Watch Castle Climber Punished: Tourist Climbs Chichén Itzá and Gets a Penalty Stick

Tourist behavior at the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Mexico continues to be a source of concern, with a Polish tourist being beaten by other tourists and fined after breaking rules and climbing the Kukulcán Castle. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has issued a statement reminding visitors to respect the rules and follow security protocols to protect Mexico's cultural heritage.

Climbing the castle has been illegal under the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historic Monuments since 2008. José Arturo Chab Cárdenas, who is in charge of the INAH-Yucatán Center, has stressed how important it is to follow the rules so that everyone can be safe and have a good time.

Kukulcán Castle Climb: Breaking the Rules and the Bank at Chichén Itzá

The esplanade of the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá once again became a place of "punishment" after several national and foreign tourists shouted slogans and beat a visitor from Poland, who this Saturday climbed the steps of the Kukulcán Castle, violating the rules of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

Some tourists beat the Polish man with a stick for being so bold, and others were confused by his actions since this pre-Hispanic building is considered one of the new seven wonders of the world.

"The tourist who climbed the western staircase of the castle without permission on Saturday, January 28, was detained and after 12 hours of administrative arrest was released," José Arturo Chab Cárdenas, head of the INAH-Yucatán Center, told EFE about the first action of this type in 2023.

On November 21, 2022, a woman from Tijuana climbed the castle, and several visitors almost lynched her, but the authorities did not report the punishment applied.

At the time, the Culture Secretariat of the Mexican government only put out a statement saying that the beautiful pre-Columbian building, which the Maya thought of as a temple to Kukulcan, was not damaged.

Cárdenas Chab said that the Polish tourist was also given a fine of 5,000 pesos ($263), which was paid at the Treasury Box in the town hall of Tinum, Yucatán, which is where INAH says the most popular archaeological site in Mexico is.

About the visitor who broke the rules by climbing the castle steps, it was said that he went into the forbidden area "to take pictures and post them on social networks."

Even though he reached his goal, INAH officials asked the Pole to delete all the pictures he took after two guards at the site, which gets 2.6 million visitors a year, went up.

Climbing Kukulcán Castle: A No-Go for Tourists at Chichén Itzá

The case of the Polish tourist who climbed without permission to the Castillo de Kukulcán is the first to be registered this year in Chichén Itzá, so INAH authorities in Yucatán, headed by José Arturo Chab Cárdenas, ask visitors to respect the rules.

"Tourists must follow the security rules set by INAH in the archaeological zone to protect Mexico's cultural heritage, look out for other tourists, and enjoy this Mayan legacy," he told EFE.

INAH said in a statement that the structure of the monument was not changed and that, as Chab Cárdenas reported, an administrative offense was charged for not following the rules set by the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historic Monuments.

Since 2008, the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historic Monuments has made it illegal to enter or climb certain structures or spaces in Mexico's archaeological zones.