When I arrived in Cozumel on the Norwegian ship Breakaway I headed for the small airport. I was headed to Chichen Itza for a 45-minute airplane ride instead of a 7-hour roundtrip bus ride.
We flew over the jungle and when we landed, we saw rising from the dense jungles of the Yucatan the Maya ruins of Chichen Itza The Maya name “Chichen Itza” means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza.” I pronounce it “Chicken Pizza” It works for me. Chichen Itza was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and, in 2007, it was voted in a global survey as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Chichen Itza grew to prominence from the sixth century A.D. onward. By the 10th century, Chichen Itza was a sprawling city with a dense trade network that reached as far as the Caribbean coastline. A center of religious fervor, the city’s temples and sacred cenotes (natural sinkholes filled with fresh water) attracted pilgrims from across the Mayan world (although Chichen Itza never had the power or riches that other Mayan cities, such as Tikal or Palenque, could claim).
Today, all that remains of this city are the temples and ballcourts. Chichen Itza fell into ruin after the overthrow of the elite in the 12th century and the onset of the Mayan decline. By the time, the Spanish conquistadors first laid eyes on a long-abandoned Chichen Itza in the 16th century, there was little that had not been swallowed by the forest.
From the mid-19th century onward, Chichen Itza was slowly excavated and researched. As the temples emerged from the undergrowth, so did the tourists.
Thanks to its proximity to Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Chichen Itza has reached a new zenith as one of Mexico’s most popular tourist spots.
