El Osario

El Osario, also called the Ossuary or the High Priest’s Grave, is a step pyramid near El Castillo at Chichén Itzá. Its smaller scale makes it easy to overlook, but the four stairways, temple at the summit and detailed stonework are worth a closer look. An opening at the top leads down to a natural cave where burial chambers and tombs were found. Visit early or late in the day for softer light and a calmer stop, and consider a guide if you want context for the discoveries beneath the pyramid.

A smaller pyramid beside El Castillo

El Osario stands near El Castillo and is also known as the Ossuary and the High Priest’s Grave. It is a step pyramid on a platform, with stairways on all four sides and a temple at the top. The structure is smaller than El Castillo, but its stonework rewards a closer look.

El Osario is the only building in this section of the site noted for Toltec-style detail. Its position also makes it a useful stop on the route from the south side of El Castillo toward the other major structures.

The cave and burial chambers

An opening at the pyramid’s summit leads into a natural cave about 12 metres below ground. A shaft descends through five crypts. When the shaft was explored in the late nineteenth century, each crypt contained a skeleton and a trap door leading to the next. The cave is also reported to have had seven burial chambers.

The discoveries give context to the name High Priest’s Grave, though the structure is also known simply as the Ossuary. A guide can explain the archaeological finds and help you read the building’s details as you walk around it.