Campeche
From World travel guide
Contents |
Get in
Campeche City has an airport, although it only has daily flights to Mexico City. Ciudad del Carmen, two hours to the south, has flights to Mexico City as well as to Houston Texas. Neither are cheap. The best bet is to fly into Mérida, Yucatan and bus to Campeche. This can also be done from Cancún, although it may take an extra day just to get to the state.
From the Autobuses del Oriente (ADO) station in Mérida, buses leave almost every hour for the three hour drive to Camepeche, which costs roughly 100 pesos. Since it is a short run, second class buses can also be taken, although this offers only small savings (10 or 20 MXM).
From Ciudad del Carmen, buses to Campeche are also very frequent and cost roughly 80 pesos. The trip is about two hours, longer by second class bus.
From Cancun, the trip to Mérida takes 5 hours to complete and costs roughly 150 pesos. From there, it is necessary to take another bus to Campeche.
From Mexico City, Campeche is a lengthy 24 hour drive and this trip costs 700 pesos. A first class bus is recommended.
Get around
Because Campeche is still a small city, it can be easy to navigate on foot, although the oppressive heat and humidity that dominates most of the year may make this impossible. If you are staying in the historic centre, this is the best option.
Otherwise, it is best to get around the city by taxi. Taxi fares are charged by zone; to go from the ADO bus station to downtown, the cost is roughly 30 pesos, or $3 US.
The city also runs many public buses, although these are small, hot, usually cramped and in varying states of disrepair. The fare, however, is cheap at just 3 pesos. The driver will make change, but don't try to offer large bills as they likely won't be accepted.
See
Do
Buy
There are tourist oriented shops in the historic centre, although their prices are relatively high. The central market is quite small by Mexican standards and it doesn't offer handicrafts like many other do in the country. Outside the market, vendors hawk various items, the most interesting of which are hammocks, a Yucatan specialty.
For travellers looking for a piece of home or just wanting to buy clothing, there are several grocery/department stores located around the city. Super San Fransisco de Assiss has four locations in the city, one of which is on the Gulf of Mexico near the cinema. Another is located by the university, but it's not a central location. The biggest, and cheapest store, is Chedraui, located on Avenida Gobernadores about a 10 minute walk north of the bus station. It features a full department store, a grocery store and a small restaurant, and has several banks in the vicinity.
Unfortunately, because Campeche is not very tourist oriented, knicknacks and handicrafts are hard to come by.
Eat
The only North American chain in the city is Church's Chicken (located north of the cinema), so visitors will definitely have to step out of their comfort zone when in the city. The are many small restaurants located in the historic centre, all ranging in price, but try to watch food preparation before you buy. Outside of the historic centre, Avenida Gobernadores offers a plethora of eating establishments, but again, watch the food preparation and then decide.
Campeche is well known for its seafood, especially shrimp (camarón) and shark (cazón) and both are widely avaliable.
Drink
Sleep
There are a few hotels on the malecon, which runs the entire length of the city along the Gulf of Mexico. Most are relatively expensive, but offer clean and comfortable accomodations. There are also a few hotels located in the historic centre, particularly near the centre square, and they are much cheaper in price. Unfortunately, because Campeche has a very small tourist industry, accomodations can be hard to find.
Get out
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