Campeche, rich in Pre-Columbian and Colonial history and culinary tradition

Campeche, one of Mexico’s east coast cities. Campeche not only has an exciting history but it has great culinary traditions.  From Villahermosa we made an early morning departure for Campeche. It was a pleasant drive on Ruta 180 south to Campeche. You may not have heard much about Campeche, as it is not as well known as other Mexican cities. Campeche however, is a city well worth visiting, located about 260 kilometers from Merida and 375 kilometers south of Villahermosa, Tabasco.

Orchestra playing in Campeche's Central Plaza © Spaswinefood

Campeche’s Pre-Columbian and Colonial history

Campeche is the capital and largest city in the state of Campeche. Historically Campeche has been the second city of the Yucatán Peninsula, next to Mérida. Campeche’s commercial and military importance during colonial times resulted in Campeche becoming the second biggest town in the Gulf of Mexico, next to Mérida in importance.

The historic fortified harbor town of Campeche was founded in 1540 by Spanish conquistadores. The city was founded on top of the Pre-Columbian city of Canpech or Kimpech, which was described as having monuments and 3,000 houses. While today there is little evidence in Campeche of Pre-Columbian times there is lots evidence of the colonial Spanish architecture. Campeche’s fortified walls enabled Campeche to play a major role in expeditions to the Mayan regions of the Yucatán Peninsula and Guatemala’s Petén. In 1999 Campeche’s well-preserved Baroque architecture resulted in it being given the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Campeche's Fortified Historic Old Town © Spaswinefood

Campeche's Fortified Historic Old Town  © Spaswinefood

You will also find the famous Mayan ruins of Calakmul in the state of Campeche.

Campechena Cuisine
During a brief stopover in Campeche Spaswinefood was introduced to the amazing variation cuisine of the Yucantán region (see Mexconnect). While you will find Yucantán cuisine throughout the Mayan heartland there are variations that make Campeche regional cuisine unique, such as different seasonings and presentation. The Guadalajara Fiesta Grill features Campechana cuisine, as does Fodor's.

In Campeche you will find lots of opportunity to  try Campechena cuisine. In fact in Campeche you will find a complete range of restaurants to meet all your dining needs. Our hotel gave us a number of restaurant recommendations for Campeche's historic old town, which is only 15 minutes walk from the Ocean View Hotel. We decided to check out Restaurante Marganzo. It was an excellent choice. We started dinner with margaritas. They served a complimentary appetizer. We followed this by a Cóctel de Mariscos (fish cocktail) and Ensalada Remolacha (beet salad). 

Cóctel de Mariscos © Spaswinefood

Ensalada de Remolacha © Spaswinefood

For entrees we selected Egg Tacos with Pumpkin Seeds and Pulpo. 

Tacos © Spaswinefood

Pulpo © Spaswinefood

At the end of dinner they served compliments of the house a tamarindo drink, with some chili on the rim of the glass. This was a great way to end a dining experience.

Tamarindo © Spaswinefood

The restaurants in historic Campeche have such a welcoming atmosphere.

Marzano Restaurante, Campeche © Spaswinefood

After dinner we took some time to explored some of Campeche's historic old town. It was so welcoming. There was an orchestra playing in the central plaza. We saw lots of people enjoying the evening in historic downtown. There was even a fountain with a light show and music.

Campeche’s accommodations

Today’s Campeche offers a complete range of accommodations. However, with so many choices it is a tough to decide on where to stay. We decided on the Ocean View Hotel. It is an excellent hotel with a perfect location on the promenade. Not only is the Ocean View Hotel, a nice hotel it is only 15 minutes walk from historic old town. 

Ocean View Hotel, Campeche © Spaswinefood

We had a beautiful relaxing stay in Campeche. The beautiful city of Campeche is well worth a visit. When Spaswinefood drove through Mexico's east coast for us Campeche's history and cuisine was a wonderful discovery. In fact it was one of the highlights of our east coast drive along Ruta 180.

Getting to/from Campeche

Most visitors to Campeche will arrive and depart at the Campeche International Airport. While you will have no problem getting flights to and from Campeche the best rates are usually via Mexico City. Another popular option is via Mérida. Many visitors choose to fly to Mérida where they rent a car or take a bus to Campeche (see earlier article on Mérida).

Staying safe in Campeche

Since health and safety are often concern for travelers to Mexico, do not forget to check sources that provide good information. I strongly recommend that you check U.S. Department of State for the latest update before you travel. 

We enjoyed our stay in Campeche. All too soon we are on our way down Ruta 180 to Merida, Yucatán. It was hard to leave a pleasant city like Campeche however, knowing that we were enroute to Mérida helped. For more on my travels through Mexico visit me at Spaswinefood. 

Sharon
October 2012
Campeche, Mexico

© Spaswinefood

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