How to See Mexico's Chichen Itza Without the Crowds Kerri Westenberg - Star Tribune
go to original November 11, 2016

A Brief History of the Hacienda Chichen Resort (Hacienda Chichen Resort)

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 Yucatán Peninsula.

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. Its size and breadth make it one of the most formidable of the Mayan sites that dot Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Chichen Itza was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, reinforcing its status as a full-blown tourist attraction. According to UNESCO, which lists the treasure as a World Heritage Site, at least 3,500 people pour in each day. Most are day-trippers from Merida, Cancun and other coastal resorts who arrive midmorning and tour under a withering sun.

At 8:30 in the morning, Juan and I saw none of them.

For an intimate look at the ruins of Chichen Itza - and some Mayan-style pampering - check out the Hacienda Chichen Resort

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