Population: 822,441 Million
Capital: Campeche
Popular Cities: Ciudad del Carmen, Escarcega, Champoton
Hotel Rooms: Around 7,500
Campeche is located on the southeast part of the Mexican Republic. It is bounded on the north and northeast by Yucatan, on the east by Quintana Roo and Belize, on the south by Guatemala, on the southwest by Tabasco. On the west and northwest side is the Gulf of Mexico.
Campeche has an area of 56,114 sq. km. (21,665 sq. mi.) including 288 islands and has two kinds of climate: the humid warm and the sub-humid warm. The sub-humid warm climate has periods of rain in the summer and beginning of fall. The dry season is characterized by the convergence of warm winds from the east and the southwest. The humid warm climate is prevalent in the southwest part of the state.
The City of Campeche, which is also a port in the Gulf of Mexico, is the capital of the state. It is located 196 km southeast of Merida by the federal highway 180, and 471 km northeast of Villahermosa by the federal highways 186, 261 and 180.
The village of Can-Pech was believed to have been founded around the third century A.D. . On October 4, 1540, the Spanish founded the village of San Francisco de Campeche., under the leadership of Francisco de Montejo “El Mozo”. During the 16 – 18 centuries, San Francisco de Campeche was converted and became a popular port of commercial trade on the Peninsula of Yucatan.
Beginning in the 17 century, Campeche was involved in many pirate battles. Spain built a wall around the city to protect it from European takeover and marauding cutthroats. Later in 1777, King Charles III gave special recognition to the city in the form of an official seal which is still used today.
After the Independence of Mexico, Campeche became one of the five important seats of government which formed Yucatan. On August 7, 1857, civil war divided Campeche from Yucatan. A new region was created that was given the name Campeche, with the city of Campeche as the capital.
In Campeche, south of the Puuc hills, a distinctive style exists known as the Rio Bec or Chenes style of Maya architecture. The Bec River style features the use of twin towers with thatched temples on top, while the Chenes style is characterized by its profuse decoration of facades with fantastic stone masks.
Things to Know about Campeche
Historically Campeche was made up of three zones:
The Center: The area within the wall that surrounded the city, which was inhabited by the Spaniards.
San Francisco: Located to the north of the wall, where the Mayan population was concentrated.
San Roman: Located to the south of the wall, where the Mexican natives established themselves with people from the Caribbean Islands such as Cuba.
While these zones still exist, the population of Campeche is no longer divided in this way and all zones make up the city.
The buildings in Campeche’s historical center are painted in a variety of pastel colors, but it is worth noting that the buildings are repainted every four years so the municipal building might be yellow one visit and pink the next.
While the beaches adjacent to the city are not great for swimming and relaxing, some pretty beaches can be found just a few kilometers away.
You can find tourist information at the Cultural Center House #6, which is on Calle 57 between 10 and 8 or at the State Tourist Office located on Av. Ruiz Cortines on Plaza Moch Couoh in the historical center.
Campeche Climate
Campeche and has two kinds of climate: the humid warm and the sub-humid warm. The sub-humid warm climate has periods of rain in the summer and beginning of fall over most of territory. In the dry season it is characterized by the convergence of warm winds from the east and the southwest. The humid warm climate is prevalent in the southwest part of the state by the Tabasco border.
