Discover the Exciting Reopening of Ichkabal Archaeological Site in 2025!

The renowned archaeological site of Ichkabal is set to reopen on January 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify the tourist attractions in the state and establish Ichkabal as a new must-see destination in Bacalar.

Margarito Molina Rendón, the delegate of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) Center in Quintana Roo, confirmed the reopening date. He also revealed that a cooperative agreement had been reached with the communal landowners of Bacalar, who have agreed to lease over 113 hectares of land that make up the archaeological zone.

The site is currently undergoing final preparations, with the goal of welcoming its first visitors in early 2025. To boost the number of tourists to the various archaeological areas in Quintana Roo, a promotional campaign will also be launched.

The reopening will be gradual during the first week, but the site already has all the necessary services and facilities to accommodate visitors. Several other archaeological sites that were previously closed for improvements are also set to reopen in January.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico, in collaboration with INAH, the Ministry of National Defense, and the National Fund for Tourism Promotion, initiated the Improvement Program for Archaeological Sites. This program includes six of the 11 heritage sites in Quintana Roo that are part of the Mayan Train project, with Ichkabal being one of them.

Molina Rendón recalled that a site inspection was conducted by Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the current president Claudia Sheinbaum during the last term, even though some works were still pending. However, the site now has all the necessary services and access routes for its reopening in January.

During the improvement works, several archaeological sites including Oxtankah, Chacchoben, El Meco, Dzibanché, Kinichná, Kohunlich, and Xel-Há were temporarily closed, while Cobá and Tulum remained open. The closed sites are expected to reopen in January, with PaaMul 2 scheduled for reopening in May 2025, coinciding with infrastructure improvements in Cobá.