This leg is part of: From Holbox to Bacalar
Leg · Campeche → Bacalar
It is the longest transfer between the houses: from the historic Gulf city to the southern jungle and, at the end, to the lagoon and the cabins of Azul Nomeolvides. Give it a full day and choose a stop that adds something to the journey. Becán lets you discover the Maya architecture of the Río Bec region; Calakmul extends the trip with an extra day.
After about four hours of driving from Campeche, Becán lies beside Highway 186. It was a regional capital, and a moat surrounds its main groups, with seven entrances used by the people who lived outside. Walking its plazas, you recognize the features of the Río Bec style: tall towers flanking the temples, with stairways and false doorways, and checkerboard panels. Allow about one or two hours, depending on when you want to reach Azul.
Xpujil, the town, is on Highway 186, about 8 km from Becán. It is the service point of the area (fuel, food, lodging) and a base for the overnight stop on the Calakmul variant. The archaeological site of Xpuhil is a separate visit: its Building 1 has three towers, which is unusual in the Río Bec style, where two is the norm. You do not need to combine Becán and Xpuhil on the same transfer: choose according to your interest and your time.
Calakmul changes the pace of the trip. The ancient Maya city lies in the jungle of southern Campeche, within the biosphere reserve, and is a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architecture and its tropical forests. It is the site in the Maya area where the most stelae have been found. The access road leaves Highway 186 at kilometer 95, past the ejido of Conhuás, and runs 60 km on a paved road.
To include it, set aside an extra day and an overnight stop in the area; that lodging is arranged separately from the five houses. Order Becán and Calakmul according to where you sleep, avoiding backtracking, then continue to Bacalar. Check visiting conditions before planning the day.
In Bacalar, the freshwater Lagoon of Seven Colors changes tone with the light and the depth. Samantha, an architect specializing in bioclimatic architecture, designed six A-frame cabins here on a slope that runs down to the water. They stand on stilts to let wildlife and air pass beneath, and their 60-degree roofs vent through the apex, like a chimney. According to the project, it was built on 5% of the land, without felling trees, and the house runs without a connection to the power grid, with solar energy, water treatment and reuse, and composting of organic waste.
Samantha and Berni, a documentary photographer, present it as their home; the team comes from nearby communities. After the day on the road, keep time for the terrace and the lagoon: swimming slowly, reading, watching the water at sunset.
Azul Nomeolvides page · Official website (opens the official website in a new tab)
You can end the route in Bacalar or continue to Holbox.
Reviewed on October 12, 2026.
A route of independent houses in Holbox, Espita, Seyé, Campeche and Bacalar. Each house is a destination. Together, they make the journey.