Location of the Chicxulub Crater

The Chicxulub crater is located on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. A significant portion of the crater is submerged beneath the Gulf of Mexico, while the rest is on land, buried under layers of limestone. It is not visible from the surface but has been extensively studied through geophysical surveys and drilling.

This massive impact structure, approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) in diameter, is widely believed to be the result of an asteroid impact that occurred about 66 million years ago. This event is strongly linked to the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event, which wiped out approximately 75% of plant and animal species on Earth, including most dinosaurs.

Pro tip: While you cannot see the crater directly, the cenotes (natural sinkholes) found across the Yucatán Peninsula are thought to be related to the geological disturbances caused by the impact, forming a ring around the crater's edge.