Becan

Structure IX at Becán

Becan is a large archaeological site in Campeche, Mexico featuring some well preserved pyramids. Becan was a Mayan site best known for its fortifications: a moat and a wall surround the core city center, with pyramids and temples clustered in a tight enclave with a strong core nucleus of unusually high structures.

Understand

Arched passageway inside Becan Structure IV

History

Becan was first settled around 500 BC. It reached a first peak between 250 BC and 250 AD, but then experienced a period of slow decline until about 500 AD when it hit a growth spurt with a lot of new construction in the Rio Bec style and including the moat and the wall fortifications. Although the moat is often described as a defensive feature, INAH archaeologists believe it was formed as stone was extracted to build city structures and that it served primarily for drainage. In any case, large-scale construction in Becan ended around 830 AD, though the city continued to be inhabited until about 1250 when it was abandoned.

Architecture

The site is an example of the Mayan Rio Bec style, which was common in the region from the 7th to the 12th century. Rio Bec architecture often features non-functional towers meant to make structures appear more impressive, and fake staircases and doorways that are non-functional. Rio Bec style also includes elaborate sculpturing, such as stylized snake heads.

Flora and fauna

The surrounding area is dense jungle, thousands of hectares of which are part of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. Thousands of plant species and all sorts of animal species live in the area. Everything from jungle cats on the prowl to monkeys in the trees and snakes under rocks.

Climate

The forecast is for hot and humid conditions. Unless you go at night, when it's dark, hot and humid.

Get in

Becan is located a few kilometers outside the town of Xpujil. It is a short taxi ride from Xpujil to the ruins. If you're driving, the turnoff is immediately past a pedestrian overpass and about 1 meter beyond the big highway sign pointing toward Becan.

By train

From any station stop in the Yucatan Peninsula you can take Tren Maya to the Xpujil station. From Xpujil, it is a short taxi ride to Becan. Cancun and Tulum are major station stops for Tren Maya and both have train stations on-site at their respective international airports. Merida and Campeche also have international airports and are closer to Xpujil than airports on the Caribbean coast.

Fees and permits

Admission to the site is M$75 per adult (Aug 2023).

Get around

Site map of Becan

The site is well maintained with good signage and walking paths.

See

Stucco frieze at Becán

A wide path leads from the parking lot to the guardian's hut, where you pay your daily admission fee and enter the site, using one of the seven original bridges into the city. The area here is known as the East Plaza, which is an enormous platform in the southeast corner of the site. The two huge towers are part of Structure I, which faces south. Structure II was a temple that had about 20 rooms. On the north side of the plaza is Structure IV, the best preserved building at the site. There are some stucco and sculptural remnants in Structure IV, which also has a much older temple inside it. It looks like during the Classic period, the Maya had built a new temple right over the top of the old one.

Near Structure VI, a vaulted courtyard runs for 75 meters through to the Central Plaza, the largest open space at the site.

Structure IX is the tallest pyramid at Becan. Archaeologists believe the design may have been copied from one at Tikal. To the west side of the site are the ballcourt and several smaller temples and some unexplored mounds. A trail leads to a small cluster of ruins called Mundo Perdido built around a central courtyard.

Eat

• 1 El Xate, Becan s/n (on a side street about 500 m from the archaeological site), ☏ +52 983 137 5146. Sa-Th 06:00 - 23:00 (closed F). Casual friendly place with burgers, fries, tacos and similar light fare. Be mindful of food safety when making your choices and you'll be fine. M$150. (updated Aug 2023)

Sleep

Hotels are available in the nearby town of Xpujil.

• 1 Hotel Casa Maya en Calakmul, Carretera Escárcega- Km 146, Calle Mirador Esquina el Tumbo Becan, ☏ +52 983 111 9104. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. You'll be disappointed if you book this place thinking it's in Calakmul, but you'll be pretty happy if you're actually looking for a place close to Becan, since the hotel is about a 500 meter walk from the Becan archaeological site. Moderate hotel that has issues with maintenance. M$1400. (updated Aug 2023)

Go next

• Xpujil
• Calakmul
• Balamku