Campeche (state) Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Campeche is a state on the Yucatan Peninsula.
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Regions
Campeche state is divided into 11 municipios: Calkiní, Campeche, Carmen, Champotón, Hecelchakán, Hopelchén, Palizada, Tenabo, Escárcega, Calakmul, and Candelaria. As Campeche is one of the smallest states in Mexico population-wise (roughly 700,000 people in 2000), many of these municipalities are sparsely populated. The largest are Campeche, where the state capital of the same name is located and Carmen, home of Ciudad del Carmen, the capital of Mexico's Gulf Coast petroleum industry. These two municipios alone account for two thirds of the state's population.
As can easily discerned from the municipio names, the state has a large indigenous population which is scattered through the interior of the state, mostly in the north along the Yucatan border and the centre-south areas. Unlike states like Chiapas, however, this population is not very large, although given the state's small population, indigenous peoples make up a significant proportion of the overall population.
The topography is basically flat with small hills, much like most of the Yucatan peninsula. The northern areas of the state can be classified as dry savannah, and the area is in danger of desertification, surprisingly. The central parts of the state are heavily wooded, and the southern areas are tropical rainforest. All of these areas, sadly, are under pressure from slash and burn agriculture.
Cities
The capital city of the state is Campeche, it has a population around 300,000 people and growing rapidly. It sits in the northwestern area of the state, roughly 155 kilometres from Merida in Yucatan. The city is still relatively compact and easy to get around, although as the city grows even bigger, that is slowly changing. Campeche was founded in the early 16th century at the site of a Mayan village called Ah Kim Pech (roughly, "place of the ticks"). The centre of the city has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its meticulously preserved walls which were built in the 16th century to guard against frequent pirate attacks. The rest of the city is a fairly laid back place and feels more like a small town than a fast growing city.
Ciudad del Carmen is another point of interest, and its economy is main based on oil. There is an international airport here, however, that has daily flights to Houston, Texas. If you go to Carmen, you can eat some of the best shrimp in Mexico for almost nothing. Carmen has a very lively night scene, so don't miss all the clubs.
Champotón is almost half way between Campeche and Carmen and is notable for its seafood and beaches.
Escárcega is located in the south of Campeche on the highway to Chiapas. Fairly uninteresting, its main purpose for travellers is as a stop on the way south or northwards.
Other destinations
Outside of Campeche, the main reason why people come to the state are the Mayan ruins. Scattered throughout the state, there are few that stand out.
Calakmul: Deep in the interior of the Mexican jungle near the border with Guatemala, these ruins are still in the process of being restored. Architecturally, they are not extremely interesting, although they are very tall and offer stunning views of the jungle. They are also situated in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and take about an hour to reach after you enter the park. Also keep your eyes open for the local flora and fauna as it is located in the Central American rain forest. Unfortunately, there is no way to enter Guatemala from here.
Ednzá: About an hour away from Campeche, these ruins, discovered in the 1950s, have been meticulously restored and offer a quintessential peek into Mayan life during their times.
Ruta Río Bec: On the road between Escárcega and Chetumal, Quintana Roo, there ruins are spread out over a large area and include the sites Balán Ku, Becán, Xpujil, Río Bec, Chicanná and technically Calakmul. Not well restored at present, they are somewhat less interesting than the other ruins highlighted above. They are also located in a very remote area.
Hacienda Huyamon: Located just outside of Campeche past China and on the road to Edzná, this was once a plantation on which the indigenous peoples of the area worked in slavery during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz (1876-1911). Now a very expensive, but fairly quiet resort and meticulously preserved, it allowed visitors the chance to take a tour to catch a glimpse of what life was like during the time,
Understand
Talk
Campeche has one of the highest percentages of indigenous language speakers in Mexico and this is especially evident in the countryside. Despite that, Spanish is the lingua franca and is understood almost everywhere. However, since the state has been relatively isolated and untouched by international tourism, English is not widely spoken.
Tourists should not be embarrassed to try their Spanish, even if only reading from phrasebooks. You will stick out, but the locals will appreciate the effort and be more helpful than if no effort is made at all.
Get in
Campeche City has an airport, although it only has daily flights to Mexico City. Ciudad del Carmen has flights to Mexico City as well as to Houston Texas. Neither are cheap. The best bet is to fly into Mérida, Yucatan and bus to Campeche. This can also be done from Cancún, although it may take an extra day just to get to the state.
From the Autobuses del Oriente (ADO) station in Mérida, buses leave almost every hour for the three hour drive to Camepeche, which costs roughly 100 pesos. Since it is a short run, second class buses can also be taken, although this offers only small savings (10 or 20 MXM).
From Ciudad del Carmen, buses to Campeche are also very frequent and cost roughly 80 pesos. The trip is about two hours, longer by second class bus.
From Cancun, the trip to Mérida takes 5 hours to complete and costs roughly 150 pesos. From there, it is necessary to take another bus to Campeche.
From Mexico City, Campeche is a lengthy 24 hour drive and this trip costs 700 pesos. A first class bus is recommended.
Get around
Buses in Mexico offer excellent service at cheap prices, and this is no exception in Campeche. The ADO station in Campeche City has recently been moved to the outskirts of the city from the former location downtown, and the cab ride costs roughly 25 pesos. It is possible to make the trip on city bus, but it is not recommended as these buses are small, hot and in varying states of disrepair. The city bus costs 3 pesos. Look for one that says "Centro" in the front window. That will take you to the city market.
From this first class station, only a few points within the state can be reached, like Ciudad del Carmen, Champotón and Escárcega. The old bus station on Avenida Gobernadores, near the Chedraui supermarket and roughly a 10 minute walk from the market, offers bus service to other regions of the state. To make it to Calakmul or Edzná, however, it may be necessary to rent a car or hire a tour guide. Other colectivo vans can be found on the way from the market to the second class station, although these mainly serve the suburbs of the city. It is unfortunate that the spectacular sites of the state are poorly served by public transportation, but this is merely a reflection of Campeche's massively underdeveloped tourist industry.
If you plan to rent a car, it is recommended that you do this in Mérida as there are few, if any, places to do this in Campeche.
See
Itineraries
Do
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Campeche is perhaps the safest state in all of Mexico. The population is still relatively small, and although there are places of profound poverty in the countryside and the cities, people are friendly and warm. The greatest danger comes from the stray dogs that roam the urban areas in packs, especially in the city of Campeche, although this is also the case in most of Mexico.
That said, Campeche is still a place relatively untouched by tourism and Northamerican culture. Visitors should dress conservatively in long pants and dress shirts, despite the heat. If you are fair skinned, you will stick out anyway, but this can be mitigated by dressing appropriately. Women especially should take this into consideration as it is not uncommon for fair skinned females to be mercilessly harassed.
Get out
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