head’! Following a bad game day above, Raphael walked us to where the be-headings took place – Tzompantli. There were steps up to the open square platform of where heads were lost. Are these the skulls or just carvings commemorating the event – that I don’t know.
If the player lost his head due to a game loss than he would go to heaven but if the be-heading was due to a political loss the beheaded person would be going to hell.
When is the best time to visit the ruins?
What is the best time to visit any ruins? This is easy. We were there in June & though it is considered ‘rainy’ season, the sun was bright with no clouds in the sky. Nice breeze kept us somewhat cool & you can always take your umbrella if the heat of the sun gets to be too much. Get there as early as you can in the day to beat the huge bus tours! We arrived around 10 a.m. & by 12:30 p.m. we were back in the car heading to Merida ending the day with a cold coffee at one of our favorite spots! Let me say we picked the best time to go. As we were walking on the last leg of the ruins hoards of tourist started arriving & the sun had just started to heat up.
If you are ever able to do so, I truly think it would be beautiful to visit the Chichen Itza ruins during the equinox!! We missed it this time but from the stories we heard from Raphael, it is a sight to be seen at least once in your life.
Some miscellaneous pics from our trip to Chichen Itza!
Last but not least the Cost!
I was ready to close this post when I realized I did not tell you how much this awesome trip cost. We are on a budget but we are also living the life in Mexico & definitely plan to see all we can see of this beautiful area – but to be transparent – here is what the cost of a trip to Chichen Itza cost us. You have your own budget & you may be one who enjoys picking up souvenirs or eating out at the sights which is absolutely your call but remember that if you are on a budget, add those estimates into your calculations for next month. Again, you do you:)
Driver r/t, tour guide at ruins, entry for parking & entry for 2 non Mexican plus coffees & sandwiches at end of day was a little over $4,000 pesos or $202+- USD. Absolutely worth every penny when you think about how lucky we are to be here to view these magnificent Mayan ruins in Yucatan! PLUS if you are a Mexican resident, I believe the sign indicated you get in free which is awesome!
Until next time, enjoy life & smile! Next stop Izamal, The Yellow City of the Yucatan!
Great post! Thank you for sharing your travels. I would never have thought to hire a guide. It always seems like the cost of something is too much but the time that is saved and getting to see more and going at the right time can be invaluable. My favorite part of our trips is finding good coffee. I look forward to seeing more of your travels.
At Chichen Itza the money for the guide was WELL WORTH it. Raphael was awesome & so full of history of the ruins as well as stories of growing up as a kid playing on the ruins! Now, let me say this, we went on a daytrip yesterday & paid for a ‘tour’ which was money lost…Not worth it when our driver we hired to take us there walked the town center with us & overflowed our sensories with history…so sometimes it is good to pay for guide & sometimes it is not. Thanks for following!
Sounds and looks amazing. Hubby would love to visit the ruins. And having a guide would be interesting.
Angie, our guide at Chichen Itza, Raphael, was awesome. The Big Guy said he overheard some of the other guides & they were pretty good as well! Well worth the money! Thanks again!
This is fantastic! I’ve heard great things about Merida and seeing the Mayan ruins are so close, it would be amazing to visit! Thanks for the detailed info!
Erin, thanks for your comments! Merida is so just perfect & the ruins are a must on anyone’s Bucket List! Thank you!