El Caracol

Chichén Itzá


Called El Caracol (the Snail) by the Spaniards for its interior spiral staircase, this observatory, to the south of the El Osario, is one of the most fascinating and important of all Chichén Itzá’s buildings. Its circular design resembles some central highlands structures, although, surprisingly, not those of Toltec Tula.

In a fusion of architectural styles and religious imagery, there are Maya Chaac rain-god masks over four external doors facing the cardinal points. The windows in the observatory’s dome are aligned with the appearance of certain stars at specific dates. From the dome the priests may have decreed the times for rituals, celebrations, corn-planting and harvests.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chichén Itzá attractions

1. Edificio de las Monjas

0.09 MILES

Thought by archaeologists to have been a palace for Maya royalty, the so-called Edificio de las Monjas (Nunnery), with its myriad rooms, resembled a…

2. Akab-Dzib

0.1 MILES

East of the Nunnery, the Puuc-style Akab-Dzib is thought by some archaeologists to be the most ancient structure excavated here. The central chambers date…

3. El Osario

0.14 MILES

The Ossuary, otherwise known as the Bonehouse or the Tumba del Gran Sacerdote (High Priest’s Grave), is a ruined pyramid to the southwest of El Castillo…

4. Visitors Center Museum

0.24 MILES

The visitors center has a small museum with exhibits providing explanations in Spanish, English and French.

5. Chichén Itzá

0.24 MILES

Chichén Itzá, meaning 'mouth of the well of the Itzáes' in Mayan, is a stunning ruin well worth visiting for its spectacular, iconic structures and…

6. El Castillo

0.28 MILES

Upon entering Chichén Itzá, El Castillo (aka the Pyramid of Kukulcán) rises before you in all its grandeur. The first temple here was pre-Toltec, built…

7. Grupo de las Mil Columnas

0.32 MILES

This group east of El Castillo pyramid takes its name – which means ‘Group of the Thousand Columns’ – from the forest of pillars stretching south and east…

8. Templo de los Jaguares y Escudos

0.34 MILES

The Temple of the Jaguars and Shields, built atop the southeast corner of the ball court’s wall, has some columns with carved rattlesnakes and tablets…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "mexico/yucatan-peninsula/chichen-itza/attractions/el-caracol/a/poi-sig/501666/361707",
      "destination": "Chichén-Itzá",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "Mexico",
      "region": "Chichén-Itzá",
      "position": "superzone"
    }