Campeche is located on the southwest of Yucatan along the Golf of Mexico between the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and Tabasco.

Getting There: By Plane: Airports are located at Campeche city (Ave. Patricio Trueba de Regil, No Number, phone: 66656 and 65678 and at Ciudad del Carmen. Another airport is situated in Xpuhil. Aeroméxico and Mexicana de Aviación flies to Campeche from Mexico City. Mexicana de Aviación have also flights to Ciudad del Carmen. By land: Several bus enterprises offer services that link Campeche with the main Mexican capitals. From Mérida you can reach Autotransportes Peninsulares, ADO and Autotransportes del Sur.

Not-to-be missed Campeche, the capital, is a colonial Spanish city full of narrow streets and baroque architecture. Two nights and a complete day are enough to see their main museums and buildings, especially the Campeche’s Regional Museum that preserves earthware and jade items, extracted from Calakmul ruins. The Main Square still preserves its colonial features, right on a side of the square is the oldest cathedral of the peninsula of Yucatan: the Catedral de la Concepción that started to be built in 1540. San Francisco Church, built in 1546 was the site where the first Christian mass was held in the soil of the Americas. Another old temple is that of San Román where the symbol of Campeche faith is situated: the Black Christ, an impressing sculpture made of ebony wood, brought from Italy in 1575. It is recommended to explore the old part of the city by foot. There is still some of the old tunnels of the labyrinth that in the 17th century used to link the bulwarks with different houses of the interior of the walled city. Campeche state is the least visited of the three that made up Yucatan peninsula. Towards the south, you can reach the most beautiful beaches of the state while on the north is the mangrove area, an ideal place for ecotourism and in the interior the most important are the Maya deposits. In the warm area of the Gulf of Mexico are attractive beaches. Among them is Seybaplaya, one of the best with its fine white sands, surrounded by fishermen villages. The peaceful waters of Aguada and Sabancuy, are fit for water sports. Jaina Island: located on the north coast of Campeche this island was used as a cemetery during the epoch of the Maya. There are many tombs with hollowed figurines.

Other cities: Ciudad del Carmen: This is a charming fishermen port situated on the southwest of the state. You can enjoy its secluded squares or the beautiful beaches. Bécal: Artisan families in the interior of humid caves make typical jipijapa hats with the straw of the jipijapa as raw material. Calkiní: A famous city by its crafts: hammocks, hipiles and petates (decorated small carpets with natural dyes whose raw material is a rattan palm, abundant in the thicket of mangroves of the area). Hopelchén: A small town of the northern interior area that means "five sources" in Maya language. Here we can find the fortified church of San Antonio de Padua. This church was built in the 16th century. Hecelchakán: There are two important buildings to be visited in town. The first one is the 17th century Franciscan Temple and the second one is the Archeological Museum of Camino Real.

The Interior: Xtacumbilxunáan Grottoes: These grottoes are some of the state’s natural beauties. Located on the northeastern side of the capital in an area where rivers and ponds are not abundant, the grottoes were used as water reservoirs by the ancient Maya since 90m-deep wells are there available. Edzná: It is one of the most important archeological sites of the peninsula at some 60 km on the east of the capital. The ruins are scattered on an area of over 2 kms2. In the central square are temples, a baseball game area, an amphitheater and a complex of water channels. Also the Pirámide de los Cinco Nichos (Pyramid of the Five Niches) is situated. Calakmul: Reserve of the Biosphere, covers the largest extension of the tropical jungle in Mexico over 723 hectares that provide visitors who loved the Maya world with an excellent opportunity to practice ecotourism. It has several archeological sites not extensively explored:the Calakmul ruins, Chicanná, Becán and Río Bec. Itzamkanac, The Tiger: The archeological south is extended toward the west until Candelaria River where the Maya built this city also named The Tiger. According to the legend, Hernán Cortés executed Cuauhtémoc, the last governor of the Aztec Empire in this city.

Gastronomy Among the most popular dishes are: the pámpano, a fried fish with a green sauce or on the grill and the pan de cazón (small shark bread), that includes the meat of cazón -a sort of shark- accompanied by tortillas and beans and with a home-made tomato sauce.

Restaurants: In Campeche: Miramar. Celebrated by its good seafood. Calles 8 and 61. Phone: 52-981-62883. Marganzo. Regional cuisine. Calle 8, 267. Phone: 52-981-13898. In Ciudad del Carmen: El Marino. Good fish with a garlic-oil dressing. Calle 20 No. 2 e/ 15 and 36. Malecón de la Puntilla. Phone: 938-26714.

Accommodation: In Campeche: Ramada Inn, Ave. Ruiz Cortines 55. Phone: 52-981-64611. Debliz Hotel, Ave. Las Palmas, 55. Phone: 52-981-62233. Baluartes Hotel, Calle 10, 252. Phone: 52-981-63911. In Ciudad del Carmen: Holiday Inn, Calle 31, 274. Colonia Benito Juárez. Phone: 938-208090. Eurohotel, Calle 22, 208. Phone: 23-046. Isla del Carmen, Calle 20, 11. Phone: 22-212. In the Interior: Uayamón Hacienda, Km 20 Carretera Uayamón-Edzná. Hacienda Santa Rosa, Km 129, Carretera Mérida-Campeche. In the midst of the jungle, there are small hotel facilities: Chicanná Ecovillage ecological hotel, with cabanas in the natural background of Calakmul, just 20 km from Xpujil, Carretera de Escárcega to Chetumal, km.128. Phone: 981-62233.

Shopping: You can buy typical craft items in Casa de Artesanías Tukulná from Campeche: hammocks, Bécal hats and other textiles, Calle 10, 333. Phone: 981-69088. In Bécal, visitors can buy Panama hats and see their manufacturing, as well as other jipi items. Unión de Artesanas de Bécal, Calle 34, 222.

Información / information: Oficina de Turismo / Tourism Bureau: Calle 12 núm. 153, entre 53 y 55. 24000 Campeche, Camp. Tel / Phone: 981-66767. Fax: 981-66068. Secretaría de Turismo / Tourism Secretariat: Av. Ruiz Cortines s/n. Plaza Moch-Couoh, CP 24000. Tel / Phone: 981-65593 y 67364. Fax: 981-66767. Campeche Camp. Infotur: Tel / Phone: 250-0123 /0151 México D.F. Web: www.mexico-travel.com

Monuments. The Fortification The most outstanding tourist point of the city is the oceanfront wall which was a part of the old fortress that surrounded the whole city. Though at present, the wall does not exist, still seven of the eight original bulwarks are standing. Most of the bulwarks are well kept as La Soledad, the site of Museo de las Estelas (Museum of the Trails). Jointly with this, stands the Puerta del Mar (Sea Door), one of the four access to the city at the time of pirates. Towards the south is San Carlos bulwark, the first to be built (1686). This is the Museum of the City featuring weapons, galleon replicas and historical documents, plus a model that describes the walled site. Puerta de Tierra is the only access to the city, kept in its original state. In this place every night, a show of light and sound is featured where Campeche history are told.