Explore Oxtankah: Quintana Roo’s Largest Pre-Hispanic City
The largest pre-Hispanic city in the Bay of Chetumal
Within Chetumal Quintana Roo, you will find the Oxtankah Archaeological Zone, a place that reveals the monumental architecture of an ancient civilization that once blessed the land that thousands of tourists pass through today. The Mayan culture is huge, extensive and mysterious, even today you can still feel the magic in the land of Chetumal, that is why this is a unique tourist attraction.
Enrich your trip by exploring the greatness of the constructions of the Oxtankah Archaeological Zone, each building is a temple that you can climb and admire from the inside. You should not worry, these temples are not too high so it will not be a great effort to climb to the top, but they will give you a spectacular panoramic view, admiring this archaeological zone in all its extension.
These stone constructions are considered sanctuaries for their historical value, since ceremonies, rituals and tributes for the Mayan gods were carried out in many of them.
It is truly an adventure full of mystical experiences and sensations that you should not ignore.
What to do in the Oxtankah Archaeological Zone?
In this amazing corner of Mexico, you have the opportunity to enjoy the world famous ecotourism of Quintana Roo, discovering the enigmas of the ancient civilization that originated the legacy of the Mayan culture.
The Oxtankah Archaeological Zone is a two-center complex to which all visitors have free access to quench their adventurous spirit and enrich their vacations with Mayan culture. Once you are in Chetumal, you should not leave without visiting the Plaza de las abejas and the Plaza de las Columnas.
The sanctuary of the "Plaza de las abejas" holds an impressive labyrinth. And the "Plaza de las Columnas" has an imposing pyramid that many think, is where elite groups resided.
In the archaeological site of Oxtankah, among temples dedicated to Mayan deities, tombs of priests and rulers; the Spaniards built a Christian chapel to eliminate the even the slight trace of veneration for the gods of fertility, day and night.
It is said that it was on this site where the Spanish Gonzalo Guerrero and the princess Zazil-Ha, daughter of the chief Nachan Ka'an, the ruler of Chactemal, would have joined to give life to the first mestizos; reason for which, Chetumal is considered as “Cradle of the Mestizaje”.
This tourist attraction in Chetumal (Grand Costa Maya) is open from Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00. Every morning is a beautiful morning in this place, so plan well to be the first to arrive.
The adventure is just beginning
On this trip we recommend wearing comfortable clothes and sneakers as well as bring water to stay hydrated.
To get to the Archaeological Zone of Oxtankah we have for you the easiest way by car to make the trip more comfortable. Take the entire boardwalk of Chetumal towards the town of Calderitas. Upon reaching it, continue on the street parallel to the bay for seven more kilometers and you will reach the archaeological site.
