Calakmul, Ancient Maya City from Bacalar or Chetumal
Description
Embark on a full-day adventure to the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul, a hidden treasure in the Mexican jungle. Our unique tour begins with a scenic one-and-a-half-hour drive into the heart of the Biosphere Reserve, where the remnants of Mayan civilization await. Experience a rare opportunity to explore one of the largest archaeological findings of the 20th Century, accompanied by our expert guides who vividly recount the city's rich history and culture. Along the journey, relish the chance to spot diverse wildlife in their natural habitat. The tour includes a three-hour immersive walk through the archaeological site, revealing the grandeur of the Mayan world. It's more than a trip; it's a journey back in time, nestled in a full day of exploration and discovery.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Travel the roads of the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul, one of the main capitals of the Mayan world and one of the largest archeological findings of the Twentieth Century. Discover the exuberant wildlife among the surrounding jungle, where you can spot monkeys, toucans, ocellated turkeys, deer and, if lucky, jaguars and pumas. After your transfer from Chetumal or Bacalar, we'll drive for approximately one and a half hours, entering the Biosphere Reserve, where the ancient Mayan capital of Calakmul lies. The road opens unique chances to spot flora and fauna endemic to the region. The clean and fresh air makes for a full immersion trip into nature. In the archeological site, we will walk through the paths for approximately four hours while telling you all about the meanings and uses of the buildings, as well as the history of this significant Mayan city from the Classic period. If you’re looking for a full day immersed in a quiet and unique natural environment, this is it.
The archaeological site lies inside the largest tropical Reserve in Mexico: The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Covering over 700,000 square hectares, it will amaze you around every corner with its wildlife and biodiversity. The total duration of the round-trip between Xpujil and Calakmul will be 3-4 hours
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will pick you up at any hotel 1 km around Chetumal or Bacalar.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum group 2 people
Reviews(10)
Tour guide was very friendly, and helpful. We had enough Time for The sigthseeing. The driver was very helpful.
This tour is a gem. Calakmul is a special place. Located in the jungle, you will discover these Mayan ruins. The tour is both a natural and an archaeological tour. We saw many species of birds, monkeys and flora. Our guide, Angel, was very knowledgeable. He took the time to answer questions and allow us to enjoy the experience. The tour is in small groups and the site is not crowded with tourists.
The biosphere is an incredible and massive area and the ancient Mayan city of Kalakmul is a hidden gem, Indiana Jones style. The pyramids and the other buildings are superb! Just be careful when climbing up and down, but it's nothing to be scared about (a little sweat is guaranteed but it was a quite breezy day and that helped a lot). Manuel, our guide, was just perfect: from the explanations about the nature and history to the little lunch they prepared for us. Obviously get ready to wake up early and travel for a few hours!
We completed this tour with Manuel who was very knowledgeable and helpful as we traversed the pyramids. Unlike some of the other sites, Calakmul isn’t heavily visited by others so you never feel rushed or crowed. It’s super neat to get to actually climb the pyramids and Manuel took us back to see a nesting vulture inside the former palace. If you’re debating about if it’s worth it to get a guide, you absolutely should and this is a great choice! We traveled from Bacalar and the pick up was very easy. We rode with Gama, who was an absolute delight and incredibly patient with the many questions we had for him. It is a few hours each way, but the whole experience was extremely pleasant and absolutely worth it.
Lovely hugely knowledgable guide, M was an absolute delight to be shown around by. The temples are amazing. But it def felt like this excursion was over advertised as more ‘adventurous’ than the what we experienced. Bought hiking shoes for the jungle, it was instead a gentle stroll in well paved woodland. Limited wildlife on display and, for the price, a ham a cheese roll for what materialised as a 15hrs day, with most of that in the car, was a bit much.
A fantastic guide (dew) to go to Calakmul. Fully recommended, as you know and explain this archaeological place very well.
Beautiful Mayan city immersed in the jungle. You can also climb above the ruins and look at the jungle from above, beautiful view. It is absolutely worth the 4h each way needed to get there and back from Bacalar. The only flaw that we have seen little local wildlife, but that depends on luck.
Calakmul was the most beautiful of the wonders we saw in Yucatan, Furtunately is not crowded yet and you can still walk on the ruins. The tour was perfect. The pick-up perfectly on time and the guide very knowledgeable.
Thank you for your comments. They are very valuable to us.
An amazing adventure with our tour guide Ezekiel. Reaching the top of the Calakmul temples/pyramids and sitting on top of the world was a phenomenal experience. Get there early, we (another traveler, Ezekiel and myself) were the only ones there and that made it feel even more spectacular. Ezekiel was full of knowledge, so much so, I thought he should write a book - and he already has. I was travelling alone and felt very safe on the tour. Lunch was a ham & cheese sandwich, there were mangoes, bananas, apples and granola bars as well as water and soft drinks. You have to carry your own supplies - so don’t forget to take what you want out of the cooler, with you, as you only go to the car at the end, when you have lunch.
Calakmul has always been a bucket list activity and Kaan came highly recommended. We were based on Bacalar so although a longer journey Kaan made it so easy. The drive through the Biosphere was fantastic with quite a bit of wildlife spotted and then the Archeological site itself was something else. Given it's not really on the main tourist route the site was so quiet and we were able to take everything in and really appreciate where we were. Special appreciation to our guide Ezequiel who was just the kindest and most knowledgable person. It was so lovely to learn so much about the site and local wildlife from someone who clearly loves what he does. I would recommend Kaan to anyone considering a trip to the area.
