Balankanché Caves
Grutas de Balankanché
A Maya ritual cave near Chichen Itza, where incense burners and offerings more than a thousand years old remain. Guides lead tours at scheduled times.
The Balankanché Caves lie about 6 km east of Chichen Itza. In 1959, locals discovered a sealed passage containing Maya offerings, including pottery incense burners and grinding stones. Many of the incense burners bear the face of Tlaloc, the rain god, and most remain roughly in their original positions. The visitor route is about 1 km long. Inside is a stalactite column resembling the World Tree, and the route ends at an underground pool. Entry is by timed session, with audio-visual commentary. The cave is hot and humid, and some passages are low, so people prone to claustrophobia should consider carefully.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–16:00, timed entry
Nearby sights
- Cenote Ik Kil
- Chichén Itzá
- Cenote Yokdzonot
- Cenotes Dzitnup (X'keken & Samulá)
- Cenote Saamal (Hacienda Selva Maya)
- Cenote Oxman
- Convent of San Bernardino de Siena
- Calzada de los Frailes