Chichen Itza: I finally saw a Mayan pyramid with my own eyes

I had seen photos of Chichen Itza dozens of times before coming to Mexico. The pyramid was familiar even before I arrived - one of those places you recognize instantly. But standing in front of it in real life was completely different.

The first view of El Castillo

I entered the archaeological site in the morning and walked along the paths surrounded by trees. There were ruins and stone structures everywhere, but I was looking for one particular building. Then the trees opened up and I saw it.

El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcán.

For a few seconds I just stood there. The pyramid looked much larger than I had imagined from photographs. Its perfectly symmetrical shape, enormous staircase and rows of stone steps were incredibly impressive. The structure is about 30 meters high and was built as the main monument of Chichén Itzá. 

What struck me most was the feeling of being in a place that had existed for centuries before any modern city around me. Chichén Itzá was one of the major centers of the Maya world and developed over almost a thousand years. The city also shows a mixture of Maya and Toltec architectural traditions.

More than just a pyramid

After spending some time near El Castillo, I continued deeper into the archaeological zone. That was when I realized that the pyramid was only one part of a much larger city.

I walked past the Great Ball Court, where ancient ceremonial games were played, and then reached the Temple of the Warriors with its rows of columns. I also saw El Caracol, the famous circular structure traditionally associated with astronomical observations.

Everywhere there were details carved into the stone - serpents, warriors, animals and geometric patterns. The longer I walked, the more difficult it became to imagine that these were once parts of a living city rather than simply archaeological ruins.

A city built around water

There was another interesting connection with the previous part of my trip. The name Chichén Itzá is associated with the cenotes of the area. The ancient city was established near natural water-filled cavities, which provided access to underground water. One of them, the Sacred Cenote, also had an important ritual role.

After visiting the cenote a few days earlier, this made the history of Chichén Itzá feel even more connected to the landscape around it.

By the time I left, I understood why this place had been on my list for so long. Photos can show you the pyramid, but they cannot show its scale, the heat, the silence between the ruins or the feeling of walking through a city that was already ancient long before our time.

Chichén Itzá was not just a place I came to photograph. It became one of the moments of my trip that I knew I would remember long after leaving Mexico.