The Ruins of Chichen Itza

One of the must-see attractions of the Riviera Mayan is the ruins of Chichen Itza.  Although there are many tour groups you could sign up for, we decided to take the day trip on our own and explore at our own pace.

We took the ADO bus from the 5^th avenue location in Playa del Carmen (PDC) and paid a total of $632 pesos for two people, round trip.  The bus ride is approximately 90 to 120 minutes.   Once we arrived, departed the bus and walked to the entrance gate, we paid our admission fees and were on our way.

There are two admission fees that you must pay before entering. The Yucatan State Government fee is $129 pesos each, and the Federal fee is $59 pesos each.  Upon arrival, there are plenty of groups or individual tour guides available if you decide that is a service you would like.  There is an additional fee for this service, and we have provided a photo of their pricing.

 The ruins are breathtakingly beautiful, so allow yourself plenty of time to be mindful, explore and appreciate the history and AWESOMENESS! The place is HUGE so make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes (we walked around for about four or five hours), bring and wear a wide brim sun hat and plenty of sunscreen.  And remember to bring your camera and bug repellent.

Each attraction has its own signage with descriptions of history and significance. As you stand in awe of some of the phenomenal structures, you can’t help but try to imagine the architectural genius that was used to build them.   

If you are the souvenir shopper type, you will not be disappointed.  There were vendors everywhere…and I do mean everywhere! Just be aware of some individuals that are lurking close to some of the structures, waiting for you to walk by, so they can attempt to sell you trinkets from their back packs or tote bags. Now, I have no way of proving this, but I suspect these individuals did not apply for or pay for their vendor license…hence, the lurking.  

Having so many vendors was a little unsettling as almost each vendor was blowing some type of contraption that was supposed to sound like an animal.  My husband said it was the sound of a jaguar. Well, regardless of what it was, the constant contraption blowing as we passed by each vendor table had me jumping out of my skin and scared the heebie-jeebies out of me.  The sound is very loud, noisy and downright annoying. 

At the end of our exploration, we had dinner at their onsite Oxtun Restaurant.  It was a bit pricey (a total of $738 pesos for the two of us), but after walking around for all those hours, it was worth it to sit down and relax, enjoy a nice meal in the shade with fans blowing on us, have an ice cold drink and people watch.  

So, if you decide to go, you will enjoy yourself.  Just watch out for the jaguars!

Enjoy our photos.