Hopelchén is a village in the state of Campeche, Mexico. Holpelchén is on Mexico's Federal Route 261 at an important junction in the interior of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

Church of Hopelchen

Get in

Route 261, which passes through Holpelchén, is a secondary, inland alternative to the main route from Campeche to Mérida. It provides access to more Mayan archaeological sites. Buses from Campeche on Route 261 stop at Calle 23 at the corner of the central plaza and at the bus terminal at the Mercado Municipal, where there is a ticket counter.

By bus

From Campeche: Buses run every 30 minutes (1½ hours) from Campeche 2nd Class Bus Terminal ( Terminal de sugunda classe de Sur) at Avenida Gobenerdores to the bus terminal in hopelchen. Colectivos run every 30-40 minutes (when there are full) from a stop 100 m before the 2nd Class Terminal and are faster than buses. From 06:00 to 18:00 Fridays until 21:00.

From Hopelchen: Buses to Campeche leave every 30 minutes to campeche. As well colectivo from the taxi stand nearby. To Meriad: 6 services a day (3 hours) via santa Elena and Uxmal.

By car

From Holpelchén, a narrow but well paved secondary road connects Routes 261 with Route 186 to the south at Xpujil, traversing a remote and sparsely populated region. This road provides access to parts of the Reserva de la Biósfera Calakmul, and to many scattered cultural and archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization. A paving project to the south has been underway for several years, and paving is now completed as far as Xpujil. Services such as gas and ATM machines are not available along this route.

Get around

You can easily walk around in the town. But there ar some rickshaw taxis available.

To visit the Mayan ruins out of town, catch a bus in the same direction and hop of at the ruins. To come back to the town wait for a bus passing by or hitch hike. You could also walk but you have to walk on the highway.

See

Palapas are open thatched huts constructed in a pre-colonial style. Holpelchén has several tourist facilities such as restaurants and grass huts for overnight rental, offering a tropical lodging experience.

Do

Near Hopelchén are several Mayan sites in the Chenes style, characterized by ornamental facades with elaborate stone masks. Tohcok and Nocuchich are nearby. Tabasqueño and Hochob are the two best known sites, located off the road to Xpujil, but only limited archaeological work has been completed. Both sites are open Tu-Su 09:00-17:00 (closed on Mondays).

Eat

There several eateries in town. Some are open until 11:00.

Food court behind the church. (Calle 18)

Mama Hilas: Very good and cheap food. Super clean. Nice owner. (Calle 22 half a Block from the Plaza; open 07:00-23:00 Sundays until 16:00)

Restaurante Xtacumbilxuna’an: (Calle 20; 08:00 - 12:00)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Los Arcos, Calle 20 (located near the central plaza), ☏ +52 996 100 8782.