It is with great joy that Chichen Itza opens its doors to celebrate the concert of tenor Placido Domingo and Armando Manzanero the night of October 4th, 2008.  Don't miss this great and unique opportunity to experience a magical night; reserve at Hacienda Chichen your stay and gala dinner.

One of the reasons that tourists keep returning to the Yucatan year after year is not just the blue skies, the crystal clear waters of the Gulf, the Caribbean and the cenotes, or the delicious Yucatecan food...its the ruins! The mysterious and monolithic Mayan ruins that dot the Yucatan Peninsula are testimony to an ancient civilization that is both fascinating and mysterious. Photos can never do these monuments justice. There is something about standing in the presence of these stone pyramids and other structures that is awesome and inspiring.

As a guest at Hacienda Chichen Resort, you are in the center of the peninsula and within easy reach of many of the most fascinating ruins. Chichen Itza, of course, is the most famous, and you can walk to it from our resort. Many guests have enjoyed the light and sound show at the Castillo at Chichen Itza and the walk home afterwards to their cozy casita in the jungle.

A special treat for Hacienda Chichen guests is the archaeological site called Chichen Viejo, or Old Chichen. This is a part of Chichen Itza that is on the grounds of the hotel and is not open to the general public. A short southbound walk from the Casco or Main House of the Hacienda will bring you to the site of Chichen Viejo which is being actively investigated by archaeologists to this day.

Less than a half hour drive away just past Valladolid is the small but quite beautiful and still only half-restored site of Ek Balam. Ek Balam boasts some of the most expressive sculptural architecture in the peninsula, and provides an interesting view of a totally unexcavated pyramid next to an uncovered one. Ek Balam was once a walled city with minor temples, stelae and glyphs around the main pyramid. Restored in the 1990s, this archaeological site offers a fascinating encounter with the Maya stucco sculptures and motifs that decorated Maya temples and facades.

Yaxuna is a small Maya site that you can reach by traveling to the town of Yaxcaba. It may be small but it boasts the longest "sac-be" or white road ever found, which is 101 kilometers straight through the jungle to Kabah.

The Balankanche Caves are Maya Ceremonial caves that are approximately three minutes by car from the hotel. These fabulous caves and underground waterways were part of the Iniciation and Ceremonial Rites of ancient Maya. They are easy to explore and visitors can see offerings and clay pots that are still in place as they walk the narrow path leading to the main cave dome.

The famous Maya site of Coba is about an hour away from Hacienda Chichen Resort by car, about 30 minutes south of Valladolid. The buildings at this site are reached by walking deep into the jungle or by riding a bicycle for rent at the entrance. They are a little more difficult to reach than some others, but well worth the trip.

Thirty minutes north of the city of Merida is the Maya archaeological site of Dzibilchaltun. While this is a minor site compared to Chichen Itza, Uxmal or Coba, a visit to Dzibilchaltun is a special one. Upon entering the grounds, visitors are led through a very well-designed and interesting air-conditioned museum of Maya and Colonial Yucatan. And after wandering the grounds and viewing the stone structures, including the House of the Seven Dolls, visitors can put on their bathing suits and go for a lovely swim in the open-air cenote on the grounds. This cenote can become quite busy on weekends with local residents, but is often blissfully empty during the week. The water is cool and clear, but do be sure to be careful. The water depth is about three feet at one end of the cenote and over 140 feet at the other end.

These are only the sites that are closest to Hacienda Chichen. There are many others two and three hours away, such as Uxmal, Edzna, Sayil, and Kabah.

For more information about these and other Maya archaeological sites, please visit Yucatan Today's website at www.yucatantoday.com. Or see our archaeological links on our Links page.