How to see Chichen Itza without the crowds [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

How to see Chichen Itza without the crowds

Originally published December 22, 2016 at 7:00 am | Updated December 16, 2016 at 1:03 pm




Mayan archaeological wonder Chichen Itza sees at least 3,500 daily visitors. But most come late in the morning from nearby tourist towns. Stay nearby and you can beat those crowds. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Don’t just pop over to the Mayan archaeological wonder for an afternoon — stay nearby to soak in the culture and avoid the crowds.

By Kerri Westenberg
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (TNS)


Sounds of the jungle were as thick as the humidity. Birds chirped and trilled. A deep hoot added a bass note. An almost mechanical staccato clicking joined in. I was following a Mayan guide, Juan Gualberto Tun Pat, down a garden path on the grounds of my hotel, where life is so insistent that young trees sprout in the middle of the gravel walkway.

At a wrought-iron gate, two guys sat at a weathered Formica-topped table, the young one working math problems, the older one tuning a radio. They paused to check my entrance ticket, exchanged greetings with Juan in their language, Yucatec Maya, and waved us on our way.

I felt like I’d just slipped through the secret back door to Chichen Itza, the Mayan archaeological wonder in the interior of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Beating the crowds

The collection of pre-Columbian architectural masterpieces — pyramids, temples, columns — represent an ancient Mesoamerican culture steeped in art and science. The former urban center covers more than four square miles and two distinct periods — one collection of buildings was constructed by the early Mayans, while others date to a time after the Toltecs arrived and merged cultures with the existing community, Juan said.

More:
http://www.seattletimes.com/nwshowcase/journeys/how-to-see-chichen-itza-without-the-crowds/