West wall of the Gran Basamento

As we walked through the rain forest, we realized that Chacchoben was completely different than Tulum. It was more of a mystery and certainly less "touristy." Again, I could find little history on the actual archeological restoration of this site however, we were told it is quite recent, perhaps the 1970's, and was found using satellite imagery. Much of Chacchoben is still being excavated. This area of the west wall is one temple built upon another over hundreds of years. All Mayan sites were ceremonial and the Basamento was an area for the gathering of priests and other high ranking officials. Ritual sacrifices were often made here.