Chichen Itza, Izamal and Cenote Day Trip with Lunch from Mérida

Chichén Itzá and the Kukulkan Pyramid

Chichén Itzá was one of the largest Maya cities of the Yucatán, at its height roughly between the years 600 and 1200, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. At its centre rises the Kukulkan Pyramid, also called El Castillo, a stepped temple about 30 metres high whose staircases add up to 365 steps, one for each day of the solar year.

On the spring and autumn equinoxes the late sun throws a shadow down the north staircase that looks like a serpent sliding towards the carved head at its base. Climbing the pyramid is no longer allowed, but your guide explains the calendar, the astronomy and the legends behind it. A Chichén Itzá tour from Mérida reaches the site in about two hours, early enough to beat the worst of the heat.

The Great Ball Court and the Temple of the Warriors

A short walk from the pyramid lies the Great Ball Court, the largest known in ancient Mesoamerica, roughly 168 metres long, with stone rings set high in its walls. Carved panels along the base show the ritual game and its dramatic ending, and the acoustics are so precise that a clap at one end echoes clearly across the field.

To the east stands the Temple of the Warriors, surrounded by rows of carved stone columns that once held up a roof, with a reclining Chac Mool figure at the top of the stairs. With your guide you cover the most important areas in about two hours, then have a little time for photos. Many visitors ask if Chichén Itzá is worth visiting with a guide: the stories make the ruins come alive.

Swimming in a Yucatán cenote

The Yucatán Peninsula has no rivers on the surface; its water runs underground through limestone, and where the rock roof collapses a cenote opens, a natural well of clear, cool water. For the ancient Maya these sinkholes were sacred, seen as doorways to the underworld, and Chichén Itzá itself grew up around its great sacred cenote.

After lunch the tour stops at a cenote for a refreshing swim, a welcome break after the morning at the ruins. Bring swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes; the entrance to the cenote is included. The water is fresh and usually very clear, with the light falling from above through roots and greenery, and it is one of the most memorable moments of any Chichén Itzá day trip from Mérida.

Izamal, the Yellow Town

Izamal, about an hour east of Mérida, is known as the Yellow City because almost every building in its centre is painted the same warm golden yellow with white trim. It was declared a Pueblo Mágico for its colonial heritage, and its quiet streets, horse-drawn carriages and arcaded squares make it one of the most photogenic towns in Yucatán.

Its centrepiece is the San Antonio de Padua Convent, built by Franciscan friars in the sixteenth century on top of an ancient Maya platform, with a great arcaded atrium that is among the largest in the Americas. Izamal also keeps the remains of Maya pyramids within the town, a reminder that colonial Yucatán was built over a much older world. This is the last stop of the day before the drive back to Mérida.