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State
Yucatan
Sitio arqueológico
(Español) El Maquech
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State
Yucatan
(Español) Mayapán.
(Español) Top 6 de los lugares de la Península que debes fotografiar.
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Website
http://mayantravel.net/
Dzibilnocac
The Painted Vault
A Mayan settlement comprising various structures located in present-day Campeche, Dzibilnocac lets you relive the the majesty of the Mayan Chenes people’s architecture and culture. The Mayan city covers 1.32 km2 where you’ll find buildings constructed during the Late Classic Period, including pyramids, platforms, domed buildings and rooms.
Dzibilnocac means “Painted Vault” or “Great Painted Turtle” In this site, the first evidence of human settlement are from between 500-50 BC, and continue to the height of the Mayan civilization during the Late Classic Period. The site was discovered in 1842, but the majority of the buildings are still unexplored. The only explored site open to the public is Building A, which contains rooms along the building’s length and width as well as three towers with temple engravings on top. The structure is known as the Temple-Palace and was built between 600-800 AD during the Late Classic Period. Comprising a platform approximately 76 m long and 30 m wide, it supports the three towers in Rio Bec style, vaulted rooms and the temple where the Land Monster is part of the decoration and masks of the Mayan god of rain, Chaac, are carved on the temple’s corners.
Price
Open House
How to get there
Located 145 km east of the city of Campeche in Hopelchén
Schedule
Monday to Sunday Lunes 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Suggestions and Information
Wear lightweight clothing and comfortable shoes so you can easily walk around and get to different areas of the site accessible on foot or bike. Climbing the pyramids is permitted. Bring insect repellent because there are a lot of mosquitoes due to the site’s location in dense vegetation. Bringing in outside food and drink is not permitted. Flash photography is not permitted. Check the weather beforehand to plan your visit for the best time. Don’t forget to respect the area you’re visiting and keep it clean.
Services
Satellite phone, informational signage, parking, service unit, publication sales, restrooms, guard service.
Jaina Archeological Site
A Mayan burial ground
The island of Jaina is located in the coastal zone of the Hecelchakan municipality in the Petenes Natural Reserve. One of the region’s most interesting sites mainly because of its fame as a Mayan graveyard.
The most important feature about Jaina, a site closed to the public, are its small figures made of clay, which were destined to accompany the dead during their journey to the afterlife. Meticulously made and delicate, their realistic nature shows us a faithful picture of a society’s clothing and other symbols and characteristics.
How to get there
96 km northeast of the city of Campeche on highway 180 to Hecelchakan. Take a left, 37 km on a dirt road
Schedule
Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm
Suggestions and Information
Wear lightweight clothing and comfortable shoes so you can easily walk around and get to different areas of the site accessible on foot or bike. Climbing the pyramids is permitted. Bring insect repellent because there are a lot of mosquitoes due to the site?s location in dense vegetation. Bringing in outside food and drink is not permitted. Flash photography is not permitted. Check the weather beforehand to plan your visit for the best time. Don’t forget to respect the area you’re visiting and keep it clean.
Santa Rosa Xtampak
The Mayan city of the old walls
The most important city in the region of the Chenes (one of the Mayan architectural styles), whose name, Xtampak, means “the city of the old walls,” is considered the regional pre-Hispanic capital of the Mayan world, and recognized as the largest archaeological site in the state of Campeche.In the Late Classic Period between 600 and 800 A.D., Santa Rosa Xtampak became an important and politically-recognized entity, as shown by the extent of its territory and its monumental buildings.
The heart of the old city comprises a series of interconnected courtyards and squares and some relatively isolated groups.A wide walkway with an altar near its eastern end connects the Palace Square with the foundation of a pyramid in the Northeast Group. Santa Rosa Xtampak is one of the few places in the region where there are both smooth and sculptured stelae.
How to get there
Located 137 km from the city of Campeche, in the municipality of Hopelchen. Take federal highway 261; at kilometer 79, you’ll see a detour onto a paved road that goes to the site (32 km).
Schedule
Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Services
Parking, service unit, bookstore, restrooms, satellite phone, external signage, explanatory and restrictive signage.
Website
Archaeological Site Operation Officer Irma Cantun Mata Email: [email protected]
(Español) Zona Arqueológica de Kohunlich
Sorry, this entry is only available in Español.
El Meco
A visit to the past.
El Meco is a very important archeological site in Quintana Roo, which has the tallest building in the area, “El Castillo.”
You can walk around this small Mayan city and feel the connection with all the archeological sites and at the same time notice what makes them different from one another. It’s one of the few sites in good condition. It’s not well-known, which means fewer tourists, but that doesn’t make it any less important: there have been several important studies affirming the site’s relevance.
Price
Free entry (subject to change)
How to get there
Located at about the 8.2 km mark. Go south on Lopez Portillo No. 180, which will take you to the area.
Schedule
Open every day from 8 am to 4:30 pm.
Suggestions and Information
It’s possible that it’s closed at some times of the year, but because of its importance and interest in its buildings, the Centro INAH Quintana Roo authorizes visits if scheduled in advance with the center. It’s proximity to Cancun means it’s convenient to visit. Parking, restrooms and rest area.
Nearby places
For a totally different experience, visit Isla Mujeres.
