Museo de la Cultura Maya

Chetumal


The Museo de la Cultura Maya is the city’s claim to cultural fame – a bold showpiece that's beautifully conceived and executed, though regrettably short on artifacts. It’s organized into three levels, mirroring Maya cosmology. The main floor represents this world, the upper floor the heavens and the lower floor Xibalbá, the underworld. The various exhibits cover all the Mayab (lands of the Maya). Though original pieces are in short supply, there are replicas of stelae and a burial chamber from Honduras’ Copán.

The museum’s courtyard, which you can enter for free, has salons for temporary exhibitions of modern artists. In the middle of the courtyard is a na (thatched hut) with implements of daily Maya life on display: gourds and grinding stones.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chetumal attractions

1. Museo de la Ciudad

0.21 MILES

The Museo de la Ciudad is small but neatly done, displaying historic photos, pre-Hispanic and military artifacts, and old-time household items (even some…

2. Palacio de Gobierno

0.73 MILES

Set just off the waterfront, construction on this government building began in the 1930s and the present-day three-story structure was finished in 1945.

3. Clock Tower

0.81 MILES

An art-deco monument built in in 1943 to honor Mexico's independence and Reform movement heroes.

4. Laguna Milagros

8.52 MILES

Paddle out on a kayak or simply have a swim in the azure waters of Laguna Milagros, about 23km west of Chetumal, in the town of Huay-Pix. Waterfront…

5. Santa Rita

9.57 MILES

Santa Rita was an ancient Maya coastal town that once occupied the same strategic trading position as present-day Corozal Town, namely the spot between…

6. Fort Barlee

9.76 MILES

At the center of town, this fort was built in 1849 by Caste War refugees for protection from attacks by hostile Maya. Only the remains of the brick corner…

8. Town Hall

9.82 MILES

A colorful and graphic mural by Belizean-Mexican artist Manual Villamor Reyes enlivens the lobby of the town hall. The mural depicts episodes from Corozal…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "mexico/yucatan-peninsula/chetumal/attractions/museo-de-la-cultura-maya/a/poi-sig/495460/361688",
      "destination": "Chetumal",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "Mexico",
      "city": "Chetumal",
      "position": "superzone"
    }