Cities in the Forest
Remote Maya cities discovered through landscape and architectural presence.
Introduction
These are Maya cities beyond the main circuits — deep in the forest, far from resort corridors and mass tourism. Reached by long roads and slow approaches, they reveal architecture that rises directly from the landscape. Their isolation shapes the experience: scale without crowds, and a less structured way of moving through them.
Featured Cities in the Forest
Cities in the Forest
Calakmul
One of the great Classic Maya capitals, set deep in the biosphere, where dynastic power once rivaled Tikal.
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Cities in the Forest
Becan
A fortified city and ceremonial center distinguished by its defensive ditch and controlled access — rare features in Maya urbanism.
Cities in the Forest
Santa Rosa Xtampak
The capital of the Chenes region, in a very remote area of Campeche, it is among the richest and most complex architectural compositions in the region.
Visiting these sites typically requires early departures, long drives, and tolerance for limited services. Their value lies precisely in that effort: scale without crowds, and architecture encountered at its own pace.
Routes into the Cities in the Forest
Cities in the Forest
Around the Rio Bec area
From Xpujil, venture into the Rio Bec region — a remote landscape of slender towers and hidden plazas, where Becan, Chicanna or El Hormiguero reward patient exploration far from the main circuits.
Cities in the Forest
Along the Puuc route
Follow the Puuc hills south of Merida, where sites like Uxmal, Kabah, Labna and Sayil reveal a distinct architectural language of mosaic façades and sculpted stone.
Explore the Puuc sites →
(more sites coming April 2026)
Cities in the Forest
In the Chenes region
Venture into the Chenes hills of Campeche, where elaborate zoomorphic façades transform temples into open-mouthed creatures. Less visited than the Puuc region, sites like Hochob and Dzibilnocac offer a quieter, more experimental expression of late Classic Maya architecture.
Cities in the Forest
Near Bacalar & Chetumal
Lagoons, river routes, and southern Maya sites near the Belize border — including Kohunlich, Dzibanche, and the quieter forests of southern Quintana Roo.
All the Cities in the Forest
Becan
Calakmul (coming Spring 2026)
Edzna
Hochob
Uxmal
Dzibilnocac
Xpujil
Santa Rosa Xtampak
Chicanná
El Tabasqueño
Dzibanché & Kinichná
El Hormiguero
Ichkabal
Kohunlich
Oxtankah