Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Aeromexico (tel. 981/816-6656; www.aeromexico.com.mx) flies once daily to and from Mexico City. The airport is several kilometers northeast of the town center, and you'll have to take a taxi into town (about $5/£2.75).

By Car -- Highway 180 goes south from Mérida, passing near the basket-making village of Halacho and near Becal, known for its Panama-hat weavers. The trip takes 2 1/2 hours. At Tenabo, take the shortcut (right, Hwy. 24) to Campeche rather than going farther to the crossroads near Chencoyí. The longer way from Mérida is along Highway 261 past Uxmal.

When returning to Mérida via Highway 180, go north on Avenida Ruiz Cortines, bearing left to follow the water (this becomes Av. Pedro Sainz de Baranda, but there's no sign). Follow the road as it turns inland to Highway 180, where you turn left (there's a gas station at the intersection).

If you're leaving Campeche for Edzná and Uxmal, go north on either Ruiz Cortines or Gobernadores and turn right on Madero, which feeds onto Highway 281. To go south to Villahermosa, take Ruiz Cortines south.

By Bus -- ADO (tel. 981/816-2802) offers a first-class de paso (passing through) bus to Palenque (6 hr.; $15/£8.25) four times a day and buses to Mérida (2 1/2 hr.; $8/£4.40) every hour from 5:30am to midnight. The ADO bus station is on Avenida Patricio Trueba, a kilometer (a half-mile) from the Puerta de Tierra.

Information

The State of Campeche Office of Tourism (tel./fax 981/816-6767; www.campechetravel.com) is in Plaza Moch-Couoh, Avenida Ruiz Cortines s/n, 24000 Campeche. This is in one of the state buildings between the historic center and the shore. There are also information offices in the bastions of Santa Rosa, San Carlos, and Santiago. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm.

City Layout

The most interesting part of the city is the restored old part, most of which once lay within the walls. Originally, the seaward wall was at the water's edge, but now land has been gained from the sea between the old walls and the coastline. This is where you'll find most of the state government buildings, which were built in a glaringly modernist style around Plaza Moch-Couoh: buildings such as the office tower Edificio de los Poderes (Judicial Building) or Palacio de Gobierno (headquarters for the state of Campeche), and the futuristic Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies), which looks like a cubist clam.

Campeche's system of street numbering is much like that of other cities in the Yucatán, except that the numbers of the north-south streets increase as you go east instead of the reverse.

Getting Around

Most of the recommended sights, restaurants, and hotels are within walking distance of the old city, except for the two fort-museums. Campeche isn't easy to negotiate by bus, so take taxis for anything beyond walking distance -- they are inexpensive.