Xpuhil Archaeological Zone

Xpuhil sits right at the edge of the crossroads town that shares its name, making it the only Rio Bec archaeological zone visitors can reach on foot without a car, colectivo or taxi. Its landmark, Structure I, is the textbook example of the Rio Bec style: three tall, solid towers rise from a long low platform, each topped by a dummy temple that was never meant to be entered and fronted by a stairway so steep it was purely symbolic, designed to evoke the grand pyramids of the Peten without any of their function. Because the temples are solid masonry rather than hollow rooms, visitors view the towers from the plaza rather than climbing them, which keeps the visit brief but no less striking. Interpretive signage in Spanish and English explains the towers' construction and their place in Rio Bec architecture more thoroughly than at some of the smaller regional sites. The whole site can be walked in well under an hour, which makes it a natural first or last stop for visitors staying in Xpujil before or after the longer drives to Becan, Chicanna or Calakmul. A first-thing-in-the-morning visit fits neatly ahead of the two-hour drive to Calakmul.