Chicanna

Tickets and tours: which to book

Nothing for Chicanna alone is sold online. Entry works the usual way for sites run by INAH, the national institute of archaeology: you pay a small fee in pesos at the ticket booth by the car park, and Sundays are free for Mexican citizens and residents. Bring cash, since card machines are unreliable in this remote area. There is no audio guide and only basic signs in Spanish and English.

Most people visit in one of two ways. Independent travellers with a car stop here on Highway 186 between Escarcega and Chetumal, often adding Becan and Xpuhil on the same afternoon, all within a few kilometres. Others base themselves in Xpujil for two nights and use local taxis or a hotel driver.

Small agencies and guides in Xpujil arrange day tours that combine Chicanna with Becan, Hormiguero or Balamku, and sometimes with Calakmul the following morning. These usually include transport and a Spanish- or English-speaking guide, while entry fees and lunch are often extra. Hotels in Xpujil and the eco-lodges on the road to Calakmul can book them.

The sensible choice is to rent a car in Campeche, Bacalar or Chetumal and drive the Rio Bec sites at your own pace, adding a guide only for Calakmul.

A short history

Chicanna was occupied from about 300 BC until roughly AD 1100, but most of what stands today dates from its peak between AD 500 and 800, in the Late Classic period. It was a compact settlement of fine residences and temples that seems to have depended on Becan, the walled capital of the Rio Bec region 2 km away, and may have housed its ruling families. Its buildings mix the Rio Bec, Chenes and Puuc styles. The archaeologist Jack Eaton recorded the site in 1966 and named it after the serpent-mouth doorway of Structure II, which was excavated around 1970. INAH has since consolidated the main groups, and the site lies within the wider Calakmul region.

Getting there

Chicanna is just south of Highway 186, the road across the base of the Yucatan Peninsula, about 11 km west of the small town of Xpujil and 2 km from the entrance road to Becan. Signs mark the turning, and a short access road ends at the car park and ticket booth. ADO buses between Escarcega, Campeche and Chetumal stop in Xpujil; from there a taxi takes about 15 minutes, and drivers will wait or return. Chetumal airport is about 120 km east, roughly two hours by car, and Campeche city is about four hours north-west. There are fuel stations in Xpujil, but few on the long stretches either side, so fill up.

Rules and what to bring

Climbing is restricted on the decorated facades, and drones need an INAH permit. Do not touch the stucco. Bring insect repellent, water and a hat: mosquitoes are fierce in the wet season and there is no shop inside. Toilets are at the entrance. Stay on marked paths, which also helps avoid ticks and snakes in the undergrowth.

When to go

Arrive at opening, at 8 am, when the forest is cool, the light falls on the east-facing doorways and birds and monkeys are active. By late morning the humidity builds and the sun is strong in the open plaza. Chicanna is rarely busy at any hour; even in high season you may share it with only a handful of people, because tour groups head for Calakmul instead.

The dry season from November to April is the best time to visit. Rain is common from June to October, when paths turn muddy and mosquitoes multiply, although the forest is greenest then and the site is almost empty. April and May are the hottest months.

Allow about an hour for the main plaza and Structure XX. With Becan, Xpuhil and Chicanna together, plan a full afternoon, and keep Calakmul, two hours away, for a separate early start.