Chichén Itzá, Mexico’s most visited archaeological site, reopened to the public on Monday after a 13-day closure triggered by a dispute between authorities and local vendors who sell handicrafts, t-shirts, and other souvenirs within the site.
The federal government, the state of Yucatán, and the Indigenous Council of the Government of Pisté reached an agreement to reopen Chichén Itzá, but with little in writing to guarantee future stability. Some community leaders warned that the underlying conflict remains unresolved and a renewed closure is possible.
The most recent dispute erupted on May 19 when the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the state government closed the site as a preventative measure.
The closure came as authorities sought to move hundreds of vendors from the old tourist center, which has operated for decades, to a new visitor center known as the CATVI. The CATVI is part of a broader tourism overhaul linked to the Maya Train project.
Vendors at Chichén Itzá, as well as some guides, viewed the relocation as a “betrayal” because the site was sealed during an ongoing dialogue session. In response, the community permitted tourists to enter the ruins without paying admission.
Economic losses during the closure were estimated at over 800,000 pesos (approximately USD$45,600) per day.
Under the agreement that reopened the site, no vendors will be expelled from the archaeological site. But here there is an important detail: this only applies to vendors who agreed to take part in an INAH census in 2025, which many did not. The new entry point for all visitors will be the CATVI.
The Indigenous Council of Pisté said it had reached a “verbal agreement” with federal and state authorities in keeping with decades of community custom. The council insisted that no legal documents were signed that would “fragment or minimize collective indigenous rights”.
Despite the reopening, there is significant skepticism among local merchants, who fear the new access route will reduce foot traffic to their stalls.
The Indigenous Council filed an ongoing legal injunction on May 27 to keep the old tourist center open, arguing that its closure would affect the livelihoods of approximately 2,000 vendors and service providers.
The Yucatán government has proposed relocating merchants to the pathway between the CATVI and the Sacred Cenote, a route that visitors must use.
The government assured that no evictions would take place. However, representatives of the Indigenous Council said discontent remains widespread among merchants who rely on tourist traffic.
Past attempts to control the vendor presence at Chichén Itzá have met with strong opposition, including blockades and violence against the site’s director. In January 2023, vendors blocked access roads to demand greater access to the complex.
Aside from Chichén Itzá, several archaeological sites in Yucatán remain closed, including Mayapán, which has now been closed for three years due to an ongoing conflict with ejido members.
A similar situation continues to unfold in Balankanché near Chichén Itzá. That has also been closed to the public for years.
The caves and archaeological site of Lol-Tún were scheduled to reopen in May after they flooded in 2020, ruining the lighting system. No new date has been provided.