Las Monjas Chichen Itza and the Southern Monument Loop
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Las Monjas is a large building group in southern Chichen Itza. The Spanish named it because its many rooms reminded them of a convent. Its Puuc and Chenes architecture differs from the Maya-Toltec buildings of the main plaza. A southern walk also includes the Osario, Casa Colorada, Akab Dzib and nearby Xtoloc cenote.
Last checked: . Follow permitted paths, barriers and staff directions.
| Group | What sets it apart |
|---|---|
| Las Monjas | Puuc and Chenes styles; later Spanish convent name. |
| La Iglesia and annex | Separate fronts; Chaac masks and inscribed doorway on the annex. |
| Osario | Seven tiers; 998 CE captive date is not a whole-building date. |
| Casa Colorada | Red paint, roof combs and attached ball court. |
| Chichen Viejo | Separate reserved visit; Fridays/Saturdays, groups up to 50. |
For help planning your visit, see the guide to Chichen Itza structures.
Last updated 2026-11-11 · By Maya Explorer Tours editorial team
What does the southern monument loop include?
The southern monument loop links the Osario, Casa Colorada, Las Monjas with La Iglesia, and Akab Dzib south of the main plaza. We suggest it as a walk through several groups. It is not one ancient precinct. El Caracol stands in the same area and has its own guide.
The groups change as you walk. The Osario echoes the main plaza pyramid. Casa Colorada is a small plaza of modest buildings. Las Monjas shows the Puuc and Chenes carvings of the earlier southern city. This sequence shows how Chichen Itza grew in stages and styles, not all at once.
- Osario group: a stepped pyramid, a circular platform, a Venus Platform and the Platform of the Tombs
- Casa Colorada group: Casa Colorada, Casa del Venado and two platforms around a small plaza
- Las Monjas group: the main building, its annex, La Iglesia and an unexcavated ball court
- Akab Dzib: a building in the same southern sector
- Xtoloc: a cenote reached by a sacbé from the Osario plaza
- Chichen Viejo: a separate Initial Series complex further south
Was Las Monjas actually a nunnery?
Las Monjas was not a nunnery; 'the Nuns' is a later Spanish name. Its many rooms reminded the Spanish of a convent. That describes how it looked to newcomers, not who used it. There is no evidence of Maya nuns.
Las Monjas has Puuc and Chenes styles, unlike the Maya-Toltec buildings around El Castillo. It has mat designs, carved texts and a two-headed jaguar throne on the main stairway.
The group includes the annex, La Iglesia and an unexcavated ball court. Compare its carved walls with the stepped shapes near the main plaza. The change of style is easy to see.
How do La Iglesia and the annex differ?
La Iglesia is a small building beside the Las Monjas annex, with rich Puuc-style carvings on its front. Its name means 'the Church'. Its designs include shapes and gods from Maya tradition. The annex is part of the original Las Monjas building. It has many Chaac masks and a doorway with an inscription in the Chenes style.
The two are close, so identify each before matching it to a carving. The inscribed doorway and many masks of Chaac, the rain god in Maya tradition, belong to the annex. La Iglesia has the richly carved front.
The doorway is one of several written texts in the southern group. Our Maya writing guide explains the script and where to see inscriptions; this doorway's text is part of its design.
What makes the Osario plaza distinctive?
The Osario plaza repeats the main platform's layout with a different orientation, and its pyramid resembles El Castillo. A sacbe joins it to the main platform near the pyramid's south side. It also has a circular platform, a Venus Platform and the Platform of the Tombs.
The Osario pyramid has seven stepped tiers and four stairways with intertwined-serpent side rails. Upper panels show God K with cacao seeds, jewels and fruit in Maya tradition. Two feathered-serpent columns mark the upper temple entrance. A pillar inside shows a captive. Its 998 CE date relates to that figure, not the whole pyramid's construction.
The name High Priest's Grave does not identify a known occupant. The nearby Platform of the Tombs may have served as an ossuary. Several secondary burials were found there, and its columns once held a roof of perishable material.
What are Casa Colorada and Casa del Venado?
Casa Colorada and Casa del Venado stand around a small square plaza. It also has a platform with a stela and another not yet investigated. Casa Colorada, or Chichanchob, means 'the Red House', from red paint found inside. It has roof combs with openings cut into them.
Casa Colorada probably had a religious and public role. A ball court with Maya-Toltec reliefs is attached on its east side. Casa del Venado, 'the House of the Deer', is a traditional name to tell the buildings apart. It does not identify who lived or worshiped there.
A short sacbe joins this plaza to El Caracol. The groups are neighbors on the walk. Casa Colorada's plaza shows a more modest part of the city than the large temple groups.
In 2023, work at the base of Maudslay's Temple 6 revealed a sculpted warrior's face about 33 centimeters (13 inches) high. It wears a serpent helmet with open jaws and a feathered headdress. The face had been reused as building fill. It probably belonged to a larger sculpture.
How do Xtoloc and the second Venus Platform fit in?
A sacbe runs east from the Osario plaza to Xtoloc, a cenote used for the city's groundwater. Xtoloc is not another name for the Sacred Cenote. That northern sinkhole is known for offerings and sacrifice. Our Sacred Cenote profile covers its separate setting.
The Osario plaza has its own Venus Platform, similar to the Great Plaza Venus Platform beside El Castillo. Its reliefs show a bird-serpent-man figure and Quetzalcoatl-Kukulcan as the morning star in Maya tradition. Bundles of years appear beside Venus symbols at the corners. Upper panels show Venus among cloud serpents.
Keep the two Venus Platforms apart when reading maps or photos. Xtoloc is part of the site, not a swimming stop. For a swim after the ruins, plan a separate cenote with its own visitor rules.
What should you know about Akab Dzib?
Akab Dzib stands in Chichen Itza's southern sector, near El Caracol and Las Monjas. It fits into the same southern walk.
You may hear different translations of its name or stories about who lived there. Your guide focuses on its recorded form and setting from the visitor path.
Is this walk the same as Chichen Viejo?
Chichen Viejo, 'Old Chichen', is a separate area farther south, not this regular southern walk. It is an elite residential complex with homes and small temples. These include the Temple of the Phalli, Temple of the Snails and Temple of the Monkeys. The Temple of the Initial Series gives the group its name.
That temple has a Maya Long Count date on a lintel, matching July 30, 878 CE. Chichen Viejo is booked at the site ticket office for groups of up to 50, with site staff and a guide. Visits run Fridays and Saturdays, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. (Chichen Itza time). Mention it when you inquire; reservation days decide whether it fits your date.
How do you visit the southern monuments?
The southern monuments are viewed from permitted paths, without climbing or room entry. You see the Osario stairs, Las Monjas fronts and Akab Dzib from the ground. Staff can close parts of the area. Follow barriers and directions.
The southern loop adds walking beyond the main plaza. Bring water and a hat. Mention limited mobility when you inquire so the pace can suit your group.
On a guided walk, compare the groups rather than ticking off names. The Osario echoes El Castillo. Casa Colorada is a modest plaza. Las Monjas has Puuc and Chenes carvings.
What else should you know about the southern monuments?
Does the Nunnery name describe Maya nuns?
Las Monjas was not a Maya nunnery. The Spanish gave it that name because its many rooms reminded them of a convent. The name does not show who used the rooms. The building has Puuc and Chenes styles, with mat designs, carved texts and a two-headed jaguar throne on its main stairway.
Are all southern buildings one Puuc construction phase?
The southern monuments are not one Puuc construction phase. They belong to distinct groups. Las Monjas has Puuc and Chenes styles, while the Osario echoes El Castillo. Casa Colorada has a ball court with Maya-Toltec reliefs. Walking between them shows different styles and stages, not a single shared building date.
Does the Osario name identify a buried high priest?
The Osario's name High Priest's Grave does not identify a known person buried there. The nearby Platform of the Tombs may have been an ossuary, where several secondary burials were found. Its columns once supported a roof of perishable material. These finds do not name a known high priest in the pyramid.
What is the date on the Osario?
The date 998 CE is associated with a captive on a pillar inside the Osario temple, not the construction of the whole pyramid. The building has seven stepped tiers and four serpent-lined stairways. Keep that figure's date separate from a date for all the stages of the pyramid or plaza.
Can I enter the Osario cave or Akab Dzib rooms?
The Osario cave and Akab Dzib rooms are not part of the visitor route described here. Plan to view both buildings from outside. Climbing is not part of Chichen Itza access. Follow barriers and staff directions in the southern area, including any closures that affect the path on your day.
Can you visit Chichen Viejo?
Chichen Viejo visits require a reservation at the site ticket office. Groups of up to 50 go with site staff and a guide on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. (Chichen Itza time). It is separate from the regular southern monument loop.
Where can I compare the separate observatory?
The El Caracol monument guide explains the circular tower, its spiral staircase and its link with Venus, a planet important in Maya ritual calendars. El Caracol stands close to Las Monjas, and a short sacbe joins it to the Casa Colorada plaza on the same southern walk.