Maxcanú
Maxcanú is a small city in the western part of the state of Yucatán in southern Mexico. It is a town with colonial charm and a large Maya population. Several Mayan archaeological sites, large and small, are within easy day-trip distance from Maxcanu.
Understand
Maxcanu is a small city of just over 12,000 inhabitants (2010), most of whom are indigenous Maya (over 90% of the town's population speak Maya, though Spanish is commonly spoken as well).
Climate
The rainy season is May through October and the driest months are January through April. The temperatures are usually quite hot with days of over 40 degrees Celsius occurring any time of the year. April through September are the hottest months of the year.
Get in
The nearest airport with commercial flights is Mérida International Airport (MID IATA). It is about 50 minutes by car from Maxcanú.
By car
From Mérida, drive southwest on federal highway MEX-180 for 65 km.
By bus
From Mérida, Autobuses SUR operates several daily buses to the nearby town of Kopomá (about 10 km from Maxcanu). Autobuses TRT operates one daily bus on that route. Bus tickets cost about M$100 for the 50-minute ride. (There is also a second-class bus that's much cheaper but takes 2-3 times longer.) From Kopomá, a taxi into Maxcanu will cost about M$50 for the 5-10 minute ride.
- 🌍 Terminal Autobuses Maxcanu, Calle 21 at Calle 22, Centro. Daily 05:00 - 22:00. Small run-down bus terminal with a small ticket office and a few benches outside where you can wait for a bus. Served by ATS and SUR.
By train
- 🌍 Tren Maya Paradero Maxcanú (Train station), Lib. Merida-Campeche (3 km northeast of the town center). Trains stop for passengers to get on and off. Smaller station with limited services. The nearest full-service station is Merida-Teya. Schedules and tickets available via the official Tren Maya web site.
Get around
Taxis are your best choice, especially since major Mayan sites (like Uxmal) are as much as an hour away from town. A rental car can be useful since driving in the Yucatán is generally easy and safe. For shorter local trips, the moto-taxis are a fun and cheap way to get around. It's also a heck of a lot easier to find a moto-taxi than a car taxi.
See
- 🌍 Parque Principal (Zocalo), Centro. Beautifully maintained large central park area with a childrens playground, flowering gardens, and park benches along walkways below towering shade trees. Popular place for vendors, especially on festival days.
- 🌍 ex-Hacienda Santa Eduviges Chan Chocholá (Chan Chochola). Former henequen hacienda from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the architecture is unlike any typical Mexican haciendas in that it was built to resemble a medieval European castle, complete with tower turrets and slate roofs. The hacienda is in poor repair but is a photogenic spot with great local history behind it. About 5 km by moto-taxi from Maxcanu.
Do
- Explore the caves at Oxkintok: there are several caves around the archaeological zone, including Grutas Calcehtok, Grutas de Aktun Usil, Gruta Tzukán Calcehtok, and Grutas de Xpukil
- 🌍 Oxkintok Archaeological Site (Zona Arqueológica de Oxkintok). Daily 08:00 - 17:00. Oxtintok is part of the Mayan Puuc region, known for its hilly terrain and distinctive architecture. This is a very lightly visited site that offers limited tourist facilities (thankfully including clean flush toilets). Hiring one of the Mayan guides to show you around is a great way to really understand the history of the place (though most guides speak only Spanish (or Mayan)). The site dates from about 600 BC and was occupied up until the early 16th century. Some of the structures featured distinctive columns adorned with carved sculptures. M$80.
Eat
- 🌍 La K-fe, Calle 19 #96, ☏ +52 997 123 0733. 18:00 - 23:00. Casual food and drinks. The burgers are recommended.
- 🌍 La Cabaña, Calle 21 at Calle 32, ☏ +52 997 110 4570. M, Tu, Th 12:00 - 20:00; F-Su 12:00 - 22:00, closed W. Casual family-friendly restaurant serving traditional Yucatecan food such as poch chuc. The ceviche is recommended.
Sleep
There are a couple of basic budget hotels in the town of Maxcanu, and one super-splurge restored hacienda on the outskirts that offers a unique lodging experience.
- 🌍 Hacienda Santa Rosa, Carretera Mérida Campeche Desviación Santa Rosa, ☏ +52 999 923 1923. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Historic 17th century hacienda, restored and operated as an upscale luxury boutique hotel. Rooms feature period furnishings and original woodwork and floor tiling, but modern plumbing fixtures and amenities. On-site restaurant features regional Yucatecan cuisine. Spa services available with outdoor swimming pool. Botanical garden on site. Pet friendly. M$6000.
Connect
Cell reception is pretty good in town, but its mostly 4G with areas of 3G along roads to Uxmal or other outlying Maya sites.