This tour explores the dense forest of Campeche, which has left many of the grandiose Mayan buildings almost intact. In the southeast of the state you find what in 1989 was named the Reserve of the Biosphere of Calakmul with an extension of 723, 185 hectares.

In this area you find different types of flora and fauna. More than 800 species of plants have been identified here, among them the Ramón or Ox. Noteworthy are also the Palo Mulato or Chaca, provider of resin; the Copal or Pom, used as incense in ancient rituals. There are also more than 250 species of birds, more than 100 species of mammals and an abundant number of amphibians, reptiles and insects. The reserve is the home of tapirs, jaguars, monkeys, spiders, howler monkeys, deer, royal buzzards, pumas and more.

Located in the reserve are also the archeological zones of Balam ku, Calakmul, Chicanna, Becan, and Xpujil all of which are surrounded by exuberant forest. In the area you also find touristic services, such as restaurants, hotels and gas stations.

Balam Ku

This archeological zone is located close to the town of Conhuas, 157 miles (253 kilometers) from Campeche. This zone, which owes its significance to the quality of its relieves, is reached by an open path through the forest. Florentino Gracia Cruz, who discovered the site in 1990, named the place Balam Ku (Temple of the Jaguar) in allusion to the representations of felines which appear on the beautifully decorated facade of the House of the Four Kings. This house is the principal building of the site, it is located on the northern side of the square where it is surrounded by the ruins of other constructions.

Calakmul (the place of the two adjacent pyramids)
The place was baptized by Lundell in 1932 and explored by Morley and Ruppert in 1932-1933. The main building is a pyramid 100 meters wide and 50 meters high. Here, the explorers discovered steles. The mayor structures of the site are:

The Gran Plaza – Layed out along a north-south axis according to archeologist Ramón Carrasco, the square was a place for ceremonies and rituals where the Mayas sought to recreate the mythical landscape of the creation of the world. Following this point of view, the surface of the square represents the primordial ocean while the pyramidal basements around the square represent mountains and the "Big Acropolis".

Chicanna (The House of the Snake Fangs)

A community, which is supposed to have been dependent on the close-by Becan, lived at this place. Surprisingly though, the buildings are of an elegant and elaborate architecture despite their relatively small dimensions, they combine the styles of the Chenes and those of the River Bec. The main building and the central facade are part of Structure II, the facade being a representation of Itzamna.

From this highly symbolical facade which represents the entrance to the underworld stems the name Chicanna. There are still residues of the red paint that at one point covered the facade. Chicanna is 174 miles (280 kilometers) from the city of Campeche.

Becan (cliff)
Alludes to the ditch that surrounds the central part of the archeological zone, which is located 172 miles (277 kilometers) from the city of Campeche. The first expedition to explore and survey the zone was led by Karl Ruppert and John Denison in 1934 and sponsored by the Carnegie Institute. Becan’s architecture shows a marked tendency towards the monumental, displaying the same architectural styles you find in Chicanna. The archeological zone is located 3 miles (4 kilometers) to the east of Chicanna and 5 miles (8 kilometers) to the west of Xpujil.

Xpujil (Cat’s Tail)
Owing to the fact that the place is surrounded by a wild plant of the same name. The site comprises various buildings explored by Roman Piña Chan. The zone dates back to the Classic period (750 to 800 A.D.). Among the many original structures only some have been restored. The most representative one is structure 1, which is also known as the Building of the Three Towers. Structures 2 and 3, which form part of a ceremonial square along with structure 1, are of no architectural significance.

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