Inside the Chichen Itza Pyramid: The Hidden Temple, the Jaguar Throne and the Cenote Below

Inside the Chichen Itza pyramid, El Castillo encloses an earlier pyramid associated with a red jaguar throne and a chacmool. UNAM reported another nested substructure through electrical tomography in 2016. A separate 2015 survey identified a cenote beneath the building, but its depth remained uncertain, not a confirmed 20 metres.

The Older Pyramid Sealed Inside the Visible One

El Castillo contains two earlier building stages according to UNAM’s 2016 electrical tomography report: the substructure discovered in the 1930s and a smaller one detected inside it. Researchers estimated the older discovery at 20 metres high and the innermost structure at about 10 metres, plus a possible shrine.

That layering is the key to reading the whole building, and the terrace count, staircase maths and calendar coding of the outer pyramid are set out in the Kukulcan Pyramid guide.

Why the Red Jaguar Throne Still Sits Where It Was Left

Mexican archaeologists tunnelled into the north staircase in 1931 and reached the buried temple in 1935. Inside stood a jaguar-shaped throne coated in cinnabar red, its spots made from 73 jade discs, its eyes jade and its fangs shell. Nothing had been looted.

The Chacmool Guarding the Doorway

A reclining chacmool figure sits in the antechamber, holding a flat disc on its stomach where offerings were placed. The same figure type appears in the open air on the platform covered in the Temple of the Warriors guide, which is the closest thing to seeing the inner chamber's contents in daylight.

The Cenote Discovered Under the Foundation in 2015

UNAM’s 2015 survey identified a cenote beneath El Castillo using three-dimensional electrical tomography. Researchers described a water body roughly 20–25 metres across north to south and 30 metres along its longest dimension. The report explicitly called its depth uncertain and described approximately four metres of limestone above it.

The placement looks deliberate. Four known cenotes sit at the cardinal points around the city, and the pyramid stands between them over a fifth, hidden one. The most famous of the four is described in the Sacred Cenote guide, and the water-and-underworld beliefs behind it are covered in the Mayan gods guide.

Why the Interior Closed and Whether It Will Reopen

INAH sealed the inner passage in 2006 after safety and conservation reviews: the tunnel is a single narrow file, humidity from thousands of visitors accelerates decay, and one fatal accident on the exterior stairs that year forced a wider closure. The exterior rules are set out in the can you climb Chichen Itza guide.

UNAM’s 2016 report proposed future direct investigation of the innermost structure. It did not set an excavation date or predict that the structure would remain unexplored for decades. Electrical tomography is evidence of hidden construction, not a visitor route through the building.

Seeing the Hidden Layers From Outside the Pyramid

You can still read the buried pyramid from the plaza once someone points out the tunnel entrance on the north side, the joint where the outer casing meets earlier stone, and the equinox alignment explained in the Chichen Itza snake shadow guide. Where everything sits relative to the entrance is mapped in the Chichen Itza map guide.

None of this is on the site signage. Our Chichen Itza tours run with certified INAH guides who cover the 1935 excavation and the 2015 cenote survey on the spot, and Itza Quest keeps every group private so questions get real answers.

By Muhammad Hammad