Xpuhil
XPUHIL - "Place of the Cattails" Rio Bec Style, Late Classic Period.
Eastern Campeche, Mexico

A definite stopover for anyone interested in Maya architecture and culture, the small site of Xpuhil is located right in town on Highway 186 between Chetumal and Escarcega in the state of Campeche. A prime example of the Rio Bec style of Maya architecture, Xpuhil was discovered and explored by the Carnegie Expedition in 1938. The site boasts a three-towered structure (Structure 1), unlike the two-towered temple structures found at other sites in the Rio Bec area.

Structure 1 conjures up impressions of absolute magnificence and is built on a wide platform with rounded corners, false towers and simulated upper temples on each of the three towers. Little remains of the mask ornaments on the east side of the structure. However, a relatively well-preserved mask can be viewed on the upper part of the central tower on the west side of the building.

There are rooms on both the north and south ends, however the lower rooms in the center have sadly all collapsed. Remains of doorways are visible on the east side. Tatiana Proskouriakoff’s architectural rendering of how it may have appeared at the time of construction reveals the scale and brilliance of this structure.

Other local sites to visit are: Becan, Chicanna, Balamku and Hormiguero. I recommend a trip from Xpuhil to the site of Calakmul, located in the heart of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, some 75 miles away. If you plan to drive to Calakmul, keep in mind that the only gasoline station is 5 kilometers to the east of Xpuhil.

The town of Xpuhil is at a crossroads and offers very little in the way of amenities. The only two hotels in town are definitely for the adventurous. Opposite the ruined site of Chicanna, however, is the Chicanna Eco Village, which has a restaurant, swimming pool and splendid atmosphere for observing birds and wildlife. Although pricey, I recommend it highly.