Becán, Mexico.
Exploring the quiet grandeur of a little-seen Maya city.
Looking for concrete details and tips? Go straight to the Practical Information section.
This article is part of a bigger trip through the seldom visited Mayan archeological sites of the southern Yucatán peninsula. After Becán and other sites in the region, I visited Calakmul and smaller Maya sites around Bacalar.
The sun was already up in the sky when I opened the door to my casita on the edge of the little town of Xpujil, Mexico. I had flown into Chetumal the day before and drove from the airport, arriving just before night fall. Today would be my first day of exploring the nearby Maya archeological zones, and the first one on the list was Becán. It was said to be the most impressive of the four I was planning to see, and I had decided to start there and try to be the first on site.
My enthusiasm might have clouded my judgement a little bit. I should have noted how weird it was that the breakfast place I had picked based on Google reviews wasn’t open yet - “doesn’t matter”, I said to myself, “I’ll fuel up on my way back”. When I arrived at the ruins and found a locked gate, I began to wonder if I hadn’t made a mistake.
A quick google search (“What time is it in Xpujil right now”, no shame) established that it wasn’t 8.05am, as my phone was telling me, but 7.05am. It turned out the state of Campeche was one hour behind Quintana Roo, where I had landed. I had passed the state line last night on my way to Xpujil, but for some reason my phone hadn’t updated to the new time. With an hour to kill and nothing to do, I decided to head back to my bed and sleep a little more.
Fast forward an hour later. This time, an open gate welcomed me, after I slalomed past dogs sleeping lazily on the macadam (the road mustn’t see a lot of traffic, I guessed).
Structure 9 as seen from the top of Structure 8 in Becán.
It was just past 8am, but the heat was already oppressive. The Becán archeological zone was in the middle of a glow-up, which, I would find out later, was a common trait with other sites in the region: since the arrival of the Tren Maya, the rail service linking key cities in the Yucatán peninsula to help development, the federal government had invested a substantial amount of funds to improve the tourism infrastructure in the region, and it showed in Becán. Next to the current, nondescript visitor center sat a gleaming new welcome pavilion and brand new restrooms. In a couple of months, the entrance to the site would feel a lot different.
For now, I was happy to be the first to get in - there were no other cars than mine on the parking lot, no buses either, and the one motorcycle parked under the shade of a tree belonged to a local worker.
I slalomed past dogs sleeping lazily on the macadam.
Becán, in modern Yucatec Maya, means “trench” (you may find more flowery translations online, but I am quoting the official INAH sign found on-site). The term was coined by 20th-century archeologists working to excavate the site, as part of the area is surrounded either by a moat for about 1.2 miles (2km), with several entrances across it. The original Maya name is unknown.
What’s striking about Becán is the sheer size of the site and of some of its buildings, implying it must have been an important center of power during its heyday (600-900 CE). Becán was also partly influenced by an architectural style called Rio Bec (or Bec river), for another Maya city in the region (as a side note, Rio Bec is one of the Maya sites nearby currently not open to the public, that can be visited with unofficial guides - I didn’t do this).
Structure 8, a great example of Rio Bec architecture in Becán.
It’s important to talk a little bit about this Rio Bec style as it is a common feature in sites as far as Balamkú. Typical of the Late Classic period in Maya times (600-900 CE), it was influenced by the aesthetics of Tikal, one of the most important Maya cities to the south, which developed earlier, and is known for what is called façade architecture, for its ornamental designs that seem to have no other goal than to impress.
The Rio Bec temples were often built as a long building with two ornamental towers at each end, which got narrower towards the top to create the illusion of height. Stairs leading to these towers were so steep they were unusable - they too were meant to be decorative. Finally, the temples at the top of the towers were not real places of worship. There were no rooms inside. They were just ornaments meant to look like temples.
Aside from the Rio Bec site itself, the best example of this architecture in the region is the settlement of El Hormiguero, south of Xpujil. In Becán, the remains of Structure 8 (Edificio VIII) are the best example of Rio Bec architecture on the site, with Structure 1 (Edificio I) a close second.
Another fantastic building to check out on the site is Structure 9 (Edificio IX). Located on the north side of the Central Plaza, it is the tallest building in Becán, and for this reason, considered to be the most important temple of the settlement. At 105 feet tall (32m), climbing it was no joke - a rope was there for safety - and the view over other buildings and the jungle at the top was absolutely worth it.
The back of Structure 4 seen from the entrance of the site of Becán.
My favorite place on the whole site was the plaza formed by Structures 1, 2, 3 and 4. Named the Great Southeastern Plaza by modern archeologists, it is an elevated platform supporting the four buildings surrounding it. I am not sure if it’s how close the buildings were to each other, the perfect square they formed or their sheer size, but this is where I was the most overwhelmed during my visit, especially from the top of Structure 2 (Edificio II), letting me enjoy a view of Structure 4 (Edificio IV), a probable residential building for the elite, in all its glory.
The most distinctive feature of Becán, however, was the moat surrounding the part of the site that had been excavated. A similar protection system isn’t found in any of the sites around it, which probably speaks to how important Becán was, and how critical it must have been to protect the heart of the settlement. Historians agree the moat was dug earlier than the buildings we can see on the site today, and that, by the time Becán’s power was the highest, between 600-900 CE, it had lost its use as a preliminary line of defense.
What stayed with me
Becán wasn’t my absolute favorite site near Xpujil - that would be El Hormiguero - but it was a close second: the size of the settlement, its magnificent buildings and lack of crowds made it a great experience, and, as the first city I visited in southern Yucatán, a fantastic introduction to Maya history.
Practical information
(Everything you could possibly want to know about Becán - updated November 2025)
In a nutshell
Becán, a major Maya site in the southeastern part of the state of Campeche, is best visited alongside other sites, as part of an itinerary that must include Calakmul. Discover grand buildings, great examples of Rio Bec architecture, and the only defensive moat built by the Mayas in the region.
The site is rarely crowded, even during high season (November-February).
Entry cost is MXN 80 as of publishing date. No tour guides are available on premises unless prearranged.
Plan to spend 60 minutes on site for a fast visit, and up to two hours for a more leisurely look at all the buildings.
Bathrooms are available on site, in a building so new it had no running water. Flushing the toilet meant getting water in a bucket, dropping it into the tank and then flushing. It was rudimentary but it worked (and the facilities were spotless).
The turn off to Becán coming from the west on Highway 186.
Getting to Becán
How to get to Becán from the United States: Becán, in southeastern Campeche, isn’t super easy to reach from the US. The closest airport is Chetumal (CTM), which has no direct flights to the US, making a connection in Mexico City (MEX) indispensable. Becán lies about two hours west of Chetumal airport, on Federal Highway 186, a well-maintained road with little traffic.
Another option could be to fly into Tulum (TQO), if planning a trip spanning more of the Yucatán peninsula, as US and Canadian airlines fly non-stop to the new Tulum airport, but travel time from TQO to Becán is over 4 hours.
Car rental is your best bet to visit the region, and the Chetumal airport has several local and international options, which were fairly priced at the time of my visit (provided you don’t fall for the pushy additional insurance coverage every single rental agent is incentivized to sell you - check your own credit card coverage beforehand). While ADO and Suchaa, a colectivo service, stop in nearby Xpujil, this isn’t very close to the ruins, and you’d need a 10-mn taxi ride to get there. It can be done, but unless the taxi waits for you, it may be hard to get a ride back. Renting a car makes the most sense from a planning and cost perspective, especially as part of a broader trip to nearby sites.
How to get to Becán from Mexico City: while it is possible to take a bus from the TAPO terminal in the capital all the way to Xpujil, a few miles from the Becán ruins, it isn’t recommended. The trip lasts more than 18 hours, in a first class bus that’s comfortable enough for a three to four-hour ride, but we’re talking about a trip that’s more than four times longer. The walk-up fare is MXN 1,822 (about USD100 at time of writing) which isn’t super competitive with flying.
The best way to reach Becán is indeed to fly into Chetumal airport (CTM), from Mexico City’s main airport (MEX) or its secondary airport (NLU). Aeromexico, VivaAerobus and Volaris operate once a day between MEX and CTM while Mexicana and Viva fly several days a week from NLU to CTM, with base prices starting around USD75 one way. Car rentals are widely available at Chetumal airport, from a variety of Mexican and international companies. Becán is about 2 hours west of the airport, along Federal Highway 186, a well-maintained, straight-through-the-jungle two-lane road.
A modest storage building in front of the brand new visitor center in Becán.
How much is the entrance fee to Becán
At time of writing, the fee was MXN80 per person.
What are the opening times for Becán
The site is open every day from 8am to 5pm. Entry is allowed until 4.45pm.
When to go to Becán
The best months weather-wise to enjoy Becán are during the dry season, between November and April, with January and February the (relatively) coolest months. This is also peak season so the site may be a little crowded, but that’s all relative. The friendly park guardian told me the site rarely sees more than 100 people a day in the winter (spread out through the day, and on a site this large, it pretty much means you’ll feel fairly alone).
I went to Becán in October, which is low season as the combination of possible afternoon showers and intense heat can turn off travelers. I loved it for the lack of crowds, and the slightly overcast weather which made the heat tolerable. I was the only visitor during my whole time there and had the site to myself, which was incredible.
Aim to go to the site early (it opens at 8am) or late (around 3pm, to give you two hours before they close), to avoid the hottest hours of the day. That being said, Becán, like most other sites around Xpujil, lies in the middle of the jungle, and most of your steps will be in the shade, making a visit around midday bearable if that’s your only option.
Safety in Becán
The Yucatán peninsula is a safe area of Mexico, and Campeche is one of the few Mexican states with no specific travel advisory: it is labeled a level 1 “Exercise Normal Precautions” state, just like anywhere in the US (note Mexico as a whole is labeled a level 2 country, but each state has its own level badge). As such, there is no need to worry any more than if you were taking a California to Vegas road trip.
A restaurant menu painted on a wall in Xpujil, near Becán.
Food & lodging near Becán
Becán is located a few minutes west of the town of Xpujil, which will most likely be your base: it has hotels, restaurants, gas stations and yes, three OXXOs, at least one of which is open 24/7.
Hotels
I stayed at the highly-rated Hotel Casa Las Lolas, on the outskirts of town. The hotel is actually made up of about 10 self-contained casitas, well-appointed, with kitchenette, good Wi-Fi and self-parking. I would definitely stay there again. Prices around USD100 per night.
Locals recommended the Hotel Villa Calakmul as a more affordable option in town. It is fairly basic, but seemed clean and safe and was away from the main road so traffic noise isn’t an issue. Prices around USD50 per night.
Restaurants
My favorite for breakfast: Antojitos Doña Evita. On the edge of town on the way to Becán. Good food, great service. It’s basic but super clean and affordable. Totally recommended.
A good treat for dinner: Sazón Veracruz. A large menu and a choice of terrace or indoor seating at very reasonable prices, as well as excellent Google reviews make this a safe bet. I had the meat, mushroom and cheese tacos which were decent, and price to quantity ratio was incredible.
Keep in mind these travel tips
The Yucatán peninsula is one of the safest regions in Mexico, and its main roads are well maintained. This isn’t enough to forget the #1 driving advice in Mexico: do not drive at night. Driving at night, on poorly lit roads means you won’t see the motorcycles without lights, the potholes and the ubiquitous topes, these notoriously hard speed bumps that seem to spring out of nowhere. You may encounter wildlife or, more prosaically street dogs crossing right in front of you. Plan your itinerary to be at your next destination before night fall. It’s important.
No matter the season, there will be bugs in Yucatán. While you may only see the gigantic Tarántula Yucateca spider on the roads leading to Calakmul, you’ll find mosquitoes pretty much everywhere, and especially in the shaded forests surrounding the Mayan ruins. Be ready with repellent at any time of the day. It’s also a good idea to wear clothes that cover your limbs (pants, high socks, long sleeve t-shirts) while you’re in the jungle. Mosquito-borne diseases are fairly uncommon in the state of Campeche, but not unheard of.
SPF will be your best friend. The UV index may be low in the morning and evening, but during the day, it gets pretty high.
Do not forget to hydrate. There are three OXXOs, the local version of 7-Eleven in Xpujil, but you’ll also find plenty of abarrotes, these tiny stores selling cold water and sodas along the way. Make sure you always have water handy, and drink to make the heat more bearable.
Cell service is spotty at best in southeastern Campeche, with Telcel the only provider with decent service in some places. If you’re roaming, check that you can roam on Telcel, or investigate a Mexican eSIM that uses this network. If not, think about downloading maps for offline use, it may prove very useful.
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