Becán

Located 8km west of Xpujil and 500m north of the highway, this must-visit site contains three separate architectural complexes. You should set aside at least two hours to explore it properly. The Maya word for ‘canyon’ or ‘moat’ is becán, and indeed a 2km moat snakes its way around this major site, with seven causeways providing access to the 12-hectare complex. The elaborate defense suggests the militaristic nature of the city which, from around AD 600 to 1000, was a regional capital encompassing Xpujil and Chicanná. A strategic crossroads between the Petenes civilization to the south and Chenes to the north, Becán displays architectural elements of both, with the resulting composite known as the Río Bec style.