The German tourist was beaten by locals after authorities found him hiding inside the sacred pyramid
A tourist has been arrested in Mexico for climbing a sacred Mayan temple
Video shows a man scaling the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichén Itzá as thousands of visitors flock to the site to witness the spring equinox on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (@kevin_arsenault/TMX)
A tourist in Mexico is facing charges after he climbed stairs of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World before furious locals took justice into their own hands by beating the man.
Bystander footage shows the individual – who authorities have yet to name – scaling the side of the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichén Itzá in Yucatan last week.
The man was one of two separate visitors filmed climbing the pyramid on Thursday, as approximately 9,000 tourists flocked to the temple – referred to as El Castillo – to observe the spring equinox, according to local outlet Mexico News Daily.
MEXICO TOURIST WHACKED WITH STICK, HECKLED AFTER ILLEGALLY CLIMBING SACRED MAYAN PYRAMID
A tourist scales the side of the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichén Itzá as thousands of visitors flocked to the archeological site to witness the spring equinox in Yucatan, Mexico on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (@kevin_arsenault/TMX)
"He eluded us, even though we’re keeping watch on the western side of the temple," a National Guard member told Mexico News Daily. "He ran past us. He’s clearly in good physical condition."
Video shows one of the men scaling the steps as security guards chased after him. One of the trespassers, a 38-year-old German tourist, reportedly attempted to hide inside the pyramid chamber, but was found by authorities and escorted out of the historic site.
Mexican National Guard officers and personnel from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) attempted to shield the man, who was being attacked by the crowd as angry onlookers shouted that he should be "sacrificed" - referring to the human sacrifices that were once carried out at the top of the pyramid by the ancient Mayans, the local paper reported.
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People look at the pyramid of Chichen Itza in the southern Mexican state of Yucatan March 21, 2012. (REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Garcia)
The incident comes as thousands of tourists flock to the Chichén Itzá to witness an event known as the Descent of the Feathered Serpent, a natural phenomenon where the sunlight casts a serpent-shaped shadow along the pyramid’s stairs, during the spring equinox.
The site hosts a four-day-long program featuring activities for guests to enjoy. However, the events do not include climbing the nearly 1,000-year-old pyramid, which was outlawed in 2006 to protect the structure.
The two tourists were arrested and face potential fines under Article 55 of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones of Mexico, according to Mexico News Daily.
The Temple of Kukulkan is seen in the archaeological site of Chichen Itza in the southern Mexican state of Yucatan March 21, 2012. (REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Garcia)
A strikingly similar incident unfolded two years ago when a Polish tourist chose to scale the same pyramid.
The man was filmed running up the sacred temple’s stairs before a bystander whacked him with a stick as authorities placed him under arrest. The man was held in jail for 12 hours and fined 5,000 pesos, according to the Mexico Daily Post.
Chichén Itzá authorities did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Julia Bonavita is a Fox News Digital Production Assistant for Photo and Video, and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms.
