Teotihuacan Overtakes Chichén Itzá as Mexico’s Top‑Visited Archaeological Site

In May 2026 the State of Mexico’s Teotihuacan surpassed Yucatán’s Chichén Itzá as the most‑visited archaeological zone in the country for the first time since 2020. The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) reported that Chichén Itzá received 984,119 visitors in the first half of 2026, a 13.8 % drop from the same period in 2025, while Teotihuacan recorded 110,113 tourists in May, edging ahead by 5,996 visitors.

The decline at Chichén Itzá follows an 11‑day closure after a dispute with artisans who refused to relocate to the newly opened visitor‑center (CATVI). The conflict, which began in March, led to the site’s lowest monthly attendance on record (104,117 visitors in May). INAH and the Yucatán government have opened dialogue with the vendors to restore access and address grievances, but the loss of the tourism lead has already damaged the destination’s image.

The shift underscores a broader downturn in Yucatán’s cultural tourism, which fell 8.7 % in the same period, and highlights the economic stakes tied to heritage sites in Mexico.