German tourist arrested after scaling Chichén Itzá pyramid during spring equinox

Among the thousands of tourists from astir the satellite flocking to Chichén Itzá for the outpouring equinox, 2 decided to interruption the rules by climbing the iconic Temple of Kukulkán.

On Thursday, successful abstracted incidents, 2 overseas tourists evaded information and scaled the pyramid, besides known arsenic El Castillo.

🚨 TURISTA SUBE AL CASTILLO DE CHICHÉN ITZÁ DURANTE EL EQUINOCCIO

Un turista ignoró las normas y escaló la pirámide main de Chichén Itzá en pleno espectáculo de luz y sombra del equinoccio.

Los visitantes, que esperaban el descenso de Kukulkán, quedaron atónitos cuando el… pic.twitter.com/MLzOIVnM1j

— Diario de Yucatán (@DiariodeYucatan) March 21, 2025

Visitors to the past Maya tract successful the authorities of Yucatán — determination were 8,000 to 9,000 connected Thursday, with 11,000 to 12,000 expected connected Friday for the existent equinox — reacted by yelling angrily astatine the scofflaws.

One of the offenders, a 38-year-old German, was physically confronted by the assemblage and received a stroke to the forehead that drew blood, witnesses said. Apparently, immoderate radical were adjacent shouting that helium beryllium “sacrificed” — an allusion to the quality and carnal sacrifices the Maya erstwhile carried retired astatine the highest constituent of the pyramid.

The concern escalated to the constituent wherever the National Guard unit and agents from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) were attacked portion trying to support him from the aggravated crowd.

“He eluded us, adjacent though we’re keeping ticker connected the occidental broadside of the temple,” said a National Guard subordinate who declined to springiness his name. “He ran past us. He’s intelligibly successful bully carnal condition.”

Two tourists were arrested astatine Chichén Itzá — a fashionable destination astatine the outpouring equinox, erstwhile a snake-like shadiness crawls up the pyramid known arsenic El Castillo. (Martín Zetina/Cuartoscuro)

The incidental echoed a concern successful 2022, erstwhile a pistillate who climbed Kukulcán was subjected to shouts of “Lock her up!” and “Jail! Jail!” aft her descent. “Chichén Itzá visitant faces aggravated mob aft illegally climbing Kukulcán pyramid,” was the header successful Mexico News Daily the adjacent day.

The outpouring equinox astatine Chichén Itzá is simply a important yearly event, ever attracting ample crowds. Most travel for a improvement known arsenic the Descent of the Feathered Serpent, which occurs erstwhile sunlight creates a shadiness resembling a serpent descending the pyramid’s stairs.

The site’s Equinox programme includes activities from March 20 to March 24.

However, it does not see climbing the stairs connected a UNESCO World Heritage tract and 1 of the New Seven Wonders of the World — an enactment that has been prohibited since 2006 to support the structure.

Thursday’s culprits were handed implicit to authorities, facing imaginable fines nether Article 55 of the Federal Law connected Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones of Mexico.

The German antheral who breached information protocols reportedly attempted to fell successful the pyramid chamber, but was yet escorted down by INAH custodians.

With reports from El Universal and Latinus