Your expert guide to what to do in Campeche
Campeche, the capital of Campeche State is a small and friendly town that’s both easy, and a delight, to explore and get to know. In this article you’ll learn all about what there is to do in the gorgeous and somewhat off-the-beaten-track destination, as well as look at some options for great excursions from Campeche to see ruins, beaches, a cenote, and small towns including Campeche’s Pueblos Magicos.
Let’s dive right in and take a look at best things there are to do with your time in Campeche.
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Highlights of Campeche
The highlights of Campeche include:
🔎 Visiting the many excellent museums as you explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the historic centre of Campeche.
📽 Enjoying the free video mapping shows.
🏴☠️ Walking on the baluarte (the city’s largely intact defensive walls) – Campeche is one of the only cities in the whole of north America to still have its ancient walls intact.
🍤 Walking the Malecon at dusk before stopping off to eat coconut prawns with apple sauce.
🚗 Excellent day trip options including nearby the ruins of Edzá, seeing dolphins at Isla Aguada and exploring small villages.
Jump straight to the WHAT TO DO IN CAMPECHE section if you don’t need to read about how to get to Campeche, or where to stay in Campeche.
Where is Campeche?
San Francisco de Campeche (for this is the city’s official name) is located in the state of Campeche, the third and least known of the states of the Yucatán Peninsula. It shares borders with the Mexican states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo (home to the famous cities of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen), Tabasco and Chiapas. It also has international borders with Belize and Guatemala.
✈️ The Campeche International Airport, the Ingeniero Alberto Acuña Ongay International Airport (CPE) only receives national flights. All international flights are routed via Mexico City so be prepared for a layover if you do want to fly in or out.
🚗 Campeche is located on the west coast of the Yucatán Peninsula and is reached by two main highways, the 180 and 186. Roads are decent and it’s easy to drive around the state.
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to renting a car and driving in the region.
→ Check out your rental car options here
🚌 Public transportation is offered by the ADO bus service with routes to/from Mérida, CDMX, Veracruz, Puebla, San Cristobal de las Casas, & Cancun as well as various towns within Campeche state. There are also colectivos that run between Campeche and smaller towns.
→ Check bus timetables on Busbud (because I have a personal beef with booking via ADO direct after they randomly cancelled my tickets and didn’t tell me)
🚂 The Maya Train stops at Campeche. It’s not really an option for anyone hoping to take a day trip to Campeche but if you want to spend a few days in the city, it’s perfectly viable.
👣 There are guided tours to Campeche from Mérida – you can find their details on Viator & GetYourGuide as well as in the MexicoCassie guide to the best day trips from Mérida.
Where to stay in Campeche
🏨 MexicoCassie’s best value hotel recommendation: Hotel Plaza Campeche – just outside the old city, this delightful hotel offers decent sized rooms, an outdoor pool, free parking and a good restaurant with a substantial breakfast buffet.
→ Check availability and book now
🏨 MexicoCassie full house recommendation: Volta – this small house is perfect for families and groups visiting Campeche. The house has 3 bedrooms, each with a large double bed, a private pool, well equipped kitchen and gorgeous outdoor living space. It also has good wifi and a parking space.
→ Check availability and book now
🏨 MexicoCassie’s luxurious recommendation: Hacienda Campeche – this centrally located restored 17th century mansion offers pure luxury for visitors to Campeche. With its gorgeous large rooms, spa & pool for relaxation after a busy day’s adventuring and a delicious restaurant, you won’t want for nothing here.
→ Check availability & book now
🗺 Or, if these don’t appeal, use my helpful interactive hotel finder map to find your perfect accommodation.
When is the best time to visit Campeche?
Campeche is kinda perfect all year round. Sure, it’s hot, hot, hot in the summer months but it’s not *too* hot (ok yes, it’s really hot but I still think it’s visitable all year round) and there’s always an opportunity to stop for a refreshing drink or ice cream as you explore.
🔆 November – April are the coolest (yet still warm) months.
☔️ June – September is the rainy season. Typically the rains fall for an hour or so most days and the rest of the time is sunny & humid.
Did you know – brief history of Campeche
The name Campeche is derived from the Mayan name of the original settlement, Ah-Kin-Pech. The Spanish couldn’t pronounce this so shortened it to Campeche but actually, lengthened it to San Francisco de Campeche. Ah-Kin-Pech apparently means, ‘place of snakes and ticks’, thankfully we have never seen either in the area.
Sadly, there is almost nothing left of the original Maya town upon which, in 1540, San Francisco de Campeche was founded.
Campeche, for the invading Spanish, was the most important seaport in the region and it played a large role in their conquest and evangelisation of the whole of the Yucatán Peninsula, Chiapas and even Guatemala.
Its importance as a port also led to it being systematically attacked by pirates in the pay of Spain’s enemies, hence the impressive and large-scale defensive system that still stands today. In the 1600s, the Spanish built walls around the city to keep out the marauding pirates, however, the walls don’t appear to have been entirely successful, since, in 1663, pirates sacked the city so comprehensively that King Charles II of Great Britain actually banned English pirates from carrying out further raids.
Campeche is one of the only cities in North America with such complete historic old city walls remaining. Originally, the Spanish lived within the walls and the indigenous Maya lived in the areas outside the walls: San Francisco, Guadalupe and San Román.
What to do in Campeche
Campeche, despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is often overlooked as a place to visit by English speaking visitors to Mexico. I highly recommend that you give Campeche a chance and take the time to explore, maybe as part of a longer trip around the state or region.
🌈 Campeche is a beautiful city that is just perfect for a short visit. Some have taken to calling it, “Mexico’s Rainbow City” because of how colourful the buildings are. Personally, I’m not convinced by this appellation given that so many of Mexico’s cities are so colourful but there you go!
Take time to walk around this friendly city and try the local cuisine and street food while you’re there.
Walk the Baluartes (Ramparts)
There are six sections of baluartes left around the city and while you can’t walk around the whole town up high, it’s a great experience to walk around these walls that formed part of the Spanish defensive systems against pirate attacks.
See if you can visit all the Baluartes: San Pedro, San Juan, Santa Rosa, San Carlos, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, San Francisco and the entrances at the Puerta de Mar Puerta de Tierra. They aren’t all open but I have definitely climbed up via Puerta de Tierra, San Francisco and Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.
The views from the ramparts are really quite lovely. We particularly enjoyed seeing ruins of houses from above, where the front walls were beautifully maintained but there was nothing behind.
Museums in Campeche
Campeche is home to a surprising number of museums given the size of the city. All the museums are fairly interactive and cater for people with different needs – there are tables with replicas of important artefacts for people to interact with, descriptions of these are also given in sign language and in braille.
MABS (Museo Arquitectura Maya Baluarte de Nuestra Señora de la Solidad)
This museum of Maya architecture is my favourite in the city. The entry fee here also includes entry onto the ramparts from Baluarte de la Soledad. The incredible Calakmul Jade mask is housed here.
Museo de Ciudad Campeche
This small museum on the Plaza Principal can be visited as either part of a guided tour (only in Spanish) or alone. If you visit alone you don’t get to experience the boat simulator (which is kind of fun for kids). There isn’t much else that you miss out on if you go alone, particularly if you don’t speak Spanish. The displays are interesting and are based around the lives of early Campeche. The room with a model of a galleon is well worth spending some time in, see if you can find the models of men having a poo!
Centro Cultural Casa No 6
If you want to see how the rich lived in pre-revolution Campeche, this is the place to visit. It’s a small museum and worth sticking your head in.
Fuerte San José (including Museo de Arqueología Subacuática)
Up on a hill above the city is the fort of San José. This is definitely a winner, particularly for the views. The small museum is interesting enough and the fort itself is incredibly photogenic (yellow fort pictured above). It gets very hot up here, there’s usually a guy selling popsicles but do come prepared with water.
Fuerte de San Miguel
This 19th century fort is now a museum that houses relics and items found at the Calakmul archaeological site.
Walking around Campeche
Much like Merida, Campeche’s historic center is full of brightly painted buildings, hence the Rainbow City moniker. Campeche’s local government apparently decreed that no two houses next to each other could be the same colour, leading to a wonderful array throughout the centre. It’s well worth having a walk around. I also recommend keeping your eyes open for sculptures as there are some lovely ones dotted throughout the city.
Great places to walk in Campeche
👣 Take this walking tour of the city to see everything and learn about the history of the city – it’s a great introduction to Campeche.
🚂 If you’re not a walker, you could enjoy a ride on the small tourist train – it leaves from the plaza every hour or so and the tour lasts around an hour, It is available in English and Spanish and is extremely informative.
If you decide to explore alone, be sure to walk around the edges of the historic centre, checking out as much of the baluarte walls as you can. Thoroughly explore the historic centre, starting at the main plaza. I’m a fan of calles 57 and 59 when wandering around Campeche.
🌊 Leave the walled city and head to the Malecon (boardwalk) to find the city letters, the Angel Maya and to enjoy strolling next to the Gulf of Mexico.
⛪️ 🚽The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada, on the plaza principal has a contemplation garden at the back as well as public bathrooms if you find yourself caught short while exploring (🚽 now that’s a good tip!!).
⛪️ Walk to the Iglesia de San Roman, in the San Roman barrio, just outside the city walls to see the extremely famous 1.8m tall Black Jesus icon that has been housed in this church since 1565.
🌳 Parque de Moch Couoh is a nice modern park on the Malecon that’s a great spot for an early evening stroll. Botanical Garden Xmuch-Haltun is asmall botanical garden in the centre of the city that is well worth your time, particularly if you’re looking for somewhere calm to sit and relax. There are two swings, and a fish pond.
🎥 Sound and light shows in Campeche
Celebramos Campeche – Video Mapping
Note: I have heard rumours that this is not currently running in 2026 but I haven’t been able to get confirmation of this fact.
This is a gorgeous free video mapping show on the side of the central library. I recommend arriving at least fifteen minutes early to grab yourself a good spot. Note that the show will be cancelled if it rains and apparently during the vacations it’s shown every day.
🗓 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8 pm on the Plaza de la Independencia
Fuentes Poesia del Mar
A spectacular show including water, light and music along the Bay of Campeche.
🗓 Wednesday – Monday at 8pm.
Land Gate (Puerta de Tierra) Sound and light show
This is the oldest of the shows, and we didn’t love it at all. The gist of the show when we went was that Mayan gods wanted the hearts of warriors (sacrifice?), but the Christian god just wanted everyone to love and now all Campeche people grow oranges on their patios. We weren’t fans of this messaging.
Tickets can be bought at this gate or at Centro Cultural Casa 6.
🗓 Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun at 7.30 pm at the Puerta de Tierra
Fountains – Parque de las Banderas
On this small plaza, just off the main square, there are fountains that dance to music at 7 pm and 9 pm. They’re very pretty.
At the other end of this square, there are small stalls selling marquesitas and other local snacks.
Eating and drinking in Campeche
Restaurants come and go but these have remained long term favourites of mine and of many others visiting Campeche.
🌮 If you love a good food/market tour then reserve your place on Campeche’s finest. You’ll explore the market, trying local delicacies as you do. Once you’ve been stuffed to the brim it’ll be time to wash it all down with a nice, refreshing beer.
La Pigua – great seafood. Very popular with residents.
La Olla de la Pagoda – decent Mexican food at good prices. Very friendly staff.
Cafe Luan – good breakfasts and coffees. Eco-conscious, they use metal straws and have a small ‘green store’ on the side.
Day trips from Campeche
If you have time then Campeche offers a good selection of off-the-beaten-track day trips and adventures.
When planning day trips I recommend considering renting a car or taking guided tours.
🚗 Check car rental options here
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to renting a car and driving in the region
👣 Find your tours on GetYourGuide or Viator
Archaeological Sites
Edzná
This ancient and magnificent Puuc style Maya site was probably inhabited as far back as 600 BCE but only became a major player around 200 BCE. It was abandoned around 1500 CE, just before the Spanish arrived to conquer the region. In the late Classic period, Edzná was part of the Calakmul sphere of influence but some time after that it may well have been related to the powers at Chichén Itzá – the name Edzná means something like “House of the Itzaes”.
Don’t miss the Gran Acropolis, the Small Acropolis, the Temple of Masks and the palace. We even got to the top of the pyramid at the Old Sorcerer Complex, which is around 1km walk from the main complex.
🚗 45 minutes (52km) from Campeche
👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: Bird watching and site exploring at Edzná – a 4 hr tour of the glorious Edzná site with some bird info thrown in for good measure.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Edzná & other ruins in Campeche
➕ There is an evening sound and light show at Edzná, which sadly I have not seen as we had to drive home to Mérida the same day. If you’re staying in Campeche, do not miss out like we had to.
Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc
Although located over the border in Yucatán, Uxmal is still just about visitable in a day from Campeche. Uxmal is regularly visited as a stand-alone site but it’s actually officially part of the Ruta Puuc, a region of southern Yucatan where you can visit four sites (including Uxmal) and one set of caves.
Uxmal is considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque in Chiapas, Chichen Itza in Yucatán and Calakmul in Campeche.
The Sorcerer’s Pyramid is the first thing you see when entering the Uxmal site. It’s a huge and very striking pyramid, which was built over a long period of time with successive stages being covered over with newer ones. If you set out early, a day trip to Uxmal can be paired with a trip to the Choco-Story Museum or even a cenote.
🚗 2hr (160km) from Campeche
👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: There aren’t very many tours available but this one takes in the sites of Uxmal and Kabah and looks as if it would be very interesting.
Calakmul
I’ve visited Calakmul and most of the other ruins here and can honestly say they are some of the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. However, the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and ruins are around 4 hrs (300km) away from Campeche and this four hours is only to the gates of the reserve. Once at the gates you then have a further 2 hr drive to go. I only recommend a day trip to Calakmul if you take a guided tour so you can doze en route because this is a seriously long day.
👣 MexicoCassie recommended day trip to Calakmul: this day tour to Calakmul begins with a pick up around 5 am. The tour takes in the sites of both Calakmul and Balamku and includes food and drink for the day.
→ Read more about Calakmul and other nearby ruins in the MexicoCassie guide to ruins in Campeche.
Chichén Itzá and Palenque
Two of the biggest names in Maya ruins are all tantalisingly close to Campeche but really, they’re just out of reach for day trips. If you really want to see any of these sites then I recommend renting a car or looking into Maya train options.
→ Read more about visiting Chichén Itzá and other ruins in Yucatán in the MexicoCassie guide to ruins in Yucatán
Pomuch
Not many people know about Pomuch, in fact it’s really not on the tourist radar at all but if you’re at all interested in Day of the Dead, burial rights or cemeteries, it’s somewhere you can’t miss. Pomuch is one of the few places in the world where they don’t bury their dead but instead, clean the bones and display them in open boxes.
Visit (respectfully) the cemetery, stroll around town and buy bread here because it’s famous.
🚗 50 minutes / 55km
Becal
Just before the border with Yucatán is the small town of Becal, famous for being home to the jipijapa hat (panama hats). Be sure to stop off here to visit a hat workshop and learn more about this traditional village.
🚗 1hr20 (100km)
👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: visit the small towns of Becal & Pomuch, the Hecelchakán Municipality where you can explore the first chamber of the Xculhoc caves, enjoy a traditional lunch and visit the barely restored Kankí ruins.
→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to Becal
Pueblos Mágicos – Isla Aguada
There are three pueblos magicos in Campeche: Candalaria, Isla Aguada and Palizada. Of the three, only Isla Aguada is of day-tripping distance (2 hours).
This small town offers decent beaches, year round dolphins tours and a wonderfully relaxed pace of life. We spent a few days here while taking a road trip through Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas and absolutely loved it. My kids tell me it was one of their best ever experiences.
🚗 2hr30 (166km)
👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: take a full day tour to Isla Aguada that includes breakfast in Champoton, a boat ride to see the dolphins & bird life and then time to relax on the small islet and its beach. There is a relaxing meal provided before leaving Isla Aguada (✅ note this tour does not involve swimming with dolphins)
→ Read more about how to visit Isla Aguada
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to pueblos magicos on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Mérida
If you don’t have time to spend more than a day in Mérida, it’s still worth including it in your itinerary if you can as it’s a beautiful big city with plenty of history, great museums, stores and restaurants.
🚗 2hr20 (180km)
Beaches, cenotes and nature
Beaches from Campeche
Campeche is a city on the Gulf of Mexico but it doesn’t offer access to beaches in the same way Mérida does. However, check out these suggestions for beautiful beaches near Campeche:
Beaches around Campeche that the locals visit include – Playa Bonita, Balneario Mar Azul, Xpicob. They also head to nearby Seybaplaya, a fishing village with a delightful beach.
Isla Aguada – this small beach town (mentioned above) is most famous for its dolphin population but there is a small beach here too.
Flamingos and Isla Arena – It is possible to take a tour from Campeche to Isla Arena although I have not personally taken one. Isla Arena is part of the Celestun Biosphere and is really one of the hardest places to get to on the whole peninsula, hence the need for a tour. Huge colonies of pink flamingos can be seen here as well as many other birds.
El Remate – There is an 8km long artificial canal at El Remate where the whole family can enjoy water based fun.
Cenotes from Campeche
You’ve heard all about cenotes, you know the peninsula is dotted with them and now you’re wondering about whether there are any cenotes near Campeche, right?
Well, in the state of Campeche you need to drive south, near Champotón to find any cenotes. If you’re taking a day trip then Miguel Colorado Cenotes is really the only option.
Cenote Agua Azul (the name of the swimmable cenote at Miguel Colorado) – which is actually extremely green water, is an enormous open cenote surrounded by lush jungle. You can swim and kayak here (life jackets are provided).
I spent a lovely time swimming, kayaking and watching monkeys in the trees around the cenote. There’s a zipline here and you can also take a short hike around the cenote.
👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: take a full day tour to the cenotes to enjoy ziplining, kayaking, hiking and swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Cenotes de Miguel Colorado.
→ There are far more cenotes as you travel towards Mérida and Chichen Itza/Valladolid
Nature fun around Campeche
IchHaLool Xaan Ecoparque – if you enjoy a romp in a very rustic natural setting then you’ll enjoy it here. There are two ‘ojos de agua‘ (springs) and there’s a river too. You can swim in the ojos de agua and even rent a canoe for a splash about on the river. If you cross over the bridge you can have a great walk through the jungle. We’ve been a few times and always enjoy ourselves greatly
🦟 take mosquito repellant – they can be bad here.
🚗 20 minutes north of Campeche
Parque Ecoturistico Yaax-Ha – Just outside China, near Campeche is an ecopark where you can find numerous small swimming pools (including some private ones), a temezcal, horse riding fun and even ATVs (which my kids adored). There is a small restaurant on site or you can bring your own food. we were extremely pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food in the restaurant here.
🚗 20 minutes south-east of Campeche
El Gran T’zunun – this is the only place mentioned I haven’t been. Reviews are mixed with some people loving and saying it’s a great place to unwind with pools, forest & ziplines. Others say they’ve struggled to find it open.
Mamantel River Tour – this full day tour includes a trip down the river, you’ll see all sorts of birdlife as well as Bottlenosed dolphins. There’s even time to have a refreshing swim at the Sanctuary of the Clams.
More Mexico adventures
🏔 Copper Canyon series
How to book your trip through the Copper Canyon
How to make the most of a trip to the Copper Canyon Adventure Park
Visiting Bahuichivo & Ceroachui
🚗 Mexico road trip ideas
An epic southern Mexico road trip through Campeche, Tabasco & Chiapas
Lesser known Yucatán adventures – 10 days
Yucatán road trip – 2 weeks
➕ Read the MexicoCassie guide to renting cars and driving in Yucatán
🥾 Mexico adventures – other
Everything you need to know about seeing the monarch butterflies in Mexico
How to visit the Grutas de Tolantongo in Hidalgo
San Cristóbal de las Casas as a great adventure base
Chiapa de Corzo & the incredible Sumidero Canyon
Exploring the Pueblos Mancomunados from Oaxaca
Getting deep into Queretaro’s magical Sierra Gorda region
Wine tasting in Baja California
Visiting the ghost town of Mineral de Pozos (Guanajuato)
Excellent day trips from San Miguel de Allende
What to do in and around Puebla (including visiting volcanoes)
7 Comments
Josy A · 13/04/2018 at 9:40 pm
This looks like an amazing place to explore! I can see why kids would love it! I always loved forts, ramparts and pirates when I was little (I still love them now!!) I love how colourful everything is!!
p.s. thank goodness you managed to miss all the snakes and ticks!
Cassie · 13/04/2018 at 9:46 pm
Me too. Who hasn’t had a period in their life when they wanted to be a pirate?
Janine · 14/04/2018 at 11:06 am
I visited Campeche many years ago, during May, which, as you probably know is the hottest possible time I could have gone. Due to the heat I didn’t manage to explore nearly as thoroughly as you did and upon reading this I realize I’m due for a return visit! It’s a beautiful city!
Cassie · 14/04/2018 at 12:22 pm
April isn t much better to be honest but we are pretty well acclimatised. We still had to escape to the mall though .
Natalie · 15/04/2018 at 12:42 pm
Thanks for writing this thorough post. I
Campeche sounds like a fun place to visit. I just spent 8 days in the Yucatan, mostly exploring Mayan Ruins, but I can always go for more. I haven’t heard of Edzna, but now I know I want to go! It’s great your kids enjoyed it, too. Three hours is a long time.
Steve Vender · 30/04/2018 at 3:46 pm
Thanks for the post on Campeche. This is a city my wife and I want to visit, and your post is a good guide to the things we’d want to see. So sorry that you had such a bad meal at that restaurant, El Sabale. I usually research any city that we’re going to visit and make a list of restaurants. Campeche is supposed to have some wonderful places. You’re comment about the carnival atmosphere along the malecon, with the hustling waiters, was helpful. We’ll look for other places.
Cassie · 30/04/2018 at 3:59 pm
Have a great trip, it’s a wonderful city. We normally research too but time got away from us.
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