Piste

We’d rented a car so we could overnight near Chichen-Itza and arrive at opening time as the crowds coming in from Cancun and cruise ships are overwhelming by mid-morning.
On our way to Piste we visited Yokdzonot Cenote - basically a beautiful sinkhole in the jungle where people go to swim. We really enjoyed this experience – the water was pleasant, there were cute tiny fish, not too many mosquitos and even fewer visitors.
The Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza, dating from the 600’s, are exactly what you might imagine and are truly iconic in scale and detail. The pyramids are similar to Tikal in Guatemala, but the two sites are very distinct and impressive. What struck us most about Chichen-Itza were the very well preserved carvings visible on many of the structures. It was also easy to imagine what it had looked like when it was a functioning city. We were so happy we had arrived before opening time. When we first pulled up to the site we were complaining to each other that there were 20 or so cars in front of us waiting to get into the parking lot. By the time we left, the large parking lot was completely full, the tour bus parking area was completely full and visitors had to park a 20 minute walk away to get to the gates in the increasing heat and humidity.Read more