Calakmul Municipality

A jungle municipality in southern Campeche, home to the ancient Maya city of Calakmul and a vast tropical forest reserve.

Calakmul lies in southeastern Campeche near the Guatemalan border, and most of it is covered in tropical forest as part of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Deep within the reserve, the ancient city of Calakmul was once the center of a Classic-period Maya superpower; you can climb its pyramids for views over the sea of forest, and together with the surrounding forest it is a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site. Along the highway there are further sites such as Becán, Chicanná and Xpujil. The municipal center, Xpujil, is the base for lodging and excursions. The dry season, November–April, has better roads. You can reach it overland via Chetumal or Campeche, and the Tren Maya also has a station here.

Destinations

• Calakmul (Xpujil)

Itineraries

• Grand Yucatán Peninsula Loop – A complete road trip starting and ending in Cancún, looping through three states from white cities and fortified towns…