Calkini

Calkini is a small city in the Yucatan Peninsula state of Campeche. It is a scenic colonial town with bright pastel colored buildings and a beautiful town plaza. With a location midway between Merida and Campeche. It is an enjoyable stopover, or it can make a great base for exploring natural areas like Isla Arena, Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve, or the Celestun Biosphere Reserve.

Understand
Calkini is a small city of just under 15,000 residents (2010). It is a traditional Mayan community where the language can still be heard in markets and indigenous neighborhoods.

By car
Federal highway MEX-180 passes along the outskirts of Calkini. From Merida, take MEX-180 south towards Campeche. From Campeche, take MEX-180 north towards Merida. Either direction is about 90 kilometers and will take just over an hour.

By train
Calkini is a stop on the Tren Maya intercity railway that loops through the Yucatan Peninsula, connecting major airports, cities, and archaeological sites. Calkini is midway between Merida and Campeche and the trip will take about 45 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at major stations (not Calkini) or on the official Tren Maya web site.



Get around
Calkini is a small, compact city but there are always taxis (especially moto taxis) around. They have a sitio near the Zocalo. There are also combis with stops along Calle 20 offering frequent service to Hecelchakán.

See




Becal
The small village of Becal is 10 km north of Calkini (about 10-15 minutes by taxi). Becal is, like Calkini, historic and scenic. It's a town of traditional weavers whose claim to fame is that they make the best woven hats in the Yucatan Peninsula. Their hats are light, tight-woven Panama hats that they make from a palm called jipi.


 * Museo de Becal, Calle 30 - small regional museum with art exhibits (including a gallery of works by women artists), as well as local history, and an introduction to weaving and caves
 * Plaza del Progreso, De la 28 203, Centro - the town's main plaza is an enjoyable place to relax, but don't miss the famous fountain honoring hats (Fuente de los Tres Sombreros)

Festivals

 * Carnival of Calkini

Buy
The nearby village of Becal is known for its fine-woven panama hats, and several Artesania shops in Calkini specialize in them. The hats are woven from a type of palm grown in the area called jipi (pronounced like "hippie", except the palms sometimes get a bath). Several Mayan weavers in Becal have dug underground workshops on their properties where they can keep the humidity high enough to keep the jipi pliable. Many of these weavers welcome visitors to come see how the hats are made (and maybe buy one to take home).

Eat






Sleep






Connect
Cell phone coverage is 4G and is good within the city of Calkini, but quickly declines as you head out of town toward the coast. Do not expect signal if you go into remote wilderness areas such as Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve. Hotels and restaurants in Calkini generally offer good WiFi. Good signal is generally available along the MEX-180 highway to either Merida or Campeche.

Go next

 * Hecelchakán
 * Edzna
 * Celestún