Backpacking in Mexico: The Walled City of Campeche
August 15 2021 | Tagged: Mexico
Campeche, Mexico's historic walled city, capital of the State of Campeche and UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Campeche, full name, San Francisco de Campeche, is an old port city on the Gulf of Mexico, known for its preserved baroque colonial buildings and walled historic district.
It was founded by Francisco Montejo, a Spanish Conquistador (knights, soldiers and explorers of the Spanish and the Portuguese Empires) on what was originally the Mayan village of Can Peech where the Spanish first landed in 1517.
Being a port city, it was constantly being attacked, so a fortified wall was built in 1686 with 8 bastions, 5 of which are still standing today, and 4 gates, 2 of which still stand today:
Baluarte de San Francisco, Campeche:
Low relief model of the walled city of Campeche:
While the Spanish lived within the walls, the locals lived in the barrios of Francisco, Guadalupe, and San Román.
Here is the Iglesia De Guadalupe:
Here is the Iglesia De Guadalupe:
Within the walled city, The Temple and Convent of San José, 1540, one of the oldest in The Americas:
And the Iglesia de San Roque y San Francisquito:
UNESCO listed Campeche. Mexico's walled city:
With Spain having lost control of Havana and Manila in 1762, they had to cede Florida and Belize to the British to recoup these cities and in this way, the Yucatan became a very strategic location.
The walled port city of Campeche, considered safe up until that time, began to come under attack and seeing that it could not thwart a naval attack, in 1771 began the construction of 2 forts, along the coast. Fuerte de San Miguel and the Fuerte de San José el Alto, which I went to visit.
Note the curved entry path, which stopped invaders from coming along with a battering ram. Not shown here is the moat, portcullis and draw bridge:
The walled port city of Campeche, considered safe up until that time, began to come under attack and seeing that it could not thwart a naval attack, in 1771 began the construction of 2 forts, along the coast. Fuerte de San Miguel and the Fuerte de San José el Alto, which I went to visit.
Note the curved entry path, which stopped invaders from coming along with a battering ram. Not shown here is the moat, portcullis and draw bridge:
Fuerte de San José el Alto. 3.5 km north, up the coast. 50MXN entrance fee:
Fuerte de San José el Alto:
Fuerte de San José el Alto:
Fuerte de San José el Alto. Here you can see the moat and the hill top location in relation to the Gulf of Mexico:
Fuerte de San José el Alto. A great 'panorama' shot:
I was visiting in August 2021. It is hot and humid. Despite Campeche being UNESCO listed, there was a waft of sewage in the air. Everything gets pumped into the ocean and occasionally leaks up through the broken pipes into the street.
I stayed at the unlisted Hotel Reforma. As with all buildings in the walled city, they are damp and musty.
I stayed at the unlisted Hotel Reforma. As with all buildings in the walled city, they are damp and musty.
Calle 59 is the restaurant street. And on my first night I had the traditional dish of Pan de Cazón:
"De la grastronomía Campachana por excelencia, tortilla salteada sobre una cama de firjol, relleno de cazón "tiburon" bañado en salsa de tomate y chille habanero asado"
Not suitable for vegetarians. Cazón is shark meat:
"De la grastronomía Campachana por excelencia, tortilla salteada sobre una cama de firjol, relleno de cazón "tiburon" bañado en salsa de tomate y chille habanero asado"
Not suitable for vegetarians. Cazón is shark meat:
And seeing as Campeche has a Covid dry law (no alcohol on sale in the shops, but in the bars is ok) and, well backpacking when it is 33, feels like 41, is very thirsty work, I opted for a rather expensive 1l of draft, one other evening:
Campeche's Malecón at night:
Some evenings they have a sound and light show on the malécon. So if you like Madonna, Michael Jackson, go check it out from 8 pm.