
Mexico's largest rainforest reserve; it holds one of the largest Maya cities ever found
Area
7,231 km²
Designated in
1989
Region
Maya Forest (Campeche)
Declared in 1989, it is the largest tropical forest reserve in Mexico and part of the great Maya Forest, the second largest block of continuous rainforest in the Americas after Amazonia. Hidden inside it are the ruins of Calakmul, one of the most powerful city-states of the Classic Maya period and a historic rival of Tikal, with over 6,000 structures identified and one of the largest Maya pyramids known. Since 2014 the reserve and the archaeological zone have shared a mixed UNESCO World Heritage listing — natural and cultural at once — recognising both its biodiversity and the legacy of the Maya civilisation that managed this forest sustainably for more than a thousand years.
4 dive sites within 300 km are also shown.
Ecosystems found in Mexico, where Calakmul lies.
Where can I dive near here?
196 km away
196 km away
210 km away
What is worth looking out for this month in Mexico?
Now is a good time: Veracruz River of Raptors (20 August to 20 November (peak in the first two weeks of October))
Now is a good time: Great white shark aggregation at Guadalupe Island (July to November (some years into January))
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: Mexico
Same country: Mexico
Same country: Mexico
Same country: Mexico
Based on what we already know about this park.
Share your experience visiting Calakmul, or a tip for other travellers.
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Climate
Tropical, Arid / desert, Temperate, Mediterranean, Mountain
Best season
November to April
Threatened:,,,
225 km away
AI-generated image: an illustration, not a photograph.