Campeche’s largest colonial fort, facing the Gulf of Mexico some 4km southwest of the city center, is now home to the most important of Maya museums, the…
Must-see attractions in Campeche
- MTop ChoiceMuseo Arqueológico de Campeche & Fuerte de San Miguel
- MMalecón
A popular path for joggers, cyclists, strolling friends and cooing sweethearts, the malecón, Campeche’s 7km-long waterfront promenade, makes for a breezy…
- CCatedral de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción
Dominating Plaza Principal’s east side is the two-towered cathedral. The limestone structure has stood on this spot for more than three centuries and it…
- PPlaza Principal
Shaded by carob trees and ringed by tiled benches and broad footpaths radiating from a belle-epoque kiosk, Campeche’s appealingly modest central square…
- MMuseo de la Arquitectura Maya
The Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, designed to protect the Puerta del Mar, contains the fascinating Museo de la Arquitectura Maya. It provides…
- BBaluarte de San Francisco & Baluarte de San Juan
Once the primary defensive bastion for the adjacent Puerta de la Tierra, the Baluarte de San Francisco houses a pirate exhibition in both English and…
- CCentro Cultural Casa Número 6
During the prerevolutionary era, when this mansion was occupied by an upper-class campechano family, Número 6 was a prestigious plaza address. Wandering…
- BBaluarte de San Pedro
Directly behind Iglesia de San Juan de Dios, the Baluarte de San Pedro served a post-piracy defensive function when it repelled a punitive raid from…
- BBaluarte de Santiago & Jardín Botánico Xmuch Haltún
Completed in 1704 – the last of the bulwarks to be built – the Baluarte de Santiago houses the Jardín Botánico Xmuch Haltún, a botanical garden with…
- EEx-Templo de San José & Bazar Artesanal
Faced with blue-and-yellow tiles, the Ex-Templo de San José is a wonder; note the lighthouse, complete with weather vane, atop the right spire. Built in…
- BBiblioteca de Campeche
On the northern (seaward) side of Plaza Principal stands a replica of the old government center, now housing the modern Biblioteca de Campeche. The…
- PPuerta del Mar
The Puerta del Mar provided access from the sea, opening on to a wharf where small craft delivered goods from ships anchored further out. The shallow…
- SSculpture of Pedro Sáinz de Baranda
A block past the Hotel del Mar is a monumental sculpture of Pedro Sáinz de Baranda, a native son who played a key role in defeating the Spanish at their…
- MMuseo del Archivo General de Estado
At this small museum, learn how Campeche came to be. It’s free and air-conditioned, and you get to check out old documents and maps, and watch a video (in…
- PPuerta de Tierra
The Puerta de Tierra, on the eastern side of the town wall, was opened in 1732 as the principal ingress from the suburbs. It is now the venue for a sound …
- MMuseo El Palacio
This large museum at the plaza has exhibits about the city's logwood industry and salt trading; a section is designed to make you feel like you're inside…
- PPlaya Bonita
About 13km south of downtown, just past the port village of Lerma, Playa Bonita is the closest real beach to Campeche. Don't expect an isolated paradise…
- MMansión Carvajal
Once the mansion of wealthy landowner Fernando Carvajal, this beautiful building now houses state offices. Visitors are welcome to take a peek inside,…
- MMonument to the City Gates
Next to the Plaza Moch-Couoh is this modern monument to the city’s four famous gates (land, sea, San Román and Guadalupe); these entrances were in the…
- NNovia del Mar
Just beyond the Centro de Convenciones Campeche, the girl gazing out to sea is the Novia del Mar. According to a poignant local legend, the campechana…