Comalcalco

Zocalo in Comalcalco

Comalcalco is a small city in the Gulf coast area of Tabasco, Mexico. It is a very old Maya community known as the westernmost city-state of the Yucatán Maya civilization. The archaeological site is the town's biggest draw, but a nearby biosphere reserve provides plenty of nature-watching opportunities and Comalcalco can be a great base from which to explore nearby scenic colonial churches in outlying villages.

Understand

The area around Comalcalco was sparsely populated up until about 500 AD when the first structures were built by the Maya. The town continued to grow until it was abandoned around 1000 AD. The modern town dates from 1820 when it was built on an area of the Mezcalapa River that had dried up. Today, it is small city with about 43,000 residents (2020).

The city's main economic activity is agriculture, particularly cacao, which has been grown in the area for at least 2,000 years. Comalcalco and its nearby villages account for 20% of the total cacao production in the state.

Get in

The nearest airport to Comalcalco is Villahermosa (VSA ^IATA). It is about 1 hour by taxi or bus.

By car

It's about a 1-hour drive from Villahermosa to Comalcalco. From Villahermosa, go west on federal highway MEX-180 for about 25 km, then turn right on Reforma - Dos Bocas. Continue another 25-30 km to Comalcalco.

By bus

Buses between Comalcalco and Villahermosa operate every 20 minutes from very early morning to early evening. These buses are operated by Autotransportes Comalli Plus.

Several other bus lines operate "direct" routes from Villahermosa to Comalcalco, but direct isn't always very direct since they usually take a longer route than necessary so they can drop off passengers in the town of Cardenas, making the fairly short distance into a journey of more than an hour. Bus lines include AU (an ADO company) and Transportadora Turística del Caribe. Tickets from both companies start at M$40.

• 1 ADO Comalcalco (Bus station), Carretera Comalcalco-Paraíso 141, Centro. Departure/arrival point for AU and affiliated bus companies. 

• 2 Autotransportes Comalli Plus (Bus station), Reforma 505, Centro. Buses to Villahermosa leave every 20 minutes. Tickets cost M$40. Buses are clean and modern with air conditioning. 

Get around

The town is small enough that you can easily walk to most places, but there are some interesting places to see in nearby villages and in the eco reserve north of town. Taxis are available near the zocalo but ride-hailing apps do not work in Comalcalco.

See

Ascension of the Virgin Church, Cupilco

• 1 Hacienda la Luz, Leandro Rovirosa Wade 232, Centro, ☏ +52 993 207 8379. M-Sa 09:00 - 15:00, closed Su. Temple to chocolate in all its tasty forms. Learn about how cacao was first cultivated in this area more than 2,000 years ago, how it became an important culinary and trade good during the Maya civilization, and how it continues to be the world's most loved flavor of food and drink. Various tours are offered as well as classes and workshops for those who just can never learn enough about chocolate. 

• Santuario La Asunción de María (Ascension of the Virgin Church), Cupilco - In a country full of spectacular historic churches, it's hard to get "Wowed", but this church will do it. Spectacularly colorful and full of natural themes and indigenous patterns, the church feels very Mayan. The baroque architecture and the Christian crosses testify to its roots in Spanish colonialism, but the feel is very un-Spanish. The church is in a small village, about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the center of Comalcalco, but an absolutely "worth it" side trip.
• Reserva Ecologica Rio Playa, Ignacio Zaragoza (3rd and 4th sections) - large protected natural area with dense forests and criss-crossed by swamps and mangrove swamps. Great place for birdwatching, with more than 200 species of resident and migratory avians. Interesting place that is ejido land protected by the local indigenous community; it is not a government-operated reserve.

Comalcalco archaeological site

Comalcalco archaeological site

The first signs of significant human settlement in Comalcalco appear around 500 AD (late Classic period). The site includes nine major temples (pyramids) that are architecturally similar to the construction of Palenque, but with one huge difference: the people in Comalcalco used bricks and all other Maya cities were built using limestone. The bricks are similar to those used by modern masons in that they're fired clay, but they're flatter in shape, and the Spanish referred to them as comals, the typical flat iron pan used to heat up tortillas or roast chiles. Comalcalco thus earned its name due to the flat shape of its bricks, not to any ancient Mayan moniker.

Relief sculpture and brickwork of a structure at Comalcalco

The bricks are even more unusual in that many of them have carvings of animals or human figures. Who does that? Ancient Maya masons, that's who.

Bricks with animal figures

Comalcalco was home to a number of sculptors who crafted ceramic figurines from the same type of clay used to make bricks. Archaeologists have found sculptures made in Comalcalco at archaeological sites as far as 200 km from Comalcalco. Archaeologists also suggest that Comalcalco was an important producer of cacao, which was also traded inland and along the Gulf coast due to Comalcalco's strategic position on the Mezcalapa River.

The site is located on the north side of the modern town of Comalcalco. It is a well-maintained site, managed by INAH (Instito Nacional de Antropologia y Historia). A site museum contains several relics from the site and has interpretive exhibits that explain some of the site's historical significance.

• 2 Zona Arqueológica Comalcalco, Nte 1ra Secc.. 09:00 - 16:00. Beautiful site but many signs are faded and others are Spanish only, so hiring one of the site guardians as a guide is a good idea because they'll be able to explain the history as well as local Maya folklore. English speaking guides are not always available, so Spanish skills help. Bring mosquito spray and sunscreen (after all, this is a tropical jungle area and the afternoon sun is usually brutal). M$85. 

Buy

• 1 Mercado 27 de Octubre, Reforma 42, Centro. daily 06:00 - 18:00. The town's traditional marketplace sells fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, regional cheeses, and every kind of household product imaginable, from goat care items to truck mud flaps. Fans of street food will find the region's most authentic dishes being served up in home-cooked fashion. (updated Oct 2023)

Eat

• 1 Cogote Churrascaria, Reforma Vicente Guerrero, Sur 4ta Secc, ☏ +52 933 334 8981. 13:00 - 22:00, closed M. Brazilian steakhouse with skewers of various grilled meats and two enormous salad bars. Full bar available, reservations recommended. M$300. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Terraza 470, Benito Juárez García 1144-5, Santa Amalia, ☏ +52 933 111 0347. 18:00 - 00:00, closed M. Casual bar and grill with light pasta, wings, fries, etc. and a variety of beer and michelada. Live bands on weekends. Often crowded with poor ventilation. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Maracana, Lib. Comalcalco, ☏ +52 933 208 3365. 13:00 - 19:00, closed M. Brazilian churrasceria with limited selection of meats. Service can be hit or miss. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 El Carboncito, C. Morelos 301, Centro, ☏ +52 933 334 8672. Casual low-key taco place. Good, affordable eats. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Bambu Sushi Bar, C. 5 de Mayo 107, Centro, ☏ +52 933 337 1132. daily 13:00 - 22:00. Japanese restaurant with good ambience, tasty sushi, and slow service. (updated Oct 2023)
• 6 Cocina Chontal, Carr. a Buena Vista, Ejido Buenavista (near the Comalco archaeological site), ☏ +5 293 312 46086. Th-Su 12:00 - 17:00 (closed M-W). Travel + Leisure magazine called Cocina Chontal "one of the best restaurants in the world". It earns that praise with its very traditional cooking methods and authentic regional cuisine. All cooking is done over an open wood fire. Hammocks in the garden, outside the large open air dining pavilion. (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Garden Suites Comalcalco, Macuilis N, ☏ +52 229 109 0282. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Basic but servicable hotel, rooms are sparsely furnished in Ikea-looking dorm room cheap chic. Nice garden area outside. M$800. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Hotel Tierra Maya, Reforma - Dos Bocas 1001, Nte 1ra Secc. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Basic rooms, no TV, swimming pool on-site. M$500. (updated Oct 2023)

Connect

Cell service is widely available in Comalcalco but mostly 4G as of 2023 with some areas of 3G on the road heading south. Service in nearby rural areas can be spotty.

Go next

• Paraíso
• Villahermosa