Your expert guide to visiting Becal, Campeche
Becal is a small village in the Mexican state of Campeche. It’s not especially well known or well visited but it is an interesting place to visit for a few hours in you’re in the area. If you do make it here you may find a tour bus stopping off on its way to somewhere else, or you may be the only visitors in town.
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Why do people visit Becal?
Because it is the panama hat centre of the world!
Seriously. Hats from this tiny place get sent all over the world because they’re some of the best in the whole world. They’re called ‘sombreros de jipi’.
Los sombreros de Jipi
Locally the hats are called sombrero de jipi (pronounced heepee) because they’re made from the la palma jipijapa although in English we call them Panama hats.
When I visited, I spoke to the owner of a hat factory / shop and he told me that the good hats take two days to make, whereas the cheaper ones, made from a different plant, are far quicker to make, and hence cheaper.
A good hat should fold easily, and hence make a good travel hat. A cheaper hat will not bounce back after being folded, and is more likely to break. It will generally also have an elasticated band around it to ensure the hat stays on the head.
Where is Becal?
Becal is located just in Campeche, not far from the border with Yucatán, along the 180, the road that runs between the cities of Mérida & Campeche. If you’re driving between the two then it’s a great half-way stopping point.
💀 And don’t forget to stop in nearby Pomuch to check out the cemetery there. In Pomuch instead of burying their dead in coffins, the bones are kept in small (open) boxes and are brought out for cleaning every Día de los Muertos.
🚗 Driving
From Mérida: 85 km (1 hour)
From Campeche: 100 km (1hr 15)
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to renting a car and driving in Yucatán
→ Check your car rental options now
🚌 Public transport
Colectivos (informal white mini buses serve Becal).
👣 Guided tour
It is possible to book a tour that includes Becal via GetYourGuide. There are options including the oldest Maya ruins at Oxkintok ruins plus a cenote swim, Campeche city and even craft and community focused tours that look super interesting.
What to do in Becal
⭐️ Wander around the town and visit at least one artisan hat shop & factory
⭐️ Buy a hat
⭐️ Visit the jipi hat museum – this is a community project where you can learn about the history of the jipi hat and vist their small botanical garden
⭐️ Hang out on the plaza and take your photo with the giant hat in the middle of the square
If small towns are your thing then I highly recommend visiting some of the pueblos magicos on the Yucatán Peninsula.
⭐️ Check our ready made Yucatan Itineraries ⭐️
🚗 Off-the-beaten-track in Yucatan
➕ Read the MexicoCassie guide to renting cars and driving in Yucatán
⭐️ Is Mérida worth visiting? – check the answer to this question now!
⭐️ Read up on the Maya Train Route to see if it’s something you could enjoy
4 Comments
bill · 11/04/2018 at 8:09 am
Is there a way to order ahead? I have a rather large head size so not likely to find one on site and can’t wait around for two days for a custom one. My size is 7 5/8″ US. or 40.132mm.
Cassie · 11/04/2018 at 8:24 am
That’s a really good question. I have a phone number for the shop i went to so if you send me a message i can give it to you.
bill · 11/04/2018 at 11:45 am
I left a message on Facebook Messenger.
Cassie · 11/04/2018 at 11:56 am
I will get back to you today.
Comments are closed.