In Campeche, the handmade tells the same story as the architecture: the meeting of the Maya world, the Spanish inheritance and the trade of the port. Its crafts are not generic souvenirs but living trades, with techniques taught from parents to children. Here are five Campeche handcrafts worth knowing — and taking home.
1. The jipijapa hat of Becal
The most famous. In Becal, in the municipality of Calkiní, families weave the "Panama hat" from jipijapa fibre inside damp caves and cellars: the humidity keeps the fibre supple and allows an extremely fine weave. The best examples are so flexible they can be rolled up without breaking.
2. Counted-thread embroidery
The soul of the regional dress. Hand-embroidered by counting the threads of the cloth, it achieves floral and geometric motifs of perfect symmetry, almost always on a white or black ground. Each blouse or terno represents weeks of patient work.
Counted-thread embroidery, the soul of the regional dress. · Photo: Gustavo Costa
3. Gold and silver filigree
The jewellery that completes the regional dress. Filigree works the finest threads of gold and silver, coiled and soldered into chains, earrings and rosaries of extraordinary delicacy — a goldsmith's inheritance of Andalusian root.
Filigree: threads of gold and silver coiled into jewellery.
4. Woven hammocks
A tradition shared across the whole Peninsula, the Campeche hammock is hand-woven in cotton or nylon, with thousands of crossings that give the net its strength and its famous coolness. To sleep in a good hammock is an initiation into the tropics.
Hammocks and pottery, the everyday crafts of the region.
5. Clay and palm basketry
Clay pottery and the weaving of palm and vine round out the repertoire: pitchers, comales, baskets and mats of everyday use now also prized as design objects. A responsible note: tortoiseshell (carey) and black coral, historically worked in the region, are today protected and illegal to trade — the conscious traveller chooses fibres, clay and silver.
We design routes to Becal and the artisan workshops for our guests.
Discover our cultural experiences →Where to see and buy them
The Tukulná crafts house and the San Pedro Bastion gather the best of the state; the workshops of Becal and the traditional neighbourhoods let you buy directly from the maker. To place these trades in their historical and cultural context, explore the cultural side of Casonas MX and choose a heritage home from which to explore.
Frequently asked questions
What handcrafts are typical of Campeche?
The jipijapa ("Panama") hat from Becal, the counted-thread embroidery of the regional dress, gold and silver filigree, woven hammocks, and pottery and palm basketry. Each is rooted in trades passed down from one generation to the next.
Where are the jipi hats made?
In Becal, in the municipality of Calkiní. They are woven in damp caves and cellars, because the humidity keeps the jipijapa fibre supple and allows a fine, tight weave. The best examples can be rolled up without cracking.
What is counted-thread embroidery?
A hand-embroidery technique that counts the threads of the cloth to achieve perfectly symmetrical geometric and floral motifs. It is the soul of Campeche's regional dress, usually on a white or black ground.
Where can you buy authentic crafts in Campeche?
At the Tukulná crafts house in the historic centre, at the San Pedro Bastion, and directly from the artisans of Becal and the neighbourhoods. Look for handmade pieces and avoid industrial imitations.
Is it legal to buy tortoiseshell or black coral?
No. Tortoiseshell (carey) and black coral are protected and their trade is illegal. Although historically worked in the region, today a responsible traveller chooses fibres, clay, silver and other sustainable materials.
