Chichen Itza Private Tour for Seniors | When Purpose Leads the Way

If you’ve read some of my other articles, you’ve probably noticed that I talk a lot about purpose. In fact, I even wrote an entire blog about Purpose and Intention, because I genuinely believe every activity should have a purpose beyond simply doing it.

The purpose of visiting Chichén Itzá isn’t checking another Wonder of the World off a list, it isn’t taking a picture in front of El Castillo, and it certainly isn’t saying, “I’ve been there.” The real purpose is to enjoy it, to experience it with your family, to create memories together, and to return home feeling that every step of the journey was worthwhile.

That philosophy has guided almost every decision I’ve made at Private Tours Playa del Carmen. It’s the reason I leave earlier than most companies, it’s why I invest in premium anti-fog snorkel equipment, it’s why I don’t mix groups, and it’s why I constantly ask myself a simple question:

What obstacle can I remove so my guests can enjoy the experience even more?

Recently, Chichén Itzá introduced its new visitor parking area. While I understand the reasons behind the change, it created a problem that immediately caught my attention. Guests now have to walk close to one kilometer before reaching the archaeological site, and for many visitors that’s simply an extra walk, but for elderly travelers, wheelchair users, or anyone with limited mobility, that distance can become the difference between enjoying Chichén Itzá and suffering through it.

At first, I thought a conventional wheelchair would solve the problem. It didn’t.

The path between the parking area and the entrance isn’t smooth. There are loose stones, uneven surfaces and long sections that make pushing a traditional wheelchair exhausting for the person helping, uncomfortable for the guest sitting in it, and completely opposite to the experience I want to provide.

Then I realized something.

I wasn’t thinking about this as a tour operator.

I was thinking about it as a son.

My mother lives with Parkinson’s disease, and she uses an electric wheelchair every day. That chair has given her a tremendous amount of independence, but I also know it wouldn’t be the right chair for Chichén Itzá. Watching her over the years has taught me something that many people never have to think about: accessibility isn’t just about having a wheelchair, it’s about having the right wheelchair for the place you’re visiting.

So I started looking for a solution.

Not a temporary solution.

A real one.

After weeks of research, I found all-terrain electric wheelchairs manufactured in China. Ordering them wasn’t easy. My original purchase through AliExpress became complicated when I was unexpectedly asked to send additional money outside the platform. I reported the situation, but nothing was resolved, so I cancelled the process and started over directly with the manufacturer. The entire experience was difficult enough that I decided, if I was going to do it, I would do it properly.

I ordered two.

Not because I expect to use them every day, but because I know that when a family truly needs one, nothing else matters.

Starting today, July 22, guests with limited mobility joining our Private Chichén Itzá Tours will have access to all-terrain electric wheelchairs, subject to availability.

This is probably one of the investments I’m most proud of, not because it gives my company something unique, but because it allows more families to experience Chichén Itzá together.

I honestly hope other tour companies copy this idea.

Really.

This isn’t about who did it first.

It’s about solving a problem that should never have existed in the first place.

If more companies begin investing in accessibility, then more grandparents will see Chichén Itzá with their grandchildren, more families will stay together throughout the day, and more travelers with limited mobility will be able to experience one of the New Seven Wonders of the World with dignity instead of worrying about whether they can make the walk.

People often ask me why I call my philosophy As a Father.

The answer is simple.

Because I always try to create the kind of experience I would want for my own family.

This time, however, the decision came from somewhere else.

As a Son.

Because sometimes the greatest improvements in a business don’t come from business.

They come from love.