New Rule: Chichén Itzá Plans Requiring Reservations, Limiting Visitors
Venice does it, and so does Machu Picchu. Why not Chichén Itzá?
Mexico’s most famous destination welcomed 2.2 million visitors in 2024, establishing itself as the most visited archaeological site in the Americas and surpassing major global destinations including Machu Picchu, Petra, Stonehenge, and Ephesus. With visitor numbers approaching critical capacity levels, the site may begin implementing mandatory reservation systems to prevent overcrowding.
Dr. María Guadalupe Espinosa Rodríguez, director of the archaeological site and its associated facilities, announced that Chichén Itzá now ranks eighth among the world’s most visited archaeological destinations, approaching the visitor levels of Pompeii (2.5 million annually) and the Pyramid of Giza (3 million).
Facing the same “touristification” challenges that have prompted protests at destinations like Venice, Rome, and the Louvre Museum, Chichén Itzá officials are considering implementing reservation requirements similar to those already established at other world-renowned sites.
“We cannot afford to exceed the tourist load of 5,000 people at the same time,” Dr. Espinosa explained, emphasizing that Chichén Itzá supports following the reservation model successfully implemented at Machu Picchu, Venice, Son Doong Cave in Vietnam, and St. Peter’s tomb at the Vatican.
This approach mirrors the conservation strategies adopted by Venice, which introduced day-visitor fees and advance booking requirements to manage overwhelming tourist numbers, and Machu Picchu, which has maintained strict daily visitor limits through mandatory reservations for years.
The reservation system is already operational for Chichén Viejo, a section of the archaeological complex that limits entry to 100 visitors daily in two groups of 50, operating only Thursday through Saturday and requiring advance email booking.
Chichén Itza by the numbers
The 2024 visitor count of 2,248,197 represents a slight decrease of 84,248 people (2.6%) from 2023’s total of 2,332,445 visitors. Daily averages reach 6,159 visitors.
Foreign visitors comprise 60.73% of total entries, primarily from the Americas and Asia, while Mexican nationals account for 28.11%. An additional 11.16% enter with complimentary tickets.
Revenue generation reached $176,979,341 in 2024, marking a 3.2% increase from the previous year’s $171,472,170. This positions Chichén Itzá as the top revenue generator among all INAH sites nationwide.
As part of the Chichén Itzá Management Plan, officials are promoting visitor distribution to other archaeological and natural destinations throughout Yucatán. The strategy includes developing sites like Yaxunah, located 25 kilometers southwest of Chichén Itzá.
In May, INAH appointed Elías Miguel Alcocer Puerto to coordinate with local populations and facilitate tourist dispersion to Yaxunah. The site, once connected to Cobá by an ancient Maya causeway, serves a community of 755 residents and features both a cultural center and community museum.
The Balamcanché cave system, six kilometers from Chichén Itzá, is scheduled to reopen following its closure in 2020. The cave was initially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently flooded during hurricanes Cristóbal, Gamma, Delta, and Zeta.
The site’s Visitor Information Center (Catvi) remains under construction with no confirmed opening date. Once completed, it will occupy 17 hectares and include documentation and research facilities, the Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá, visitor services, artisan markets accommodating 1,000 vendors, and parking for over 900 vehicles.
Chichén Itzá’s explosive popularity stems from Cancún Airport’s status as the world’s tenth-busiest airport for international tourists and Mexico’s second-busiest overall, combined with El Castillo pyramid’s global recognition as Mexico’s most iconic symbol. Cruise ships arriving in Progreso on Tuesdays and Thursdays bring additional waves of visitors, primarily from the United States.
This overwhelming visitor volume creates the same pressures that forced Venice to implement entry fees and reservation requirements and Machu Picchu to establish strict daily quotas. At Chichén Itzá, the consequences include frequent heat-related medical incidents among international tourists unaccustomed to Yucatán’s climate and operational strain on the site’s 16 guide associations, which total 297 certified guides.
Yucatán Magazine has the inside scoop on living here. Sign up to get our top headlines delivered to your inbox every week.
