Mayan ruins<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMany people report feeling the mysterious spirit of the archaeological site even though they can’t climb Chichen Itza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Can’t You Climb Chichen Itza Pyramid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There’s a good reason why authorities shut down El Castillo to tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the decades, millions of people wore the great stone steps smooth. These bald spots meant that if your foot hit one, it offered no traction to stop your fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Accident<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On January 5, 2006, an 80-year-old experienced traveler named Mrs. Black died when she slipped on one of these smooth steps on the last day of her three-week Yucatan vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had climbed two-thirds of the way up the steep steps when her foot hit a smooth step, and she fell 60 feet to the ground. The woman died from neck injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closed Down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This was the last straw. After this tragic accident, the site’s authorities decided that the tourists who climbed the steps each year not only threatened to erode El Castillo but also posed a risk to other visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They closed access to the pyramid, making it illegal to climb Chichen Itza ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Happens if You Climb the Chichen Itza Pyramid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Under the federal General Tourism Law, climbing El Castillo is illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s Against the Law to Climb Chichen Itza<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
That hasn’t stopped shady Chichen Itza tour guides from offering to sneak visitors up to climb Chichen Itza to view the sites at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if you’re dying to view the Warrior’s Temple, the stars, or the jungle once you climb Chichen Itza, it’s best to turn down any offers to take you up to the pyramid site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Illegal Tours Try to Climb the Pyramid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Never join a Chichen Itza tour that promises to take you up the pyramid. Not only is it illegal to access Chichen Itza, but due to the steep stairs, slipperiness, and darkness, it could be the last thing you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Happens to People Who Climb Chichen Itza?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Recently, site security detained and turned over to the local authorities a woman who did climb Chichen Itza to sprinkle her dead husband’s ashes at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite best efforts, another tourist managed to scramble up the pyramid to snap a quick selfie and “absorb energy” from the great pyramid before he faced arrest in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For decades, the famous Chichen Itza archaeological zone has been a place of pilgrimage for millions of travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although it’s illegal to climb Chichen Itza, there are still plenty of sanctioned ways to soak up the spirit and history of the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Enter Chichen Itza<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The only official way to enter the Chichen Itza archaeological site is to buy your ticket at the entrance to the archaeological complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It costs about $583 MXN or $29.25 USD for a site pass to Chichen Itza. There is also an $80 MXN ($4.01 USD) fee to park. This will allow you into all the walkable areas at the location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy Travels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Even if you can’t climb the Chichen Itza pyramid, you can still visit to take an iconic photograph in front of this most famous Maya monument to experience the elusive thrill of adventure on ancient Mayan turf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The famous pyramid of Chichen Itza, located in Mexico, rises like an ancient god out of the thick tropical foliage … <\/p>\n
Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2364"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2364"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2633,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2364\/revisions\/2633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infovacay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}