Travel Guide Bécal

This peaceful village of Mayan origin is located 10 km north of Calkiní, just before crossing the border between the states of Campeche and Yucatán. Its inhabitants seem to be constantly busy, because when they are not doing other things, they gather in the patios and cellars of the family homes to weave the famous dwarf jipi palm hats. This plant takes its name from the village of Jipijapa in Ecuador, known for ages for its use in the making of hats. It is neither more nor less than the one used to make "panamas" of extraordinary quality. The plant has travelled a long way: from Ecuador, it was imported to Panama, which associated its name with these timeless attributes and gave them their international fame. The village of Bécal has been associated with their production since the end of the 19th century. The plant was introduced to the region by a resident of Calkiní who brought it back from the Guatemalan Petén in 1859. Then the García brothers, owners of the Hacienda de Santa Cruz, decided to cultivate it. From then on, the inhabitants of the region, relying on the Mayan tradition of basketry, adopted this plant as a raw material in the making of "panamas"; the first one was woven in 1872. Bécal, already known since the beginning of the 19th century for making hats, became a national and international reference for the use of this fiber. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of its inhabitants have dedicated themselves to this activity.