The etymology of the name of the free municipality of “Champotón” comes from the Mayan language: chakan, “grassland” and putum, “modification of peten: region”, meaning “Region of the Grasslands”.
Champotón or Chakan Putum was founded by the Itzaes, one of the most important Mayan subdivisions when they abandoned Chichen-Itzá around the year 700 C.E., to return 280 years later. In 1194, the confederation of Mayapán was dissolved, and for the alliance between the principal Mayan cities, Champotón was converted into the capital of this small city-state.
On December 7th, 1915, through the publication of decree No 51 which appropriated a new law for the interior administration, Champotón was converted into one of the 8 free municipalities that formed the new state of Campeche. This law came into effect on January 1st, 1916. On November 7th, 1957, the title of “city” was given to this main municipal through decree number 88 of H. Congress of the State the Dr. Alberto Trueba Urbina, who made a formal declaration at the Choreographic Society “Culture and Progress,” now the club of the town.
The traditional festivals in these towns don’t differ much from the other municipalities due to the common Mayan heritage of the people, the predominant culture in our state. The typical celebration dance is the Cabeza de Conchino.
The religious events are: the festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria, the festival of the Virgen de la Dolorosa, the festival of San Isidro Labrador, and the festival of the Virgen Inmaculada de la Purísima Concepción. The typical music in this municipality is jarana.
The church of Our Lady of Mercedes from the 18th century, of the Franciscan order, has a façade with a bell tower, a floor plan of a single building with barrel vault corridors, and has various antique images hung in its interior. The church of the Candelaria, located in the town of Hool, dates from the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. It was constructed with carved stone; its arched door is wood, above which is a coral window with a belfry, crowned with a Latin cross.
