Chichen Itza
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The Pyramid of Kukulkan is a monumental and astonishing Maya calendar.

Click bottom image to see Mexico's Maya Riviera beaches, Merida or Uxmal

The Equinox Serpent: On the spring equinox at the Kukulkan pyramid, the sun creates a shadow of a plumed serpent moving from the top of the building downwards. On reaching the base, the shadow body joins the real stone snake's head in a stunningly ambitious display of knowledge and skill.

Needless to say this is one of Mexico's most popular events,and in a dramatic location so book well ahead. The shadow is visible from Mar 19-21. During these three days of the 'Descent of Kukulcan' Chichen Itza hosts music, dance and theatrical performances inside the the site.

Cenote Sagrado, Chichen Itza

The northern Yucatan is an arid area with no above-ground rivers. Chichen Itza's development was only possible due to the presence of two water filled cenotes, otherwise known as sink-holes.
This one is the Cenote Sagrado where valuable items were often sacrificed to the rain god Chaac. In the early 1900s this cenote was dredged and quantities of gold, jade, pottery and human remains were found.

There are several other cenotes near Chichen Itza, some surrounded by gardens, restaurants, washrooms and showers. During a hot day cenotes make for a great way to take a break and cool off in the afternoon.

Extract from The [London] Times newspaper on the Chichen Itza equinox, written by Louise Roddon:

Sunset on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and I'm standing among a crowd of 25,000, awaiting the arrival of a god. No, I haven't been hitting the tequila. I'm at the Late Classic Mayan site of Chichen Itza - my eyes transfixed by the impressive pyramid temple dedicated to Kukulkan, where a strange apparition is beginning to take shape.

Kukulkan translates as Plumed Serpent, one of the highest-ranking Mayan priest-gods - which is somewhat spooky given that a huge golden snake is currently slithering down the pyramid's steps.

No kidding. Then something even spookier occurs. A shard of sunlight smashes onto the carved stone serpent's head at the base, throwing into fearsome relief an enormous set of fangs.

Of course, this reptilian by-play of light and shade is an optical illusion caused by the setting sun - a special effect that occurs only at spring and autumn equinoxes. But it's pretty good even so, especially as I'd imagined something more "blink and you miss it". So when a neighbouring American hippy starts prattling on about how I should expect dollops of cosmic energy, too - this year being the end of a cycle of 5,125 years since the beginning of the Mayan Long Count calender - I'm almost prepared to believe him.

Mr Hippy holds his arms aloft like Star Trek's Scotty at the teleporter. "Can you feel the vibe?" he asks. "Man, that is spiritual!" His zombie grin is so compelling that, heat-floppy as I am, I'm expecting the spiritual equivalent of a Yakult drink.

Right now, Chichen Itza rather resembles Glastonbury without the music - only here we have a true rock god strutting his stuff, rather than a mere pop star. Yet though the floor show is fabulous, I'm itching to explore the rest of the site.
Chichen Itza is gorgeously well-endowed, its pyramids less well known but much more impressive than those in Egypt. We scoot around the amazingly intact Ball Court and the astronomers' domed observatory and gawk at scary skull carvings on the Tzompantli, where the heads of enemies were stuck like so many lollipops on a vast stone platform. Then we up the gore factor, with a tour around the cenote - a sinkhole, the murky depths of which swallowed sacrificial victims.

But...every monument is roped off. More.

The Yucatan Peninsula contains many other Maya pyramids and ruins scattered around in various states of disrepair, for example...

Nohuch Mul pyramid at Coba, which tourists are permitted to climb [and fall down]

Nohuch Mul seen from below, Coba. Click to see Mexico Beaches Pictures

Coba is a little developed archaeological site deep in the Yucatan jungle, about 90 km east of Chichen Itza, 40 km west of the Caribbean Sea, and 44 km northwest of of Tulum, with which it is connected by a modern road.

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