Travelers Guide to Campeche

CALAKMUL

            Far incide the jungle of the southern part of the state of Campeche, explorer Cyrus Longworth lundell discovered the ancient Maya City of Calakmul in 1931. He called it `the city of wo adjacent mounds´, which can be explained as: CA (from the Mayan `two´) LAK (nearby), and MUL (mound).

you´ll find this incredibly impressive site in the biosphere reserve of Calakmul obout 318 km from the City of Campeche and 30 km from the border with Guatemala. The reserve was created in 1989 and covers an area of 723,185 hectareas, which is almost 13 percent of the total state territory.

In this area jaguars, howler monkeys, deer, pumas, wild cats and many ather mammals have their home, together with many kinds of spiders, reptiles, insects and more than 800 plant species 8 (for example the “Ramon” Brosimun Alicastrum a plant that was a very important source of food for the Mayas, and the “Zapote” Achras Zapota a tree providing wood, fruit and chicle, also Palo de Tinte or Campeachy wood).

While you`re driving through the 60 km long road that leads you archaelogical site just pull over for just a minute or two and enjoy the sound of nature, ring there and then you will realize how far you are from modern civilization and how much it feels as if you are in another worl.

Enjoy Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The archaeological zone covers an area of 70 square kilometers and has more than 6000 structures of which the majority is well hidden inside the jungle. Still the amount of constructions that are already exposing are most definitely a good proof of the fact that Calakmul used to be the largest Maya city of its time.  

Travelers Guide to Campeche
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