Maxcanú is a large town in the western part of the
Mexican state
A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...
of
Yucatán
Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida.
...
; it also functions as the seat for the
Maxcanú Municipality. It is located on
Federal Highway 180, approximately south of
Mérida.
The ancient Maya site of
Oxkintok
Oxkintok is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region of Yucatán state, in southeastern Mexico.
Etymology
In the Yucatec Maya language, the name "Oxkintok" can be parsed as "Ox" (three) and "Kin" (day/sun), but there are mu ...
and the caves of
Calcehtok are close to Maxcanú, while another ancient Maya settlement,
Chunchucmil
Chunchucmil was once a large, sprawling pre-Columbian Maya city located in the western part of what is now the state of Yucatán, Mexico.
Although the famous explorer and author John Lloyd Stephens traveled within a few kilometers of Chunchucmi ...
, is located ca. 25 kilometers west of the town.
Facilities available in Maxcanú include: internet cafes; grocery stores; fresh produce market; family restaurants; public telephones; hardware stores; bus station (for connections to Mérida and
Campeche
Campeche, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche, is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, make up the Administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the sta ...
); and a "''combi''" taxi stand for travelling to local villages.
Maxcanú railway station on the
Tren Maya
Tren Maya (Yucatec Maya: , sometimes also Mayan Train or Maya Train) is a inter-city railway in Mexico that traverses the Yucatán Peninsula. Construction began in June 2020 and the Campeche–Cancún section began operation on December 15, 202 ...
is just outside of town.
Geography
The town is located on
Federal Highway 180, approximately south of
Mérida.
Climate
Notable people
Maxcanú is the birthplace of
Alfredo Barrera Vásquez
Alfredo Barrera Vázquez (1900—December 28, 1980) was a Mexican anthropologist, linguist, academic and Mayanist scholar. He is noted for both his research into the historical Maya civilization of the pre-Columbian era and his contributions ...
, the noted Mexican anthropologist and
Mayanist
A Mayanist () is a scholar specialising in research and study of the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian Maya civilisation. This discipline should not be confused with Mayanism, a collection of New Age beliefs about the ancient Maya.
Mayanists draw ...
scholar who was the principal editor behind the , the influential Mayan-Spanish dictionary and orthography.
References
Populated places in Yucatán
{{Yucatán-geo-stub