Campeche Mayan Roots tour: Pomuch, Hecelchakán, Becal

Pomuch's cemetery holds the bones of the dead arranged by family, a Mayan practice still alive.

A six to eight hour tour from Campeche through three municipalities along the artisanal Camino Real, with private transportation and breakfast included. You visit the Hecelchakán regional market, watch artisans weave jipi japa hats in Becal's family caves, walk the historic center and its hat monument, then return through Pomuch to see the bone cemetery and artisanal bakeries. A live guide in English or Spanish leads the route. Pickup from your hotel is included.

The experience

The route starts before dawn leaves Campeche toward Hecelchakán, where breakfast waits at the regional market: the traditional cochinita pibil, a slow-roasted pork dish that defines Yucatán cooking. The market itself is the first stop: vendors sell produce, spices and prepared foods the way they have for generations, and the guide explains what grows here and why. From there the tour moves into Calkiní municipality toward Becal, the "Cradle of hats," where the real work of the day begins.

In Becal, you travel by local transportation to a family or community craft cave where artisans demonstrate jipi japa weaving: the intricate straw technique that produces the handmade hats Becal is known for. The caves stay cool year-round, which is why the weavers work there, and you watch the process from start to finish. After the caves, the tour walks through Becal's historic center, visits the Cathedral of the Virgin of Nativity and stops at the monument to the hats, a public tribute to the craft that built the town.

On the return to Campeche, the tour stops in Pomuch to visit artisanal bakeries and the cemetery of exposed bones: a practice rooted in Mayan worldview where families honor their dead by arranging bones by kinship. It is not a tourist spectacle but a working cemetery where the community continues a tradition that predates the Spanish conquest. The guide explains the Mayan perspective on death and remembrance that shapes the practice, and the bakeries next door sell pan de muerto and other traditional breads made for the season.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel in Campeche.
• breakfast with cochinita pibil at the Hecelchakán regional market.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• demonstrations of jipi japa hat weaving in Becal's family craft caves.
• entry to Becal's historic center, cathedral and hat monument.
• a stop at Pomuch's artisanal bakeries and bone cemetery.

Options for this experience

3 options

Mayan Roots tour along the Camino Real, covering Pomuch, Hecelchakán and Calkiní BecalGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00Lasting 8 hours, this regional food tour of Campeche is artisanal, gastronomic and cultural, guided through the main attractions of the so-called Camino Real. Travel is by compact car, and pickup is included.

Cultural and craft tourGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00Lasting 9 hours, we will tour the communities of Hecelchakán, Becal and Pomuch, discovering their culture, crafts and gastronomy. Drinks and snacks are provided throughout the tour. Camino Real stops include Hecelchakán, Calkiní-Becal and the artisanal bakeries of Pomuch. If there are more than 4 passengers, transportation switches to a larger vehicle for added comfort. Pickup is included.

Camino Real TourGuide in English or Spanish · 08:00Private tour lasting 8 hours, featuring regional food along the Camino Real. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 to 69 years) · Senior (70 and older) · Youth (10 to 11 years) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 29 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Vamo a rola

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to move beyond Campeche's colonial center and see how three small municipalities keep Mayan and artisanal traditions alive: the weaving, the food, the way families honor their dead. The fixed schedule fits all three stops and the return to Campeche inside a single morning and early afternoon.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 11 years); Child (3 to 9 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What is jipi japa weaving and where do I see it made?

Jipi japa is the straw-weaving technique used to make Becal's handmade hats. You watch artisans demonstrate the full process in a family or community craft cave, where the cool temperature keeps the straw workable and the weavers comfortable year-round.

What do I eat on this tour?

Breakfast is included at the Hecelchakán regional market, where you have cochinita pibil, the traditional slow-roasted pork dish of the Yucatán Peninsula. Lunch is not included, though you pass artisanal bakeries in Pomuch where you can buy pan de muerto and other traditional breads.

What is the cemetery in Pomuch and why are bones displayed there?

Pomuch's cemetery honors the dead according to Mayan tradition, with bones arranged by family kinship. It is an active cemetery where the community continues this practice of remembrance rooted in pre-Hispanic worldview, not a museum or tourist display.

How long does this tour take and what is included in the price?

The tour runs six to eight hours and includes private transportation from your Campeche hotel, breakfast at the regional market, and a live guide in English or Spanish. Hotel pickup is included. Tips and lunch are not.