La Casita de los árboles nativos

La Casita de los Árboles Nativos is a small local community center in Bécal, Campeche. About 15 minutes north of the Tren Maya station in Calkiní, the town is known for its local museum and a fountain shaped like the jipijapa hats made here.

La Casita might be even better known. They welcome guests from all over the world who come to take part in an impressive number of unique activities:

• Interpretive hiking

• Mayan cooking workshops

• Visits and interactions with stingless bees (Xunan Kab)

• Camping

• Astronomical observation with professional telescopes

• Craft workshops

• Visits to the cave of jipijapa hat weavers

• Outdoor cinema

• And a swimming pool

Typical visits begin with the traditional chaya leaf drink and an exploration of the area’s most well-known endemic trees. You can visit the orchards to learn about ancestral agricultural techniques and ancient agroforestry, where you’ll also hear legends and stories about the local forests.

Before sunset, the group moves to a traditional Mayan-style home to learn about traditional construction and life, now equipped with some knowledge about wood and forestry.

Once the sky is completely dark, it’s time to use the telescopes to better understand the Mayans’ relationship with the stars and local agriculture. While admiring the starry sky, the community will be serving dinner in the K óoben brick kitchen with fresh products from nearby orchards.

For guests of the center, La Casita arranges a car to pick them up from the train station. Calkiní is about 15 minutes south and is a frequent stop for buses from both Campeche and Mérida.

Benito Juárez, Bécal, Campeche, Mexico, 24934

Phone: +52 999 256 8363Email: jmaas@fad.unam.mx