RUINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE
WHAT TO DO IN CALAKMUL? MY JOURNEY
A tarantula
A monkey
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul’s ruins
Calakmul is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites I’ve seen in Mexico. It was considered one of the most important Mayan cities. Located in the middle of the jungle, there are still a lot of ruins visible, a little less well maintained than some I’ve visited but that is part of the charm of the place.
To visit the place, it’s a bit complicated. If you have a car, you can do this on your own quite easily. They say the road is bad but honestly I thought it was ok, you have to watch out for a few holes. Without a car, it’s very complicated! We went with a guide. You can ask for a contact at your accommodation. If you don’t speak Spanish, check if the guide speaks a language you understand (it will be a little more expensive than a Spanish guide). Our tour included the visit of the archaeological site but also a tour in the jungle to observe animals. If you haven’t done Costa Rica yet, the tour is definitely worth doing. For that, departure at 5:40 am from Xpujil. After 1h30 by car, you start with the observation of the animals because it’s better to do it early in the morning to see as many as possible for an hour. We were pretty lucky as we saw tarantulas, a small crocodile, toucans, a deer, a fox, spider monkeys and howler monkeys. It was really cool to see all these animals in the wild.
Then, head to the archaeological site of Calakmul. You continue to go into the jungle by foot and then arrive at these huge temples! You’ll have to climb these many stairs to reach the top of these ruins and have a magnificent view above the trees. This is where you realize you’re in the middle of the jungle with ruins above the trees. It’s just amazing to see all this! It’s possible to climb most of the ruins. We visited the place for about 2 hours. There weren’t many tourists, which still allows you to climb these ruins today. But be careful if this site becomes famous, it may not be possible to do so after a while. In my opinion, it’s the archaeological site not to be missed.
One excursion that we didn’t do but which is known in the area is the “bat cave”. Towards the end of the day, at sunset, thousands of bats come out of a cave. It seems to be really impressive to see. So if you’ve some money and time, don’t hesitate to do it.Price of the excursion with guide, transport, lunch, drinks, entrances: 1,600 Mexican pesos per person
To visit the place, it’s a bit complicated. If you have a car, you can do this on your own quite easily. They say the road is bad but honestly I thought it was ok, you have to watch out for a few holes. Without a car, it’s very complicated! We went with a guide. You can ask for a contact at your accommodation. If you don’t speak Spanish, check if the guide speaks a language you understand (it will be a little more expensive than a Spanish guide). Our tour included the visit of the archaeological site but also a tour in the jungle to observe animals. If you haven’t done Costa Rica yet, the tour is definitely worth doing. For that, departure at 5:40 am from Xpujil. After 1h30 by car, you start with the observation of the animals because it’s better to do it early in the morning to see as many as possible for an hour. We were pretty lucky as we saw tarantulas, a small crocodile, toucans, a deer, a fox, spider monkeys and howler monkeys. It was really cool to see all these animals in the wild.
Then, head to the archaeological site of Calakmul. You continue to go into the jungle by foot and then arrive at these huge temples! You’ll have to climb these many stairs to reach the top of these ruins and have a magnificent view above the trees. This is where you realize you’re in the middle of the jungle with ruins above the trees. It’s just amazing to see all this! It’s possible to climb most of the ruins. We visited the place for about 2 hours. There weren’t many tourists, which still allows you to climb these ruins today. But be careful if this site becomes famous, it may not be possible to do so after a while. In my opinion, it’s the archaeological site not to be missed.
One excursion that we didn’t do but which is known in the area is the “bat cave”. Towards the end of the day, at sunset, thousands of bats come out of a cave. It seems to be really impressive to see. So if you’ve some money and time, don’t hesitate to do it.Price of the excursion with guide, transport, lunch, drinks, entrances: 1,600 Mexican pesos per person
WHEN TO GO?
We were there at the end of October, the weather was nice.
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK |
HOW LONG?
One day is enough. Try to arrive in the early afternoon so you can watch the bats come out of the cave, and do Calakmul the next day.
WHERE TO SLEEP? MY ACCOMMODATION
HOTEL CHAAC CALAKMUL
C. Puerto Rico, Fundadores,
24640 Xpujil, Camp., Mexico
Price: €26 / night for a room with private bathroom for 3 people
Click here to book.
Cheap accommodation if you travel with other people, right in the city center, ideal for what you’re going to do. Not too much privacy in the bathroom because the walls don’t go up to the ceiling so you can hear a bit of everything.
MY 3 TIPS TO VISIT CALAKMUL
- Sleep in Xpujil to do the different excursions.
- If you don’t have a car, it’s possible to do everything with a guide. It’s certainly a bit expensive but no other solutions.
- Arrive in the early afternoon to watch the bats come out of the cave at the end of the day, and continue the next morning on the guided tour of the animals and the ruins of Calakmul.
