This military building is meant to defend land access to the city. The wall is limited by a moat and has arrow slits to shoot firearms. From Thursdays to Sundays, a night Light and Sound show called “The Place of the Sun” takes place at The Land Gate.

During two centuries it was the entrance and exit point for whoever used the only means of communication available at that time: navigation. On Fridays and Saturdays nights, or every day during vacation time, the city offers a night walking tour.

This beautiful mansion was built by Don Rafael Carvajal Iturralde. Inside there are beautiful moorish details on arches, patios and alleys.

The 5.5 km long promenade is adorned with sculptures and rest areas where visitors can sit to watch sunset.

It is one of the most representative forts in the city. Its construction started in 1771, on a pentagonal and raised platform, surrounded by a moat. It now houses the Archaeological Museum of Campeche, with pieces from the Mayan civilization.

In the former rooms of soldiers and guards of the Fort of San José, one can now admire an interesting exhibition of reproductions of boats and arms from the colonial time. It also sometimes welcomes temporary exhibitions.

The Cultural Center Casa No. 6 shows a typical Campeche mansion from the 17th to the19th centuries. It now houses a bookstore, a cafeteria, a handicraft store and a tourist information center.

(Video: eMaya)

Located in front of the Independence Park, it stands where there was once the first catholic chapel. The construction of the current building started in the 17th century and concluded in 1705. In 1895 it was granted the category of cathedral. Its baroque façade is covered in carved stone. The inside is austere and of neoclassic style.

It was the last one of the eight bastions to be built in the city of Campeche and it owes its name to Saint James of Compostela, the patron saint of the Spanish conquests. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bastion was demolished and what we see today is only a replica. It now houses the X´much Haltún Botanical Garden.

It was named to honor Santa Rosa de Life, the first American to be sanctified and the “protector” against pirate attacks. It is currently home to the Campeche art gallery, that shows local artists´ works

This bastion was dedicated to the first pope, it was built on a 780 square meter area. The Court of the Holy Inquisition used to sit there. There is a tourist information office and a handicraft museum.

It was the fourth bastion to be built in the city of Campeche. Its name is related to San Juan de Dios, the founder of the Juanitos order, that would contribute to healing the sailors. It covers a 764 square meters area.

Together with the Bastion of Solitude, it was the largest one (1,342 square meters). Its name refers to the founder of the Franciscan Order. In 1889, its central part was demolished to install the tramway. It is currently part of the Light and Sound Show at the Land Gate nearby.

Dedicated to King Charles II of Spain, it has an area of 840 square meters and a pentagonal shape. Inside the bastion there are furniture, weapons, sculptures and replicas of architectural plans.

It was built on the seaside, and it owes its name to the Virgin of Solitude, the patron saint of sailors.

Visit the sites of attraction of the city aboard the replicas of ancient street cars.

Some of the pirates who ravaged its coasts are: Laurens de Graaf, Francis Drake, Henry Morgan and L’Olonnais. The fortified wall construction began in 1685; it is 2,536 meters long, 6 to 8 meters high and 2.50 meters wide. The guards kept watch making their rounds along the ramparts walkway.

The Maya called it Kaan Pech –meaning “place where the boa is adored”– before the Spaniards gave it the Spanish form of “Campeche.” The state capital city of Campeche, San Francisco de Campeche has a rich history. The Maya settled in the region in 900 A.D. under the dominion of Edzna (60 km. away). Discovered by the Spaniards in 1517, Francisco de Montejo established a garrison around 1540, where the port would play a crucial role in the Conquest. Thanks to its location as a stopover port and the exploitation of logwood, its economy prospered, which attracted the greed of pirates. In order to defend themselves from the pirate attacks, the construction of walls, forts and bulwarks began in the 17th century.