Campeche, Mexico

6 hours ago
7 min read

May 2026

Campeche, Mexico

Why?

I recently set out on a whirlwind, three-day solo road trip through the southern regions of the Yucatán Peninsula and Campeche. My mission? To dive deep into the Rio Bec and Chenes architectural styles of the Maya, immerse myself in the biosphere, and see these incredible Mayan ruins.

Day 1: La Ruta Río Bec

The adventure kicked off right at sunrise morning with a quick breakfast on the go. I hit the pavement and headed straight to Dzibanché, and wow, what an absolutely incredible site. It is massive, imposing, and completely breathtaking to see in person. One of the more incredible things I saw there was the surviving color on the main large temple. I have never seen pigment preserved like that at any other site. Terracotta background with blue circles. Staring up at those vibrant, ancient hues gave me a genuine, spine-tingling glimpse into what these ceremonial centers actually looked like back at the absolute peak of the Mayan civilization.

Exploring Dzibanché

From there, I moved on to neighboring Kinichná with plans to climb to the top of its famous acropolis. The universe had other ideas, though, as African Honey Bees had taken over the top of the temple, making it a no-go for climbing. Instead of pushing my luck, I admired its massive scale from a safe distance before heading out.

Exploring Kinichná

Spanning over 20 acres of dense, palm-filled jungle, Kohunlich is far larger and more architecturally complex than most people realize. The heart of the site is the 500 C.E. Temple of the Masks, where ancient, brilliantly preserved, six-foot-tall giant stucco faces of the sun god K’inich Ajaw, which double as portraits of ancient rulers, survived the centuries by being entombed underneath later constructions. Beyond the masks, the site opens up into a massive civic core featuring The main Plaza, a ceremonial Ball Court, and the elevated, elite administrative compound of The Acropolis. Exploring deeper, I wandered through the remarkably intact residential ruins of the Pixa’an Group and climbed the broad masonry staircase of the 27 Steps Group, which rewards you with an unbroken, breathtaking view out across the endless jungle canopy. The entire city is a marvel of ancient engineering, uniquely graded with a network of drainage canals designed to funnel tropical rainwater away from the temples and straight into massive, man-made reservoirs to keep the civilization thriving deep in the wild.

Exploring Kohunlich

Next I headed to Xpuhil. Getting to this site is half the adventure. If you rely on Google Maps, it will lead you to the wrong spot entirely. It's at the massive stone highway sign reading "Calakmul" where you'll find the ruins of Xpuhil. I had to pull over and ask several locals in the modern town of Xpuhil for directions before finally finding the entrance. But it was well worth the trouble, because what waits for you inside is a brilliant, psychological masterclass in ancient political theater.

Exploring Xpuhil

The absolute centerpiece is Structure I, an imposing building that boldly broke the traditional twin-tower Río Bec mold by adding a third tower. However, the grandeur is a massive, architectural illusion: the steep stairways are too narrow to climb, and the temples at the top are solid stone blocks with no interior rooms. Archaeologists believe Xpuhil wasn't a standard city, but rather an elite residential and administrative municipality where high-ranking nobles lived and created local laws. The grand, illusory towers were essentially a monumental facade designed to project absolute authority and reinforce state power to anyone entering the plaza. I saw a replica of what this site would have looked like when completed in the Chetumal Maya Museum and it looked to be outstanding. I still thought it was stunning to look at. Again, another site all to myself.

By the afternoon, I arrived at Becán, and it completely stole the show. Honestly, this might be my absolute favorite site of the entire trip. It is an outstanding, deeply immersive place to explore. The sheer variety of what is left behind is staggering. There are so many different temples, sprawling plazas, hidden tunnels, and structural areas to climb and investigate. You can truly lose yourself in the architecture.

There's a moat around the entire city. You cross a bridge as you enter, but, if you weren't paying attention, you'd miss this completely. This moat around the city, again, hard to see if you aren't looking for it, acted as added protection to the city against attacks.

Exploring Becán

I wrapped up the day's exploration at Chicanná, which offered a totally unique architectural treat. The entrances to the temples here are carved into elaborate, menacing monster faces. The history behind it is fascinating: these monster mouths were designed so that when the city's leaders stepped out to address the public, it would look as though they were literally emerging from the mouth of a god to deliver their decrees.

Exploring Chicanná

As the afternoon waned, I filled up the tank and raced the clock down Highway 186 to make the 4:00 PM cutoff for the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve entrance. My calculations were wrong as I thought it was only a 30 minute drive from Chicanná but, once I got into the car I saw that it was about a 50 minute drive! I was not going to make the cutoff to enter, but, because the roads are so well paved and there was virtually no traffic, I drove very fast and made the cutoff after all with about 5 minutes to spare. Whew. After paying the entrance fees, I navigated the winding 49-kilometer jungle road to the new Hotel Mundo Maya Calakmul, settling in just as the jungle night came alive.

Tucked deep inside the pristine biosphere reserve, the Hotel Mundo Maya Calakmul (also known as the Tren Maya Hotel) is an absolute standout and easily one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed at. It’s located just 10 kilometers from the Calakmul archaeological zone, it is a beautifully, jungle forward design with tall palapa style roofs and dark woods. It was fun to walk around and explore. I headed to bed a bit early as I wanted to get up right at dawn to visit Calakmul!

Day 2: Calakmul

Calakmul is the reason I wanted to come to this region. It holds a significant place in the history of the Maya. During the classic period Calakmul and Tikal were in constant battle with each other. Calakmul wanted to combine the different regions into one large empire, but, up until that time the Maya shared beliefs but operated as independent city states.

I rolled out of the hotel parking lot at 7:20 AM to ensure I was right at the gates for the 8:00 AM opening. It paid off. I was the first person to step foot into the archaeological zone that morning.

While the few other early birds naturally stopped to explore the structures near the front entrance, I went straight for the back. I hiked directly through the awakening jungle, spotting incredible wildlife along the way and made a frontline dash straight to the main, towering pyramids (Structure II).

As I walked through the main plaza, I was struck by the sheer number of stelae, tall, monolithic limestone monuments jutting from the ground. They functioned almost like ancient newspapers, their sides carved with detailed glyphs broadcasting the latest laws, news, and war victories, while their fronts depicted powerful deities. Having visited numerous ruins, this site stood out by far for having the highest concentration of stelae I’d ever seen. It’s an impressive testament to the city's importance, proving it was a booming epicenter of information for the Maya during the Classic period.

Exploring Calakmul

Walking into the main plaza I had the place entirely to myself. Climbing structure II is a massive feat as the steps are rather large and there are multiple levels to get to the top. Once standing atop this incredible structure I felt awe for the massive effort, size and importance of this place. Feeling what it must have been like to be here looking down from the top of the jungle over the people below. Looking out over an ocean of green jungle stretching all the way to the Guatemalan border, was unforgettable. Calakmul was the fierce rival of Tikal, a superpower of the Classic period, and you can still feel that ancient gravity when you look out from the canopy. By the time I slowly worked my way back to the front, the main crowds were just starting to trickle into the site.

After exiting the reserve, the solitude returned at one quick stop, Balamkú. Balamkú is a beautiful, intimate site home to a breathtaking and incredibly preserved interior stucco frieze. When I arrived, I asked the caretaker at the front if the relief was open. He radioed back to check, gave me a quick "Sí," and off I went. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I reached the structure, I found a locked door with a woman standing guard. She was the only other person at the site, there specifically to unlock the climate-controlled cavern for me. The moment I stepped inside, I was stunned by what lay before me: a 1,500-year-old giant relief sculpture, every intricate detail perfectly preserved. It brought tears to my eyes as I stood alone, studying its every curve. This masterful piece of history staring right back at me was truly breathtaking, and I was so incredibly grateful I made the stop.

Exploring Balamkú

I made it back to Chetumal just in time for a late afternoon walk through the Museum of Mayan Culture which was a great little museum. Most of the items are replicas here, but it was designed in a very cool, jungle vibe.

Exploring the Museum of Maya in Chetumal

Day 3: Return to Tulum

After a fresh breakfast in my hotel room, it was time for the 2.5-hour drive back north to Tulum where I would spend the next 8 days.

To wrap up an intense, beautiful journey, I settled right back into the local rhythm: a legendary lunch at Burrito Amor, a scooter delivery straight to my villa, and a cool, meditative afternoon swim in the crystal-clear waters of Cenote Corazon. Since I’ve been to Tulum many times I will stop here, even though I will say that Tulum remains my favorite place on the planet.