Chichén Itzá Expected to Reopen Today After Protest Closure

ByYucatán Magazine

Chichén Itzá is expected to return to normal operations today after a brief closure triggered by a protest over the site’s new visitor facility — the latest flare-up in a months-long dispute between local workers and authorities over how the landmark archaeological zone is managed.

INAH, Mexico’s national heritage agency, said the Centro de Atención a Visitantes, known as the CATVI, and the old parador turístico would be closed only on Tuesday, May 19, with regular operations resuming today, barring any further announcements.

Travelers planning a visit should confirm the current status before heading out, as the conflict remains unresolved.

The closure came after artisans, vendors, ejidatarios, and residents from nearby Pisté staged a protest that began overnight Monday into Tuesday. The trigger: metal fencing had been installed around the old parador, the parking and commercial area that had served as the main entry point before the CATVI opened in late March. The Consejo Indígena de Gobierno de Pisté Chichén Itzá announced the fencing on social media and called on the community to demonstrate.

INAH and Patronato Cultur, the state agency that co-manages the site, confirmed the closure in official statements — but described it only as a measure for “operational and interinstitutional coordination,” with no mention of the protest. Despite the announced shutdown, visitors continued entering the site through the morning.

The Consejo Indígena, for its part, called for calm. “We reiterate that there is no intention of harming tourism or aggressing any person,” the group said in a statement. “The call of the people is for dignity, respect, and compliance with agreements.” The council said its priority was avoiding confrontation while pushing to resume negotiations with state authorities.

The underlying dispute goes back to March 27, when the CATVI opened and reorganized how visitors enter and move through the site. The new museum entrance was designed to reduce congestion inside the ruins and give vendors designated commercial spaces outside the archaeological zone. The transition immediately disrupted existing arrangements. Within a day of the opening, the Confederación de Guías Nativos reported that 121 of its 176 members had been removed from the site, with only 55 authorized to continue working inside. Representatives said the move violated agreements previously reached with Cultur. In April, Yucatán Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena met with stakeholders to work toward a relocation process for artisans, though no binding resolution has been announced.

El Pueblo Mérida

The tensions are part of a much longer story. Vendors and guides from Pisté and surrounding communities have argued for years that their ancestral ties to the land — and their economic dependence on the site — give them the right to work inside the zone. That claim has long put them at odds with INAH’s preservation mandate. Blockades and protests have shut the site down repeatedly, drawing national attention and leaving tourists stranded. The CATVI was meant in part to resolve that impasse by creating a purpose-built commercial area, but the rollout has so far deepened the conflict rather than defused it.

Chichén Itzá drew more than 2.2 million visitors in 2024, ranking it as the most visited archaeological site in the Americas.

Quick Facts: Chichén Itzá

  • Expected to reopen: Wednesday, May 20 — confirm at facebook.com/INAHmx before visiting
  • Location: Off Federal Highway 180 near Pisté, about 120 km (75 miles) east of Mérida
  • Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; ticket sales end at 4 p.m.
  • Admission: approximately MX$697 (about US$40) for foreign visitors, collected as two separate fees
  • The CATVI, opened March 27, 2026, is now the main entry point, with ticketing next to the Gran Museo de Chichén Itzá
  • Chichén Itzá is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World

Sources: poresto.com; yucatanmagazine.com

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