Campeche, one of the towns in Mexico that is rarely mentioned when Mexico is referred to as a travel destination. It is located right next to the Yucatan Peninsula. We bring you an exclusive article to learn more about this little Mexican corner.
This town hides a countless number of colonial houses, characterized by their Spanish roots, that decorate its reduced cobblestone streets.
And is that Campeche is a colonial fairyland, a small enclave of perfectly preserved pastel-colored houses, narrow red brick avenues, fortified walls and well-preserved mansions in its walled city center.
It extends through limestone hills, tropical forests and beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. The capital, of the same name, is a colonial-era port city with Spanish baroque architecture, cobblestone streets and a historic walled district.
Its preserved defenses include the Fort of San Miguel, with an archeology museum displaying artifacts from local Maya sites, including Edzná and Jaina Island.
Now one of the least-populated Mexican states, Campeche was once the site of a flourishing Mayan civilization. Campeche is also home to Mexico’s oldest carnival. The state’s second largest city, Ciudad del Carmen, receives much of its annual income from tourism related to its new seaboard and quiet beaches.
Where is Campeche?
The State of Campeche, an entity located in the southeast of Mexico, borders to the north with the State of Yucatan; its proximity to Belize makes it an ideal city if you want to have a starting point to tour part of the Mexican coast. Its considerable connection with Quintana Roo makes your visit to the Riviera Maya climb a few steps in your list of places to visit, and this state enjoys a strategic position in the western part of the Yucatan Peninsula.
What to do in Campeche?
5. Visitar la Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul
Calakmul is one of the protected sites in Mexico. It is a region of tropical forest that has a fairly high biological diversity. This reserve is full of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, butterflies and mammals and a quite diverse fauna and flora.
4. Turtle hatchlings free in Sabancuy
Turtle hatching is an amazing thing to be a witness of. In the Caribbean ocean surrounding Mexico, some species of turtles have decided to have their nests allowing you as a visitor to watch this wonder of an event as it is the newborn turtles digging up through the sand to dive into the ocean.
Sabancuy’s beaches are major nesting grounds for hawksbill and green sea turtles. Being home to great hatching seasons. Visiting Sabancuy during the months from April to October (peak season June to August), you can take part in liberating baby sea turtles; over 100,000 hatchlings are set free annually.
3. Baluartes
The remaining inhabitants of Campeche set about erecting defensive walls around their town after an especially blistering pirate attack in 1663. The barrier took more than 50 years to complete, mostly constructed by indigenous labor with limestone mined from nearby caves.
The hexagonal wall was connected by eight bulwarks, extending more than 2.5km across the urban center and rising to a height of 8m.
2. Museo de la Arquitectura Maya
Among the walls Campeche has as its protective walls, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad’s Baluarte is fascinating Museo de la Arquitectura Maya, a must-see museum in Campeche, was built to protect Puerta del Mar.
It gives an impressive outline of the sites around the state of Campeche and the major architectural styles associated with them. Five halls show stelae taken from different places, accompanied by graphical representations of their carved inscriptions in flawless English with brief comments.
1. Carnalaves
Rumor has it that Campeche’s carnivals are the best of the best in the Mexican northeastern, and there are plenty of reasons to confirm it.
Colorful parades on certain days, typical clothes worn by citizens, a Desfile de las flores that has within itself honoring the queens and kings of this long lasting celebration, 17 days where festivities of good humor and joyfulness comes to life in every single event.
All this celebration, had since ancient times, has its place from late February to early March. Some merry festivities you just cannot miss the opportunity to witness.