Why can you no longer climb Chichen Itza?

INAH has been closing monuments to public access over the past several years and visitors can no longer climb them or go inside their chambers. Another fair reason behind the restriction was a couple of accidents. People use to trip or even fall due to the steep steps of the Pyramid of Kukulkan.



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The ancient Mayan pyramid of Kukulkán is a Unesco heritage site, protected by law and the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH ). It is forbidden to climb it and fines range from $4000 to $8400 for trespassers, depending on the amount of damage caused.

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Climbing the temples at Chichen Itza has been illegal for some 15 years now, with the ban coming into force in 2008 over concerns about the safety of those climbing and the potential long-term damage to the ancient structures themselves.

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Many travelers confuse the city of Chichen Itza with its largest and most famous pyramid, El Castillo. Like the other ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, El Castillo cannot be climbed. Archaeologists and local conservationists are protecting this ancient wonder for generations to come.

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Climbing the pyramid has been banned since 2008 amid preservation concerns, and the Congress of the United Mexican States established hefty fines for such acts in the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas.

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Archaeologists have discovered a cave filled with hundreds of artifacts beneath the ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, the lead researcher on the project said Monday, calling the find incredible.

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You can't climb the pyramids. If you're really hellbent on climbing on Mayan ruins, there's plenty to choose from around the Yucatan Peninsula, including the Coba Ruins near Tulum and Uxmal near Merida.

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Clap your hands at the base of the pyramid, and the song of a sacred Mayan bird will echo through the air. Been Here? Want to Visit? The Mayan city of Chichen Itza is full of architectural and engineering marvels.

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No one has been allowed on the pyramid and definitely not inside the pyramid for decades now.

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The main Mayan Ruin is the Chichen Itza Pyramid or El Castillo, but there are other equaly important as El Caracol or Observatory, The Temple of The Warriors and the Mayan Ball Game.

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Climbing the pyramids is also banned because it's exceedingly dangerous, and typically anyone caught scaling the pyramids face up to three years in an Egyptian jail. This wasn't Ciesielski's first climbing stunt.

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The snake symbolizes Kukulcan, a great leader and ruler of Chichen Itza associated with the feathered serpent god (known as Quetzalcoatl in central Mexico), who is said to return to earth to give hope to his followers. It also heralds the spring planting and fall harvest seasons for the Maya.

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One of the most interesting recent discoveries about Chichen is related to an essential aspect of Mayan life: water! In Chichen Itza, the cenotes are the only source of fresh water. These underground rivers are pure crystal water, a product of filtration through the limestone subsoil.

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The ruins of Chichén Itzá are federal property, and the site's stewardship is maintained by Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).

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6) Dress for success at the Chichen Itza ruins It can also be extremely hot, especially around El Castillo and the Great Ballcourt where there isn't any shade. Be sure to have lots of water on hand, along with a hat, sunscreen and maybe even an umbrella to protect yourself from harmful UV rays.

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