Beyond Chichen Itza: Less traveled Maya sites

For longtime travelers to the Yucatan, the 2012 mythology that has taken hold brings a delicious irony: Worldwide attention is finally turning from the Yucatan's white-powder beaches and sequestered all-inclusives to the remnants of the "lost civilization" buried under the jungle that drew the first travelers to Mexico's mysterious southern peninsula after New York writer John Lloyd Stephens and illustrator Frederick Catherwood recounted their explorations in the mid-19th century.

Ancient Cities: Chichen Itza

Of the three Mayan cities we were to visit over the next two weeks, Chichen Itza was the most desirable. For us the iconic temple was a figurehead for Mayan civilisation. Based in Mexico’s Yucatan province, the UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the more popular ancient ruins, with over a million people visiting the thousand-year old city every year.

However, despite our high-expectations, standing in-front of El Castillo at Chichen Itza had us surprisingly unfulfilled. A few feet away was part of an ancient major city, a famous landmark of the Mayan empire and an overrated tourist attraction.