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Published: November 23rd 2008
Campeche, June of 2008:
First decide what you want to do, then determine how to do it! We know we want to travel Mexico. It was a Wednesday in June of 2008 and Chuck received an email notification of roundtrip airfare to Cancun for $120. This we could do! We decided we would rent a car in Cancun and drive to Campeche.
The drive from Cancun to Campeche can be done in about 6 hours. We have friends in Merida, which is along the way, so we stopped there for a couple of nights before going to Campeche. While in Merida we learned that there was a tropical depression and hurricane warnings for most of the peninsula, including Campeche. Hmm, could be that this was why the airfare was so cheap. We were considering skipping Campeche and instead going north to the coast; we figured driving into a hurricane would probably not be the best way to spend a vacation. We had dinner with our friend Martín and his family and got into conversation regarding our travel plans. They have family in Campeche and called down to get a first-hand weather update. Mostly overcast and occasional rains, so
Mexican Squirrel
guarding the citywe headed to Campeche the following morning.
The drive was easy and the worst of the rain occurred while we stopped for lunch. Chuck ordered the special, which was pork and beans (the beans came with a pig foot; I love that). We made it to Campeche in the early afternoon and walked around town looking for a place to stay. We decided on the Holiday Inn because it had a bar and restaurant within the hotel. We were not too hip on the idea of having to walk in the rain every evening for dinner and drinks. Plus, we bargained with the hotel staff and were able to get a “hurricane” discount so the price was about the same as the other hotels.
Campeche has a history that is colorful and complex. The history here includes events and stories regarding the Maya, the Spaniards, the Conquest and Colonization, pirates, and a mixing of people over the course of centuries.
The city of Campeche was one of the major world ports well into the 1800s. Much of the history here involves attack by pirates such as Peg Leg and Captain Morgan. The old part of
the city, the historic center, is enclosed by a massive stone and mortar fortification that served to protect the city from pirates. At each corner of the city is a baluarte (bastion or fort). These are now used as museums that portray the history of the city and surrounding area.
The Baluarte of San Carlos was one of the first to be built. It was named after Carlos II, King of Spain. This bastion was used to house the guards of Campeche and operated as a prison. Baluarte San Carlos is now a City Museum. Here visitors can learn about the role of the bastions in the history of the city.
The Baluarte Soledad is the largest of the bastions and functioned to guard the seaside of the city. Baluarte Soledad now operates as the Stella Museum of Campeche and home to a collection of intricately carved Mayan steles or stone monuments which tell of Mayan history.
The Baluarte San Miguel was not part of the city wall and instead it was part of an outer defense system. This bastion now functions as the Campeche Regional Museum. This museum is home to a collection of pre-Hispanic
Chuck; Campeche
at Baluarte San Miguel and colonial artifacts.
The Baluarte of San Jose also served as part of the outer defensive system of Campeche. This fort was constructed to include a defensive ditch surrounding the perimeter of the fort. There was not a functioning museum when we visited, but this fort is situated on a high cliff at the south end of the city offering a beautiful view overlooking the bay.
Leading north and south from the historic center of Campeche is the Malecon, a walkway along the bay running nearly the length of the city. Along the malecon are seaside restaurants serving guests an array of seafood dishes. The fresh prawns are massive and they melt in your mouth. Sunsets from the malecon are simply stunning.
Within the historic center of Campeche are the Cathedral, the zocalo, cultural and historic sites such as Casa Seis, and restaurants featuring fabulous fresh seafood. Casa Seis is a restored colonial home featuring period furnishings. There is also a gift shop and book store within Casa Seis where visitors to the city can purchase local handicrafts and books about the region. Campeche is well-known for fresh fish and seafood, which is caught in
the bay. Restaurants in the city serve regional dishes that visitors must try when in the area. One local favorite is Pan de Cazon; made by stacking baby shark, refried beans and tomato sauce within tortillas. Our favorite was manta ray (like a sting ray) smoked and served as an appetizer.
Outside of Campeche City are many Mayan Ruin sites. The archaeological zones throughout the state of Campeche are relatively close to the city, although some are not so easily accessible. Mayan architecture in Campeche is a combination of Rio Bec, Chenes, and Puuc styles. The area was first settled with farming communities circa 550 BCE (BC or before the common era). The archaeological zones we visited included Dzibilnocac, Edzna, Hochob, Oxkintok, Tabasqueño, Toh Cok, and Santa Rosa Xtampak.
Dzibilnocac is located in the town of Iturbide. The name Dzibilnocac is said to mean Painted Vault in the Mayan language. The structures here were constructed in the Chenes style with zoomorphic facades and towers. The main structure at Dzibilnocac is ornamented with masks of Chac, the Mayan Rain God.
Edzna is probably the most well-known of the Mayan sites in this area. The name
Edzna translates from the Mayan language to the House of the Itzas (Itz na). The main structure at Edzna is an impressive five-story building. The archaeological zone of Edzna also features a plaza, ball court, steam room, period plaster painted red, and many stone carvings representative of Mayan gods.
Hochob is approximately 140 kilometers away from the City of Campeche. The name Hochob means the Place of Corn Cobs. Buildings at Hochob were constructed in the Chenes style. The main structure at Hochob features an entrance decorated to symbolize the mouth of the Mayan God Itzamna and corners adorned with masks of the God Chac.
Oxkintok, which was occupied as early as 300 BCE, is located in the Puuc region; about half-way between the cities of Campeche and Merida. The name Oxkintok has been translated from Mayan to English as Three Suns. Oxkintok structures include a labyrinth, anthropomorphic columns, a ball court, steam bath, archways, and of course pyramids or palaces. Interestingly one of the anthropomorphic columns at Oxkintok with skeleton type characteristics has an appearance similar to the Hopi God Masaaw.
Tabasqueño is definitely off the beaten path. When we visited this site,
we drove to it in our little economy rental car; probably not the best idea. The road to the site is more or less a narrow and rocky track or trail. As we drove to the site, brush scraped both sides of our car and we needed to slowly and carefully maneuver around many quite large rocks or miniature boulders. An ATV would have been a much better means of transportation, but hey, we made it. After arriving to the site entrance we then hiked up a fairly steep incline to the ruins.
Structures at Tabasqueño were built in the Chenes style with the zoomorphic facades typical to this region. Tabasqueño reached its peak between 750 and 900 CE. Although the site is not large, it is certainly worth a visit. Getting there was half the fun!
Toh Cok is a small ruin site on the road side not far from the city of Hopelchen. The site is fenced in but easily viewable from the roadside as there is basically one main structure to be seen. If nothing else it is a good spot to stop and stretch your legs on the way to other ruin sites.
Santa Rosa Xtampak is another ruin site that is off the beaten path; it is about 200 kilometers from the city of Campeche. The last road leading to Santa Rosa Xtampak is not paved, but was not in too bad of condition. This is a very nice site with many structures to explore, some in considerably good condition, others quite dilapidated. The day we visited Xtampak a man was working on the grounds here and offered to serve as our guide. He was knowledgeable of the site, Mayan history and culture, and the Mayan language. One unique feature at Santa Rosa Xtampak, as our guide explained, was that the entrance to one building is symbolic of fertility and birth as it was constructed to represent the entrance to a womb. Another interesting feature here that I noted was a cistern built into the steps of a building. Santa Rosa Xtampak flourished between 600 and 800 CE, however it was inhabited as early as circa 300 BCE. The name Xtampak means old walls. The main structure at Xtampak is a three-story palace with zoomorphic facades. The architectural style at Santa Rosa Xtampak is a mix of Chenes and Puuc
features.
Grutas Xtacumbilxunaan are located just off of MX 261 near the Campeche-Yucatan border. The name translates to the Caves of the Sleeping Beauty. A natural feature within the caves looks like a mother holding her baby. I cannot say for sure this is where the name comes from, but it seems a logical guess. The caves are easily accessible and short guided tours are available.
Chuck and I had a wonderful time in Campeche, despite the looming tropical depression and ongoing threat of a hurricane. Actually, because of the tropical depression, the weather was quite mild. Campeche City was very nice to visit with many historical and cultural attractions. Like the rest of the Yucatan, the people in Campeche were friendly and welcoming. An added bonus for us was the relative remoteness of the archaeological zones. We enjoyed mapping out and travelling to all of our destinations. We especially enjoyed being able to explore and appreciate the Mayan ruin sites without being interrupted by masses of tourists and tour groups. We spent our last day in Campeche having cocktails on the malecon watching the sunset over the bay; picture perfect!
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