Chichén Itzá

In 2007, this sublime Mayan city was named one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World"—a distinction that puts Chichén Itzá on par with Peru’s Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China; now more than a million people per year come from all over the world to admire it. Those who are devoting more than a day to the magnificent and mysterious ruins often stay 2 km (1½ miles) west in Pisté, a tiny town that feels more like a base camp. Hotels, restaurants, and shops there tend to be less expensive than those just outside the ruins in the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone).