Campeche travel guide

Campeche, Mexico

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Campeche

Introduction

San Francisco de Campeche, usually called simply Campeche, sits on the shore of the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. It is both the seat of Campeche Municipality and the capital of the Mexican state of Campeche, so you will find the state's administrative life concentrated here alongside the waterfront.

Before you go

< p>Campeche was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1540 on the site of an older Maya town, and its official name remains San Francisco de Campeche, though you will almost never hear it used. The city grew into the peninsula's leading colonial port, and its walls and forts were raised in the 16th century to fend off frequent pirate attacks. Independence from Spain came at the start of the 1800s, and by mid century Campeche had separated from Yucatán to form its own state.

Plan for a compact, laid-back city that is easy to get around, though it is growing and that is slowly changing. Outside the centre it can feel more like a small town. The old town's walls and historic buildings are meticulously preserved, while the northeast side is less so but very photogenic, especially along Calle 10, which passes parks and churches and fine colonial architecture.

Getting there

Campeche's small international airport (Alberto Acuña Ongay) has limited flights but no crowds, with Aeroméxico serving Mexico City and United serving Houston. Most travellers arrive by bus instead. From Mérida, buses leave the ADO "centro histórico" station roughly every half hour for the two-and-a-half-hour drive. From Ciudad del Carmen, services are also very frequent, taking about two hours forty-five minutes, longer by second-class bus. From Cancún, the trip takes around six and a half hours, with four buses a day. From Mexico City it is a lengthy seventeen-hour journey, and a first-class bus is recommended. Buses arrive at the ADO Campeche terminal on Av. Maestros Campechinos y Av. Casa de Justicia, a small terminal serving ADO and Sur buses; ticket counters are often understaffed with long lines, there is no air conditioning, and the restroom carries a small charge.

The Tren Maya, a new intercity rail system covering five states of the Yucatán Peninsula, also serves Campeche, with frequent service toward Mérida and onward to Cancún, or toward Palenque with onward connections via the Tren Interoceánico toward Coatzacoalcos and Veracruz. Trains depart from the San Francisco de Campeche railway station on Periférico Pablo García, a full-service station with ticketing, baggage check, and waiting areas with food and drink, plus an Oxxo convenience store on the premises. From there, the Tren Ligero, an electric tramway, connects passengers to the airport, stops around the city, and the historic centre; pay in cash or by card on board, and to return to the train station, check the scheduled times online and catch it at the same stop where you were dropped off.

Getting around

Campeche is a small city, and that shapes how you get around. If you are staying in the historic center, walking is the best option: the old town is a compact, walled colonial city of narrow streets, and the Zócalo, the cathedral, the government palace and the waterfront all sit close together. You can tour the bulwarks on foot along Avenida Circuito Baluartes, several of which house attractions such as the Museo de Estelas Maya, the Jardin Botanico Xmuch Haltun, a crafts center and the Museo de la Ciudad. The heat and humidity that dominate most of the year are the main reason visitors give up on walking, so plan around the climate with light natural-fabric clothing, a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.

For anything away from the old town, take a taxi or a bus. Taxis are widely available, charge by zone, and post official rates on a label inside the cab; agree on the price before entering or insist on the posted rate, and note that cabs arranged by your hotel usually cost more than street-hailed ones. Public buses are the budget option — small, hot, usually cramped and in varying states of disrepair, but cheap, and drivers will make change as long as you don't offer large bills. A bus rapid transit line, the Campeche Light Rail (DRT), runs from the Centro Histórico to the Estación Tren Maya along a former rail corridor converted to a busway, making it the most direct public-transport link between the two. Two tourist trams, Tranvía de la Ciudad and El Guapo, depart from the Zócalo with bilingual commentary; they are sightseeing services rather than general transit, but useful for covering ground beyond the center without walking in the heat. The Tren Ligero, an electric tramway, connects the Tren Maya station with the airport, stops within the city and the historic center, and you pay on board in cash or by card. There is no metro. From the airport, your transfer options are a private taxi or a cheaper colectivo minibus that drops passengers in geographic order, and the Tren Ligero also links the airport to downtown if the schedule suits you.

Where to stay

For accommodation, you have two main areas to choose from. Along the Malecón (Av. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines), which runs the length of the city beside the Gulf of Mexico, you'll find a handful of hotels. These tend to be relatively expensive, but they offer clean, comfortable rooms and good views of the Gulf. Alternatively, look in the historic center, especially around the central square, where hotels are much cheaper. Keep in mind that Campeche has a very small tourist industry, so rooms can be hard to find. In the historic center you'll find a cluster of colonial-style options. Hotel Plaza Campeche sits in front of San Martín Park, in the tourist, cultural and commercial heart of the city. Hotel Mision Campeche is one block from the central plaza and includes continental breakfast and wireless internet. Hotel Plaza Colonial occupies a pretty ochre colonial building and features a continental breakfast, wifi and a bathtub pool. Hotel Castelmar has a cobalt blue exterior, an inner courtyard lined with porticoes, wrought iron railings and shiny marble floors, plus a small pool and wifi, though breakfast might be a little spartan. Hotel Socaire has a really authentic colonial appearance, with a pool, wifi and an attached restaurant serving breakfast. Casa Mazejuwi is more or less a homestay that includes breakfast. On the bay side, Baluartes Hotel on Av. 16 de Septiembre was built as a luxury hotel in 1960 and has seen better days, but still offers a convenient location and rooms with a good view of the Gulf.

Food & drink

Campeche is known for its seafood, especially shrimp (camarón) and shark (cazón), and both are widely available. The only North American chains in the city are Burger King and Church's Chicken, north of the cinema, so you have extra incentive to eat local. Many small restaurants sit in the historic centre at a range of prices, but watch food preparation before you buy. Outside the centre, Avenida Gobernadores offers plenty of eating establishments, though again it pays to watch the food being prepared before deciding. Calle 59 is partly pedestrian between streets 10 and 12 and has a few bar/restaurants with outdoor tables. At the northern end of the malecón, several coctelerías serve the freshest seafood at lunch, and competition is fierce enough that they will try to lure you with free drinks or a complimentary ride to the old town. A few grocery stores outside the old town each have a small restaurant, deli, bakery, and grocery, meat and produce departments.

If you have a sweet tooth, the Chedraui bakery is a must: donuts, sweet bread, danishes, muffins and cookies are sold in bulk, baked fresh in store, and cheap. For a drink, Casa vieja del Rio has the best views over the central plaza and church, excellent for relaxing and people-watching from the balcony; enter from the stairs in front of the tourist train stop, on the southern side of the plaza.

What to see and do

Campeche's historic centre is ringed by the remnants of its old defensive wall, and several bastions survive as places to visit. The Baluarte de Santiago, an 18th-century structure, houses the X'much-haltún botanical garden, while the Baluarte de La Soledad, built a century earlier, holds a museum of archaeological, ethnographical and historical pieces. At the Baluarte San Francisco, the roof offers a panoramic view over the city, and the Baluarte de San Juan is a unique structure that once formed part of the great wall. Two old gates remain: the well-preserved Puerta del Tierra, which serves as the backdrop for a light and sound show recounting tales of pirates and sea battles, and the Puerta del Mar, whose simple facade features a galleon carved in stone above the door. The Museum of Mayan Archaeology occupies Fort San Miguel, an old fort once used to bombard approaching pirates, and displays Mayan artifacts from sites around the Yucatán peninsula including Calakmul, Edzna and Xpujil, with information in English. Elsewhere in the centre you can see the 17th-century Carvajal Mansión with its Moorish decoration, the 19th-century Municipal Files building that served first as a school and then a prison, and La Casa de las Artesanías Tukulná, a remodeled house where Campeche's handicrafts are exhibited and sold. A tour aboard the pirate ship "Lorencillo" circles the bay while narrating the history of Campeche. In the evening, the "Poesia del Mar" fountain on the Malecón in the Barrio de San Román puts on a display of bright coloured lights and spray. For sport, the modern Estadio Nelson Barrera Romellón in San Joaquín is home to the Piratas de Campeche baseball team, with an intimate atmosphere, clean sight lines and food and cold beer. The Tren Maya, the tourist train route through the Yucatán Peninsula, has a stop near the city.

Three days in Campeche

Day one: Start in Campeche and get your bearings in the walled centre, a UNESCO-listed colonial city on the Gulf of Mexico. Walk the old streets and the malecón, then visit the Fuerte de San Miguel for views over the Bay of Campeche. In the evening, eat marquesitas and pan de cazón, the local specialties, and watch the sunset over the water.

Day two: Take a tour to the Maya ruins of Edzná, about an hour inland, where you can climb the Pyramid of the Five Levels. Back in Campeche, explore the Baluarte de San Carlos and the Puerta de Tierra, then wander the neighbourhood of San Francisco, known for its colourful houses and quiet plazas. Finish with a drink on Calle 59, the city's main nightlife strip.

Day three: Head to the beach at Playa Bonita for a morning swim, then visit the Museo de la Ciudad in the Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. If you have time, take a boat tour to see the mangroves and flamingos at the Reserva de la Biosfera de Los Petenes. In the afternoon, shop for handicrafts at the Mercado Principal before departing.

About this place