Spring Equinox

On March 21st you can witness the incredible accuracy of Mayan astronomy as it was integrated into architecture.

The Mayans planned their lives around the sun; their daily lives centered on the sowing and harvesting of their crops, especially corn. At the spring equinox they planted the crops, and the fall equinox was their signal to begin the harvest. The Mayan built complex structures using advanced geometry and astronomy to map the cycles of the sun.

The equinox is an event of international importance, so be prepared to deal with crowds, parking, and walking. This is a sacred time for many, so please be respectful of those who are meditating and the Mayan who are doing their ceremonies.

Sunrise on the equinox as seen through the Temple of the Seven Dolls, Dzibilchaltun.

The equinox phenomenon can actually be viewed in Chichen Itza on the El Castillo pyramid for three days, so if it is raining or cloudy or you just can’t get there, it is visible from the 19th - 21st. During the equinox the sun casts its rays on the pyramid, forming seven isosceles triangles that resemble the body of a serpent 37 yards long slithering downwards until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway. It is said this snake is trying to make it to the well of sacrifice which is in the right direction.

At the Mayan site of Dzibilchaltun, March 21 at 5 AM is the day and time of the spring equinox when the sun sends its beams through the two windows of the Temple of the Seven Dolls providing a lovely spectacle of Mayan exactitude.

Dzibilchaltun is located 20 km north of Merida and while it doesn't have the giant pyramids of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, it does have its own special claims to fame such as its "museum of the village", Museo del Pueblo, the refreshing cenote where you can take a swim and the Franciscan chapel that blends in with the ruins.

Above: Our cover picture was taken by photographer Juan Manuel Mier y Teran and shows the spring equinox at Chichen Itza on the Kukulcan pyramid.

For more information on these archaeological sites, visit our pages on Chichen Itza, Dzibilchaltun and Uxmal.

For Dzibilchaltun, you should try to get there just before sunrise since the event (equinox show) happens at 5:00 am and lasts only a few minutes.

For Chichen Itza, you want to be there some time before 3 pm. The show will last for about an hour. Be prepared to meet a huge crowd.

Recommended reading
 Chichen Itza
 Dzibilchaltun
 New Seven Wonders of the World
 Spas in Yucatan
 Achaeology
Transportation in the Yucatan.

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