Skip Chichen Itza if you hate fighting for space in your photos. Spend three hours climbing the Pyramid of the Magician and wandering the Governor’s Palace for legit Mayan architecture. Go at 8am sharp to beat the heat and the bus tours from Mérida. The $80 group tours are solid, but grab a private driver if you want to hit the nearby Kabah ruins without waiting for strangers. Bring double the water you think you need.
