My volunteer work with Worldpackers at a local kindergarten came to an end. Spring break has begun, so school is out and it was time for me to continue exploring and adventuring on my own. I booked a direct flight from CDMX to Campeche to explore the historical city that is a hidden gem, not far from Merida where most people go travel. I made a short stop in Campeche (2 days) before heading to Merida and wanted to share what I did while I was there.
Day 1 in Campeche
1. Cenote Miguel Colorado
I didn’t know Campeche has cenotes (natural sinkholes that people can swim in) just like other states in Mexico including Yucatán (the state where Merida is located) and Quintana Roo (the state where Cancun is located in). I learned that Campeche and Quintana Roo used to be part of the state Yucatán in the old days so they all have cenotes across all three states. Cenote Miguel Colorado is 2 hours away from Centro (downtown Campeche) and the entrance fee is $300 MXN per person to swim/kayak in one of the cenotes and enjoy two short ziplining. (1) Cenote Agra Azul is where you can swim & kayak (2) Cenote Los Patos is closed for people to enter due to steepness. It was my first time swimming in a Cenote and I loved it. It was an open cenote and the view was amazing! I recommend staying a day here enjoying ziplining and cenote swimming.
Cenote Azul: Azul means the color blue in Spanish. As the name suggests, the cenote
Cenote Los Patos from far. The color was amazingly stunning- probably preserved at a best state because people are not allowed to swim in this cenote.
Day 2 in Campeche
- Malecón, Old City Wall (Puerta de Tierra), Mercado de Campeche
Malecón and Old City Wall (Puerta de Tierra)
Malecón @ Campeche (paved walkway by the ocean) is a great place to walk around and enjoy the ocean view. There are no beaches here to chill but you will see the Campeche sign and some of the vendors selling arts and toys.
Old city wall is a must visit place when in Campeche (it’s free). These walls were built in 1600s to protect the city from the pirates, and you can walk/climb on top of the walls when you pay additional fee of $45MXN. There are cute shops inside the surrounding walls, including craft/art shops, restaurants, hotels. The colors of the buildings are very unique that it reminded me of colorful houses in Charleston and the painted ladies in San Francisco.
Mercado:
Opens early and closed early. Sunday markets are really big. They also have great deals especially on weekends or weekdays closing time (5~7pm). On Sundays, make sure to go between the peak times 9-11am to get fresh vegetables and fruits. I bought 2kgs of “overripe” bananas for $.60 USD! They were perfectly ripe for me and were ready to be devoured 🍌🍌 (FYI, Mercado San Francisco is another market near city center but I would recommend to go to Mercado Campeche instead since Mercado San Francisco is very small and expensive.)
At Malecon. You cannot swim here but the view is great. Check out the color of the ocean! It's so pretty!
The Old City Wall is a must-visit place in Campeche. I loved how grand it was. I didn't explore the top of the walls, but still, it was nice to walk around the city.
Mercado (market) exploring is one of my favorite activities when I am exploring the city. You can learn about the food culture and people!
Final Thoughts
Campeche is a hidden gem. I would recommend to carve out some time to go visit this amazing place. I was surrounded by the locals 97% of the time while I was there, and it is where not many travelers go visit to learn about the history and explore, compared to Merida or other places in Yucatan. If you want to have more privacy in cenotes or just to immerse yourself in the local culture or learn about the history of the Mayans, Campeche is where you should go. ADO buses take you to Campeche from Merida or you can take a flight from CDMX to get there (just like I did). I think 2-3 days in Campeche is just right for anyone to learn about Campeche.
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