Discover Campeche: Maya Architecture and Nature

Campeche can be explored through a wide range of themes: Maya architecture, the history of a fortified city, and protected landscapes with diverse wildlife. Calakmul brings together archaeological heritage and nature, while places such as Chicanná, Balamkú, Hochob, Santa Rosa Xtampak and Edzná each offer their own architectural and historical highlights. The Ruta Natural: Ríos y Lagunas also offers a different perspective on the region.

Calakmul: Maya Architecture and Protected Nature

The archaeological zone of Calakmul covers 70 km². Calakmul is the Maya city with the largest number of stelae, with 120 documented there. Five major complexes are linked to the central Great Plaza by ancient sacbés, or causeways. The number of stelae and the connections between the complexes give the site a distinctive architectural dimension: the plaza is the focal point of a network that extends across a vast area.

Calakmul’s archaeological heritage is protected within the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, established in 1989. The area is home to more than 350 bird species and nearly 100 mammal species, including jaguars, pumas, Baird’s tapirs, white-lipped peccaries, king vultures and ocellated turkeys. The archaeological site and protected landscape are thus both central to a visit to Calakmul: exploring a Maya city goes hand in hand with discovering the area’s biodiversity.

Distinctive Architecture at Maya Sites

Chicanná was a suburb of Becán. Some of its most important buildings were richly decorated with large zoomorphic depictions of Itzamná. At Buildings II and XX, open mouths form the entrances. This design makes the façades themselves a focus of the visit: at Chicanná, architecture, imagery and entrances can be considered together at close range.

At Balamkú, the central group comprises three main architectural groups. A modeled, polychrome stucco frieze stands out in particular and is considered unique in the Maya region. At Hochob, by contrast, the central façade features a huge zoomorphic mask of Itzamná, the supreme creator god of the ancient Maya. Those interested in Maya architecture will find different highlights at each site: the frieze at Balamkú, the entrances and façades of Chicanná, and the large mask at Hochob.

Santa Rosa Xtampak and Edzná also broaden the view of the region’s history. Santa Rosa Xtampak was a Maya capital of Los Chenes for 850 years. Its palace is considered unique for its scale and complexity. Between 400 and 1000, Edzná developed into a powerful regional capital in the western part of the peninsula. At the Templo de los Mascarones, modeled stucco figures depict the sun deity on its daily journey across the sky. The two sites offer different points of interest: Santa Rosa Xtampak for the history of a capital and the scale of its palace, and Edzná for its regional importance and its depiction of the sun’s journey.

City History and Landscapes

The historic fortified city of Campeche has a grid-pattern street layout and a ring of fortifications. Its walls enclose the city in the shape of an irregular hexagon. Here, the city’s structure and its fortifications go hand in hand: the regular layout and surrounding ring are two distinct aspects of the same historic city.

The Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve in the north of Campeche state offers another perspective on nature. It forms a nearly 300,000-hectare coastal wetland corridor, with islands and islets shaped by mangroves. This landscape differs markedly from the archaeological zones inland and adds coastal wetlands and mangroves to the range of experiences on a trip.

Routes and Trip Planning

To get to Xpuhil, the route from the capital, Campeche, follows Federal Highway 180 toward Champotón, then continues along Federal Highway 186. From Campeche, Hochob can be reached via a state highway, followed by a four-kilometer turnoff to Chenkó. These directions offer different starting points for planning trips to archaeological sites. If you want to visit several, first decide which sites will be the focus of your stay.

The Ruta Natural: Ríos y Lagunas connects Ciudad del Carmen with Palizada, passing through Laguna de Términos and the Río Palizada. It extends across 14 communities in the municipalities of Carmen and Palizada, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the region’s natural and cultural diversity. Alongside the Maya sites and the city’s history, this route offers a journey through river and lagoon landscapes.

Choose your priorities and plan your accommodation accordingly.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Campeche, Champotón, Seybaplaya, Isla Aguada, Santo Domingo Keste, Escárcega, Tenabo, Robles, Chicanná, Ciudad Del Carmen.

For the broader travel overview: Mexico.