Edzna
"Edzna House of Echos"
Edzna was founded between 600 and 300 B.C., later rising steadily from a small agricultural community to a regional capital which reached its apogee of political, economical and cultural significance between 600 and 900 A.D. Most of the ancient buildings are preserved.
"Edzna by Night"
Hacienda Puerta Campeche and Hacienda Uayamon proudly present a unique experience of visiting the archeological zone of Edzna, outside the regular openings hours, for a guided private tour by night with a specialized guide enjoying this architectural wonder under the moonlight. Please ask your Guest Relations Manager also for the possibility of "dining under stars at Edzna".
"The Chenes Route"
The scarcity of surface water is characteristic of the Yucatan Peninsula, in particular in its rough and rocky interior. For this reason, wells and springs have always assumed a special significance in this area, attracting settlements in their vicinity from prehispanic times on. The so-called Chenes owe their name to this very fact. Ch'en in Maya means 'well' and is found in many of the town names such as Hopelchen, Dzibalchen, and Bolonchen among others. Besides archeological zones and churches from the colonial period, the Chenes still show scars from a series of events that involved the entire Peninsula. In the second half of the 19th century, the Peninsula was the theater of the so-called "Casts War". One of the most afflicted areas was exactly that of the Chenes which was close to the rebellious sanctuaries now located in the State of Quintana Roo.
Hopelchen (the Place of the Five Wells)
This town is located 53 miles (86 kilometers) from Campeche. One of its attractions is the colonial Church of San Antonio which was built on top of the platform of a prehispanic structure. There is also the archeological zone of Tohcok which comprises various structures and mounds dating back to the years between 600 and 750 A.D.
Santa Rosa Xtampac
Built on a natural elevation that was leveled and divided evenly in three parts in order to accommodate the city, Santa Rosa Xtampac is considered a remnant of an ancient local capital. Among its buildings the Palace stands out, a construction of three levels and 44 rooms located in the main square. Also noteworthy are the Temple of Cha'ac with its lintels of Chicozapote and its doorjambs with geometrical figures and ornamental masks; the Reddish House with its annexes, and the Quarters along with the buildings that form the quadrangles of the southeast and the southwest.
Bolonchen
Anciently known as Bolonchen Ticul, the place bears nowadays the name of Rejón in honor of Manuel Crescencio Rejón, who was born here in 1799. Manuel Rejón is the author of the "Juicio de Amparo", a law that prohibits arrest until the day of trial; his birthplace is now a cultural center. Another place worthwhile visiting are the grottos of X'tacumbilxunaam which were discovered in 1841 by the explorer John L. Stephens. The grottos are of an impressive beauty.
Hochob (the place of the corncobs)
An archeological zone rising on a hill and comprising three squares. Here you can observe various "oquedades", which are the mouths of the so-called chultunes, subterranean water supplies used by the ancient inhabitants.
Dzibalchen
The rubber boom made it possible for Dzibalchen - about 78 miles (126 kilometers) from the state capital - to grow in the middle of a hostile landscape in the interior of the peninsula. A paved highway connects the Chenes with the archeological marvels of southern Campeche to explore adjacent Mayan sites such as Tabasqueño-Xtabas Hochob and Dzibilnocac, close to Iturbide.
Iturbide
In the middle of the 19th century, Iturbide was a prosperous town which grew from 20 to 1,500 inhabitants in a short time. Iturbide is located 79 miles (127 kilometers) from the Campeche capital. Here you can still find a set of four redoubts, four hexagonal garitones, which rise on the four corners of the square. There are also military type of elements to be found in the City Hall and the Castle which is built on top of a pre-hispanic mound.
Dzibilnocac
On the outskirts of Iturbide you find this place with its various groups of structures that include mounds, basements, administrative buildings as well as platforms and residential areas for huts. The apogee of Dzibilnocac occurred in the Classic period of Mayan history, the name meaning, "the vaulted and painted house".
Chicanna (The House of the Snake Fangs)
A community, which is supposed to have been dependent on the close-by Becan, lived at this place. Surprisingly though, the buildings are of an elegant and elaborate architecture despite their relatively small dimensions, they combine the styles of the Chenes and those of the River Bec. The main building and the central facade are part of Structure II, the facade being a representation of Itzamna.
From this highly symbolical facade which represents the entrance to the underworld stems the name Chicanna. There are still residues of the red paint that at one point covered the facade. Chicanna is 174 miles (280 kilometers) from the city of Campeche.
Xpujil (Cat's Tail)
Owing to the fact that the place is surrounded by a wild plant of the same name. The site comprises various buildings explored by Roman Piña Chan. The zone dates back to the Classic period (750 to 800 A.D.). Among the many original structures only some have been restored. The most representative one is structure 1, which is also known as the Building of the Three Towers. Structures 2 and 3, which form part of a ceremonial square along with structure 1, are of no architectural significance.
Balamkú
This archeological zone is located close to the town of Conhuas, 157 miles (253 kilometers) from Campeche. This zone, which owes its significance to the quality of its relieves, is reached by an open path through the forest. Florentino Gracia Cruz, who discovered the site in 1990, named the place Balam Ku (Temple of the Jaguar) in allusion to the representations of felines which appear on the beautifully decorated facade of the House of the Four Kings. This house is the principal building of the site, it is located on the northern side of the square where it is surrounded by the ruins of other constructions.
Calakmul (the place of the two adjacent pyramids)
The place was baptized by Lundell in 1932 and explored by Morley and Ruppert in 1932-1933. The main building is a pyramid 100 meters wide and 50 meters high. Here, the explorers discovered steles. The mayor structures of the site are:
The Gran Plaza - Layed out along a north-south axis according to archeologist Ramón Carrasco, the square was a place for ceremonies and rituals where the Mayas sought to recreate the mythical landscape of the creation of the world. Following this point of view, the surface of the square represents the primordial ocean while the pyramidal basements around the square represent mountains and the "Big Acropolis".
Sun, Sand and Turtles
In San Lorenzo in the municipality of Seybaplaya you can find a camp dedicated to the scientific study of sea turtles and some species of fish, specifically the causes for the disappearance of these maritime species. At the same time, the camp pursues the coordinated reproduction of the turtles in order to avoid their irretrievable extinction. For this purpose, ponds are used where the turtles reproduce before they are liberated into the ocean.
You are invited to make a little tour around the ponds and then, on board a boat, to visit a spawning place of the turtles on the shores of the ocean. Afterwards you can enjoy a tasty breakfast.
The turtle camp also offers children the opportunity to liberate one of the sea turtles grown in the ponds. In recognition of their beautiful activity they will receive a diploma.
Source: Hacienda Puerta Campeche & Hacienda Uayamon
