Chichén Itzá adds new feather to its cap as one of the world’s 10 most Instagrammable heritage sites
The ruins of Chichén Itzá were declared a World Heritage site in 1988 and one of the New 7 World Wonders in 2007.
Now the archaeological site has been declared one of the 10 most famous and Instagrammable heritage sites worldwide, sharing the distinction with the likes of the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu.
The methodology employed took into consideration statistics, including the number of Instagram posts tagged on the app as well as other social media metrics.
A handful of critics have pointed out that this accolade may be seen as a little frivolous in comparison with Chichén Itzá’s status as México’s most visited archaeological site and World Heritage site.
That said, this acknowledgment underpins just how important Chichén Itzá is to México’s tourism industry.
In 2022 alone, Chichén Itzá attracted just over 3.5 million visitors, with just over half of those being international tourists.
Chichén Itzá is, of course, by no means the only archaeological site on the Yucatán Peninsula, with other heavy hitters including Tulum and Uxmal.
In fact, the Peninsula has a total of 50 archaeological sites open to the public, with hundreds more found in the region’s jungles, mangroves, and brush.
To learn more about archaeology in Yucatán and beyond, check out our Archaeology Monday weekly feature.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
