‘The place of red corn’ in the local language, Chacchoben is a small Mayan archaeological site in the south east of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Although there has been human settlement at Chacchoben for over 2000 years, the majority of the structures that visitors will see today date back to the period beginning in around 800 AD.
Interestingly, while many of the region’s Mayan sites have been known about by historians for many years, Chacchoben was only rediscovered by the outside world in the 1960s with excavations only commencing in the 1990s. It wasn’t until 2022 that the site opened to visitors, making it one of the ‘newest’ Mayan archaeological sites in the region.
This part of the Yucatan Peninsula, within Quintana Roo state, isn’t known for its Mayan sites with the most famous, Tulum, being over 100 miles to the north.
Despite its relatively isolated location, Chaccohoben receives far more visitors than one might expect, almost entirely due to the nearby Costa Maya cruise terminal. If you can, try and visit first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.
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For non-cruisers, the site fits in well with anyone planning to visit Laguna Bacalar to the south or attempting a complete loop of the Yucatan Peninsula by private tour of self-drive holiday.
While excavation continues on and off at Chacchoben, visitors today can follow a broadly circular trail that takes in 3 already restored pyramids together with a number of walls and shallow staircases.
On some of the structures (look for any that are covered) you can still just about make out traces of the original red paint that would have covered almost every building.
