Río Bec Archaeological Sites: Becán, Chicanná, and Xpujil Ruins
- Calakmul Insider
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
🏛️ 1. The sites 5 km from your bed
Most people who visit Calakmul don’t know about the three archaeological sites practically next door.
Becán, Chicanná, and the Xpujil ruins sit within 5 km of Xpujil — and within 2–3 km of Casa Ka’an. They represent the Río Bec architectural style, a tradition unique to this corner of the Maya world, characterized by false towers, elaborate façades, and a particular relationship between architecture and the surrounding jungle.
You can visit all three in a single day. You should stay for two.
🗺️ 2. Understanding the Río Bec style
Most visitors to Mexico encounter the Chenes or Puuc styles — the rounded columns of Uxmal, the geometric mosaics of Kabah. Río Bec is different.
The defining features:
False towers that mimic the profile of tall pyramids but are decorative, not functional — the steep stairways lead nowhere
Zoomorphic façades where entire buildings are shaped as the open mouth of a serpent or earth monster
Integrated jungle — many structures remain partially covered, which isn’t neglect, it’s how they were found
This style exists only in a small geographic area. What you see here, you don’t see anywhere else in the Maya world.
🛕 3. Becán — the moat city
Distance from Casa Ka’an: 2 km
Entrance fee: $80 MXN per person
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Recommended visit time: ~2 hours
Guides available: Yes
Becán is unique in the entire Maya world for one reason: it’s surrounded by a dry moat — an artificial trench that encircles the ceremonial center completely. Nowhere else in ancient Maya civilization has this feature been found at this scale.
The site has multiple large structures, several plazas, and excellent preservation. The views from the top of the main pyramid are surprisingly good — you can see the jungle canopy stretching in every direction with no modern development in sight.
Becán is the largest and most complex of the three Río Bec sites near Xpujil. Start here.
🐍 4. Chicanná — the serpent mouth
Distance from Casa Ka’an: ~3 km (1 km past Becán)
Entrance fee: $80 MXN per person
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Recommended visit time: 45 min – 1 hour
Guides available: No — visit with Ka’an Expeditions or self-guided
Chicanná is smaller than Becán but arguably more striking. The main structure — Structure II — features one of the most elaborate zoomorphic façades in all of Maya archaeology: the entire entrance is framed as the open jaws of Itzamná, the serpent deity.
The detail in the stonework is extraordinary. Masks, fangs, and geometric patterns cover the façade in a composition that has survived remarkably well given its age.
Give it the hour it deserves. The temptation is to rush through — don’t.
🏗️ 5. Xpujil ruins — the three towers
Location: In the town of Xpujil (walkable from the bus terminal)
Entrance fee: $80 MXN per person
Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Recommended visit time: 45 min – 1 hour
Guides available: Yes
The Xpujil ruins sit inside the town itself — an unusual situation that makes them easy to visit and easy to overlook. The defining feature is a three-tower structure — a classic expression of the Río Bec false tower style. The central tower is the best-preserved example of this architectural form in the region.
The site is compact. You won’t need more than an hour, but the architectural context is worth understanding before you visit Becán and Chicanná.
🗓️ 6. How to visit all three in one day
This is entirely doable from Casa Ka’an:
Stop | Time | Duration |
Xpujil ruins | 8:00 AM | 1 hour |
Becán | 9:30 AM | 2 hours |
Chicanná | 12:00 PM | 1 hour |
Back at Casa Ka’an | 1:30 PM | — |
That leaves your afternoon free — for the pool, a nap, or an evening walk in the jungle before dinner.
💡 If you’re visiting Calakmul the following day, doing Río Bec sites first is the logical sequence: arrive, rest, visit Río Bec on day 2, Calakmul on day 3. Two full days, two completely different experiences.
🌿 7. Why almost no one visits these sites
The honest answer: because they’re not on the standard tourist circuit. The Tren Maya brought some new visitors to Xpujil, but the infrastructure for guiding people to Becán and Chicannná is still minimal.
For travelers who make the effort: you’ll likely be the only people there. On a weekday morning at Chicannná, it’s not unusual to have the entire site to yourself.
That’s either the best reason to go or a complete dealbreaker, depending on what kind of traveler you are.
🎒 Ka’an Expeditions offers a dedicated Río Bec tour (“Estilo Río Bec”) that covers Becán, Chicannná, and Xpujil with a certified guide. Guests of Casa Ka’an receive 10% off. See tours →
Casa Ka’an · Boutique ecological hotel · Xpujil, Calakmul, Campeche · casakaan.com
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