Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins Guide

El Castillo is one of the most recognizable Mesoamerican pyramids and rises like an ancient Egyptian monument in the center of the complex. Trust us, you can’t miss the stepped pyramid of El Castillo. Climbing a staggering 100 feet (30 m), El Castillo is breathtaking.

Built as a temple to the ‘feathered serpent’ God Kukulcan, the pyramid has 9 levels representing the 9 levels of the afterlife and 365 steps, one for each day of the year with 91 steps on each side and one to enter the temple at the top. Impressively, the stairs climb at a perfect 45-degree angle.

On the Spring (March 21) and Autumn (September 22) equinoxes, El Castillo offers a truly unique spectacle. The sun creates a zig-zag shadow on the steps and lights up stone serpent heads at their base, giving the illusion of snakes slithering down the pyramid’s sides. This breathtaking visual effect is a must-see, but it’s important to note that there will be massive crowds during equinoxes.

As the largest ballcourt in Mesoamerica, the Great Wall Ballcourt at Chichen Itza measures over 525 feet (160 meters) long and 230 feet (70 meters) wide. Mayan men played an ancient game called Pok Ta Pok here.

Anthropologists believe that the object of the Pok Ta Pok was to get a ball through a mounted ring 23 ft (7 m) above the ground. Each team had 6 players who would attempt to pass the ball to their captain, and they could use any body part except their hands. The captain then attempted the shot using a racket of sorts.

Interestingly, the prize wasn’t what you might expect; the captain of the team that scored the first shot was then beheaded and sacrificed to the Mayan Gods. Winning was seen as a privilege and guaranteed the champion entrance into heaven.

You can’t miss the observatory at Chichen Itza; this round structure is relatively similar to those in other parts of Mesoamerica. The building is also known as El Caracol (or the snail) because of the spiral shape hidden inside. It’s attributed to an astronomical function since the wall openings were oriented towards Venus and other stars. Most impressively, these observations were made by the ancient Mayans very intuitively and carried out without any external tools.

El Caracol has windows at the top from where the equinoxes, sunsets, solstices, positions of Venus, and other stars could be seen during the construction.

You can visit the spectacular Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza, a sizeable sinkhole measuring almost 200 ft (60 m) in diameter. All sorts of treasures have been found in this beautiful cenote, including gold and jade objects, rings, necklaces, and the remains of those thrown into the water as an offering to the Mayan God of rain, Chaac. This cenote has yielded the remains of sacrifices of predominantly children and young adults.

The name of the Temple of Warriors comes from the warriors carved on the rectangular columns in front of the stunning temple. Some even appear to be prisoners with their hands bound behind their backs.

Next to the temple are rows of circular columns built between 900 A.D. and 1200 A.D., which may have supported a roof once. It’s believed that this was once a great meeting hall. The remains of the painted frieze indicate that it was decorated with beautiful motifs and Chaac masks that represented an earlier priestly class that governed the city.

The Wall of Skulls is a compelling structure that can’t be missed. You’ll find this intriguing structure close to the Temple of Warriors. A low T-shaped platform with rows of skull carvings marks the Tzompantli. Look closely; you’ll notice warriors holding human heads, snakes intertwined in the skeletons, and eagles eating human hearts.

Some of the skulls may have been modeled on the sacrifices of the Pok Ta Pok. Their heads, along with those of other sacrifices, were displayed on the platform.