Ancient City · Maya · Mexico
Chacchoben
Chacchoben is a Maya city in the jungle of southern Quintana Roo, an hour inland from the cruise port of Costa Maya, with three restored pyramids around wooded plazas. Its main buildings date from about AD 700, and some walls still show traces of the red paint that once covered them.
Chacchoben tickets: which one for you
Our pick for each kind of visit, with live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most.
Best for: First visit from the cruise port
A guide explains the temples and Maya life, and the tour bus runs to the ship's timetable, so there is no worry about missing the return.
- Private, with your own driver: From costa maya chacchoben mayan ruins private tour Your own guide and vehicle from the port, so you can leave first, reach the ruins before the coaches and set the pace for children or older travellers.
- Ruins plus Bacalar lagoon: Chacchoben mayan ruins and bacalar lagoon boat excursion Adds a boat on the blue lagoon of Bacalar after the ruins, which is the best use of a full day in port or on a road trip through the south.
Tickets and tours: all the options
Entry is paid in pesos at the ticket hut beside the car park; bring cash, as cards are not always accepted. The ticket covers the restored zone and the loop path, and there is a separate charge for video cameras. Local guides wait at the entrance and can be hired on the spot.
Nearly every tour on GetYourGuide starts at the Costa Maya cruise pier or in Mahahual and is built around ship times. The basic shore excursion is a coach or van ride of about an hour each way with a guide on the site for an hour to an hour and a half. Combination tours add lunch at a beach club in Mahahual, a tasting of local fruit or a boat ride on the Bacalar lagoon, known for its seven shades of blue. Private tours with a driver suit families and small groups, and a few tours start in Chetumal or Bacalar instead. Entry is usually included in cruise excursions, but check, and check whether the tour guarantees return to the ship. For a cruise passenger a guided group tour is the simplest choice; travellers with a car can drive themselves and hire a guide at the gate.
What to see at Chacchoben
Entrance plaza
From the ticket hut a gravel path leads through the trees to the first restored group, a small plaza with a stepped pyramid on one side. This is where guides explain how the Maya built their temples in stages, adding a new shell over the old one, and where the stucco and red paint survive under small shade roofs.
Great Platform and main temple
Next the path climbs onto the Great Platform, a huge artificial terrace that raised the main ceremonial buildings above the forest. On top stands the tallest pyramid of the site, with its broad staircase facing a plaza. Climbing is not allowed, but the scale is clear from the foot. A carved stela stands at the base.
18 tickets and tours for Chacchoben
Live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most tickets.
Palace buildings on the platform
Around the plaza on the Great Platform are lower buildings with rooms that probably housed the ruling families or priests. Look for the remains of stairways, doorways and the plastered floors. From the edge of the platform you can see how many mounds still lie unexcavated in the jungle around you.
Las Vasijas pyramid
Down from the platform, the loop path passes Las Vasijas, a pyramid named after the pottery vessels found in it. It is set apart in the trees and is often quieter than the main group, a good spot to look and listen for howler and spider monkeys in the canopy, especially in the morning.
Jungle loop back to the gate
The last part of the circuit runs through forest of ceiba, palm and gumbo-limbo trees past more unrestored mounds. Many are pyramids still covered by soil and roots, as all the temples were when archaeologists first saw them. The path returns to the entrance, where there are toilets and stalls selling drinks and crafts.
A short history
The Maya settled the area by about 200 BC, and most of the large buildings seen today were raised around AD 700, in the Late Classic period. The name, usually translated as place of red maize, is modern; the ancient one is unknown. The site lay hidden under forest until the 1940s, when a family farmed beside it, and was reported to the Mexican government in 1972 by the American archaeologist Peter Harrison, who first mapped it. INAH began excavation and restoration in 1994 and opened the site in 2002. Several mounds remain unexcavated.
Getting there
Chacchoben lies inland on Highway 307, between Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Bacalar, near the village of the same name. From the Costa Maya cruise port and Mahahual, drive west to the highway at Cafetal and then south for a total of about 70 km, an hour by road. From Bacalar it is about 40 minutes and from Chetumal, which has the nearest airport, about an hour. There is no regular public bus to the gate; second-class buses on Highway 307 can drop you at the turn-off, but the walk to the site is long. Most visitors come by tour bus, taxi or rental car and use the car park at the entrance.
Rules and what to bring
Climbing the pyramids is not allowed, and you must keep to the marked paths and not touch the painted plaster. Drones need a permit from INAH. Wear insect repellent, light clothing that covers your legs and closed shoes; mosquitoes are thick after rain. Bring water and a hat, although much of the path is shaded. There are toilets and a few stalls near the entrance, but no restaurant at the site.
When to go
Visitor numbers here depend on the cruise schedule. On days when one or more large ships are docked at Costa Maya, coaches arrive from about 9 am until early afternoon and the paths become busy. On days without ships the site is quiet until the 3 pm closing. Arrive at the 9 am opening to be ahead of the cruise coaches, when the jungle is cool and the monkeys are most active.
November to April is the dry season and the most comfortable time, with warm days and less rain. From May to October it is hot and humid, with afternoon storms, and September and October fall in the peak of the hurricane season. The heat builds after 11 am, but tree cover helps. Allow about an hour for the loop, or an hour and a half with a guide, and plan the rest of the day around Bacalar or the beach at Mahahual.
Combine it with
The Bacalar lagoon, 40 minutes south, is the classic pairing, with swimming, boat trips and the old Spanish fort. Beaches and seafood restaurants line the shore at Mahahual. The larger Maya sites of Kohunlich and Dzibanche lie west of Chetumal, about an hour and a half by car.
At a glance
| Hours | 9 am to 3 pm daily, last entry 2.30 pm; check locally |
|---|---|
| Closed | Open daily |
| Entry fee | from MXN 155; Mexicans and residents MXN 85, free on Sundays |
| Time needed | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Best time | At 9 am or after 1 pm on cruise days; November to April for drier weather |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; cruise passengers usually book a tour with transport |
| Access | Gravel and earth paths, some roots and steps; mostly shaded; not suitable for wheelchairs in wet weather |
| Getting there | Drive from Costa Maya port or Mahahual, about 70 km and one hour, via the Cafetal road |
| Founded | 200 BC (c. 200 BC (first settlement)) |
| Excavated | 1994 |
| Civilisation | Maya |
| Checked | October 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is Chacchoben open?
9 am to 3 pm daily, last entry 2.30 pm; check locally. Open daily.
How much is the entry fee for Chacchoben?
Entry fee: from MXN 155; Mexicans and residents MXN 85, free on Sundays.
How long do you need at Chacchoben?
Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for Chacchoben.
Do I need to book Chacchoben in advance?
Pay at the gate; cruise passengers usually book a tour with transport.
Can I book a ticket or tour for Chacchoben online?
Yes. GetYourGuide lists 18 tickets and tours for Chacchoben, with live dates and prices and free cancellation on most of them.
When is the best time to visit Chacchoben?
At 9 am or after 1 pm on cruise days; November to April for drier weather.
How do I get to Chacchoben?
Drive from Costa Maya port or Mahahual, about 70 km and one hour, via the Cafetal road.
Is Chacchoben accessible, and what is the terrain like?
Gravel and earth paths, some roots and steps; mostly shaded; not suitable for wheelchairs in wet weather.
Is Chacchoben worth visiting?
Worth it for a shaded walk among tall Maya temples in real jungle, with howler monkeys overhead, on a short port day. Skip or shorten it on a day with several cruise ships in port, or if you have already seen larger sites such as Calakmul, Tikal or Chichen Itza.
How old is Chacchoben?
Chacchoben dates from 200 BC (c. 200 BC (first settlement)). Excavations began in 1994.