chiefdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Chikinchel

1441 CE – 1544 CE (approx.) · capital Chauaca

A Maya province on the northern coast of Yucatán whose salt beds supplied a wide trade, conquered by the Spanish in 1543-44.

Origins

Chikinchel emerged after the fall of the League of Mayapan around 1441 along the north coast between Ah Kin Chel and Ecab. Its main town was Chauaca, and its territory included extensive coastal salt flats.

Rule and society

Salt from its lagoons, among the most productive in Mesoamerica, was traded by canoe and porters to distant regions, alongside cotton and fish. The province's towns were governed by local lords, but little is recorded of its political organisation.

Decline and legacy

Francisco de Montejo the Nephew conquered Chikinchel in 1543-44 and founded the first Valladolid at Chauaca, moving it to Saci in 1545. The province became part of the Province of Yucatán.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

League of Mayapan 1220 CE – 1441 CEChikinchelProvince of Yucatán 1542 CE – 1821 CE

Connections (1)

Chikinchel was conquered by Spanish Empire1544 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chikinchel. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chikinchel
MLA: “Chikinchel.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chikinchel. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Chikinchel.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chikinchel.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chikinchel’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chikinchel (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻