Private Chichen Itza tour

The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichen Itza are over 1500 years old. The name Chichen Itza is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth) CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the Itzaes). Some say this is because people were often thrown into the nearby cenote as sacrifices, and those who survived were believed to be seers. The site is divided into three sections. The North grouping of structures is distinctly Toltec in style. The central group appears to be from the early period. The southern group is known as "The Old Chichen”.

You will find a large ball court where Mayan men played a game called pok ta pok. Anthropologists believe that the object of the game was to hurl a ball through a ring that was mounted on a wall, seven metres above the ground. Each team had six field players who would attempt to pass the ball - using any body part except their hands - to their captain who would attempt the shot using a racket of sorts. The captain of the team that made the first successful shot was then decapitated as a sacrifice to the gods. This was seen as an honour and guaranteed entrance into heaven.