Chichen Itza

Until the early decades of the 20th century, the ancient city of Chichen Itza was shrouded by the jungles of the Mexican Yucatan; hidden beneath blankets of sprawling vines and waxy tree boughs. When it was finally excavated in the 1910s, archaeologists uncovered such a veritable wealth of mysterious temples, rough-hewn castles and palatial complexes that it quickly became known as the most impressive Mayan site in all of Mesoamerica.

Visitors today can wander between the lichen-spotted rises of the Great Ball court, where Mayans would have once competed in sports beside carved animalistic effigies that pepper the Temple of the Jaguars nearby. Eventually, the great Pyramid of Kukulcan comes to dominate the view, with astronomically insightful iconic steps, and formidable feathered serpents that so famously come alive every equinox with dancing lines of reflected light. Also, don’t leave without getting your Chichen Itza tour guide to point out the imposing Temple of Warriors, the sacrificial Chac Mool statuette, or heading out to survey the echoing Sacred Cenote (sinkhole) nearby.