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The old Mayan City of Calakmul and the protected rain forest/biosphere of
the same name are about 300 kms South East of Campeche City. A three
to four hour drive from Campeche City takes you to one of the largest
concentrations of Mayan structures in the world and Calakmul is the star.
(From Campeche city, take Highway 180 from Campeche towards Champotón-Cd.
del Carmen. When you get to Sabancuy watch for the signs to Escarcega and
highway 186. Take 186 and it will take you all the way to the Biosphere
reserve and the Calakmul area).
Instead of talking about the history of the Mayas and this particular city,
something you will learn about when you visit, we rather tell you a little
bit about what it's like to visit the site.
We recommend you arrive the night or afternoon prior to your visit to the
ancient city. There are a few eco hotels in the area, one of which is
managed by a fellow Canadian by the name of Richard Bertram. His place is
called Rio Bec Dreams and it's quite close to the gate to Calakmul. Richard
offers 6 jungalows in beautiful surroundings within the protected biosphere
ecoreserve. You can also stay in the small town of Chicanná a half
hour drive from Calakmul.
The idea is to drive into Calakmul early in the morning. The park opens at
8am, but it takes about one hour from the main highway to get to the park's
gate. Once there, it takes about fifteen minutes to walk to the
archaeological site. The feeling is one of entering a time tunnel. As
you walk towards the site you hear the myriad of sounds from birds and many
times from monkeys (remember Ross's monkey in the series Friends? he must
have many relatives here).
Once you reach the main site you will see a tall pyramid (Structure II).
If you are in relatively good shape, climb the steps to the top. What
appears to be the top from the ground, isn't. Behind it there's still a bit
to go. Once you really get to the top enjoy the view!
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Tours in Campeche
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