Tahcabo Yucatan

Tahcabo is one of those very small towns in the Yucatan that you might never stop at. Often though you can find some interesting little tidbits of history. Many of these remnants are melting away and being forgotten. If you like to explore a little you can find lots of places like this on our website. Here is what you can find in Tahcabo, Yucatan.

What can you see in Tahcabo

 San Bartolome Church

When you visit Tahcabo you will see a triangular façade of a church and the ruins in the back. Originally this was connected, and one large church existed here. The original church was likely founded in the 1540’s.

In the late 1500’s a priest would come from the nearby larger city of Tizimin to give mass. In 1612 the church in Tahcabo became part of the Calotmul parish.

It is believed that the original church was burnt during The Caste War (1847-1901). In 1988 hurricane Gilbert destroyed more of the church remains. The small community decided to build the smaller concrete block church behind the façade.

Today you can see the front façade with newer construction behind it. Then further back on the block you can see the remains of the back of the original church.

Mu’ul Mayan Ruin

Pottery shards fund here date this Mayan structure to around 600-400 BCE. It was also likely used as a center of worship for centuries. As with most towns in the Yucatan Peninsula, when the Spanish arrived, they would dismantle Mayan temples and have churches constructed. This is evidently what happed here. The Mayan temple’s outer structure has been removed and the church next to it is testimony to the stones. If you look at the church structure you will see cut square stones, these were originally caved by Mayans centuries before.

Today the ruin looks like a mound of dirt with some stones in it. You can climb to the town and look out over the town.

City Hall and Museum

On the main square of Tahcabo there a town hall. On the right side is the very small museum they have. It is not much so don’t get too excited. It can be closed so you might have to find someone to open it for you.

Ts’ono’oto’ob Cenote

Just before you arrive at the main plaza you will see the sign for the cenote on your left. There is not a decent trail down to the cenote, but you can get a good view from above. This cenote is not for swimming, but you can appreciate the size and formation of it.

There are large trees growing in the cenote where it is dry. The shape is crescent with one side being an entrance to the water. If you are nimble enough you can climb down to get a closer look.

The cenote continues underground until another entrance further down the road where there is a well. Since this is a rural town and not too many tourists come here, the cenote has some trash near it, but you can still appreciate it.

Where is Tahcabo Yucatan?

Tahcabo is off the 295 road between Valladolid and Tizimin. If you are going north on 295 it is just past the town of Calotmul. The turn will be on your right. The town is 10 km. down the road.

If you are in this area, you should also check out our article on Ek Balam, Cenote Hubiku and Rio Lagartos, Espita and the catacombs of Tizimin, all of which are in this area.

If you are also going to be exploring the Yucatan Peninsula and the Riviera Maya, see our interactive map here for lots of ideas and excursions.

Have you ever been to Tahcabo? What did you think? Did you find something else or something nearby? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Mr.Yucatan

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