Campeche is not only rich in history and anecdotes of conquerors and pirates. In addition to the unmissable promenades through the streets of the walled town and the sunsets along the boardwalk, we can take awesome round trips from Campeche in a single day. One of our favorite one - day adventures is the trip to the site that was the former capital of the Mayan World, and the beautiful hacienda that houses an enormous ceiba tree that is more than 100 years old.
The archaeological zone of Edzná and Hacienda Uayamon are both on the same route, just half an hour away from each other and 1 hour from downtown Campeche.
Uayamón was a livestock ranch where corn, henequen and palo de tinta (a plant used to dye red textiles) were grown. The 16th century hacienda was looted by the terrible Lorencillo (the Dutchman Laurent De Graaf) who also attacked and burned the city of Campeche. The hacienda has been rehabilitated to function as a luxury hotel, where the former workers' houses are now beautiful rooms.
The stone walls emerge among the lush vegetation. Its original watering hole, its chapel and its rooms, now devoid of roofs, lie among amazing gardens that are worth visiting. Uayamón has a nice restaurant.
The archaeological site of Edzná was the capital of the Mayan World between the years 400 and 1000. The inhabitants of the place created an elaborate hydraulic system to capture and distribute rainwater, which provided them with water at any time of the year. The city in operation reached an area of 25 square kilometers, and currently we can visit its imposing main areas: the Great Acropolis, the Big House and the Small Acropolis, where we can see various architectural styles with techniques and construction materials belonging to different times of the period. The city was inexplicably abandoned around 1450.
On weekend nights Edzná lights up with an interesting light and sound show that tells the story of the site.
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