Where snake-shadows climb a pyramid at every equinox — a Maya capital aligned to the heavens.
The largest of the Maya cities of the late Classic and early Postclassic period, Chichén Itzá flourished between 600 and 1200 AD as a regional capital and pilgrimage centre. The most famous structure, El Castillo (the Pyramid of Kukulkan), is a 24-metre stepped pyramid whose 365 stairs encode the solar year.
Twice a year, on the spring and autumn equinoxes, the late-afternoon sun casts a serpent-shaped shadow that appears to slither down the northern staircase — an architectural-astronomical effect almost certainly designed deliberately by Maya astronomers.
The site is run by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It is reachable by car or organised tour from Mérida, Cancún or Valladolid. Visit early to avoid both the heat and the tour buses.
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