Comalcalco archaeological site is the city's real draw. It was a Classic-period Maya city and the westernmost major Maya centre, built on the wet coastal plain where stone was scarce and clay was abundant.
That shortage produced its great oddity: temples, platforms, and palace structures made from fired bricks held with shell-based mortar. Some bricks carry carved or stamped designs, making even the building material part of the story. The Great Acropolis, North Plaza, temples, and site museum are enough to justify the trip from Villahermosa.