Chichen Itza had evidently been functionally abandoned long before the Spanish first came, although the local indigenous Yucatec Maya still lived in settlements nearby, and even within its former boundaries (but in recently built wooden huts, not the stone buildings themselves).
Længe før de første spanieres ankomst var Chichen Itza tydeligvis forladt, selv om de lokale yucateker-mayaer stadig boede tæt på og endda inden for byens tidligere grænser (men i nybyggede træhytter, ikke i stenbygningerne).