The Land of Serpents and Ticks, as the Mayas called the city of Campeche, is an attractive town on the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of things remind the visitor of the town's bloody history: this was a favourite picknick spot for pirates. The Spanish built citadels and thick walls to protect the city....

The Land of Serpents and Ticks, as the Mayas called the city of Campeche, is an attractive town on the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of things remind the visitor of the town's bloody history: this was a favourite picknick spot for pirates. The Spanish built citadels and thick walls to protect the city. Many of them can be visited today and some have been made into small museums displaying Maya artifacts or items from the citys colonial past.

Take some time to walk along the city walls. The old sections of the town were nicely renovated. Churches and plazas can be explored including the Cathedral Concepcion which was built between 1540 and 1704. The museum at San Miguel Fort has a good collection of pre-Colombian artifacts including 6 peerless jade funeral masks.

Also plan to visit the Maya ruins at Edzna about 25 mi/40 km southeast of town to see the impressive Temple of Five Stories and other structures.

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