CAMPECHE, capital of the state
that bears its name, is one of Mexico's colonial
gems and was at last recognized as such in 1999
with the designation of the city as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. At its heart, relatively intact,
lies a colonial port still surrounded by hefty
defensive walls and fortresses; around, the trappings
of a modern city that is once again becoming wealthy.
The seafront is a bizarre mixture of ancient and
ultramodern: originally the city defences dropped
straight into the sea, but now they face a reclaimed
strip of land on which stand the spectacular new
Palacio de Gobierno and State Legislature (spectacularly
ugly in the eyes of most locals),
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a series of striking new sculptures
representing various aspects of the city –
piracy, warfare at sea, fishing – and
several big hotels. In the past few tourists
have stopped here, preferring to sweep by en
route to Escárcéga and Palenque
or take Hwy-180 along the beautiful coast route
via Ciudad del Carmen to Villahermosa. Though
more and more visitors are discovering the immaculately
preserved and tranquil streets which compare
favourably with Mérida's, for the moment
at least Campeche remains unblighted by tourist
overkill.
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