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Mexico is home to some of the oldest and most historic colonial cities in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most Instagrammable is Campeche. Many of Mexico's cities were founded long before the first English settlements were established in the 13 Original Colonies (the oldest permanent English settlement was Jamestown in Virginia in 1607).
Campeche is well known in Mexico as being one of the best colonial cities for superb Instagram pictures - although it still remains something of an unknown gem to the outside world. The painted facades of the city of Campeche are a stunning throwback to the colonial period of Mexico.
Campeche Is One Of The Oldest Colonial Cities In Mexico
Campeche was founded almost 60 years before the English arrived permanently on the shores of North America. It was founded in 1540 - only 19 years after the overthrow of the Aztec Empire.
- Founded: 1540
- Famous For: Brightly Colored Colonial Architecture & Colonial Fortifications
The full name of Campeche is "San Francisco de Campeche" (but don't call it "San Francisco" - that would be confusing). It was built on an older Mayan city called Can Pech - a city that is recorded to have had around 3,000 houses and other assorted monuments. Mexico City is also built on a pre-Columbian city - the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan.
Today it is located in the modern Mexican state of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the state capital and has a population of around 260,000. The colonial architecture and heritage of Campeche earned it World Heritage status in 1999.
Campeche: One Of The Most Instagrammable Colonial Cities In Mexico
Campeche preserves much of the old colonial Spanish architecture along with its city wall and fortifications (built to protect it from pirates and buccaneers). Campeche was razed and looted by pirates (sometimes state-sponsored pirates), and in response, the Spanish built fortifications in 1686.
Today, the colonial buildings and its old city walls, the Franciscan cathedral, and fortresses attract many Mexican tourists. Colonial Campeche remains in an excellent state of preservation and is built in the viceregal Baroque style. It is famous for being an excellent example of a fortified urban center. It is the only walled city remaining in Mexico - and one of only two in North America (the other city to have mostly complete colonial city walls is Canada's Quebec City).
The facades of the aligned streets are vividly decorated, and some of them even have strong Moorish and Spanish influences from the 18th century. Campeche is a place where pirates, cobbled streets, and colonial architecture all come together.
Colonial Campeche is a city where visitors can feel the life of its past. The brightly painted facades are full of a vibrant sense of life. Visitors sometimes describe Campeche as something of a historic fairyland.
Dress in the best dress and pose for Instagram pictures in front of the restored colonial buildings on the narrow cobblestone streets of the city. Almost every corner in the colonial heart of Campeche is picture-perfect. Little wonder it is a popular destination for wedding photography in Mexico.
After exploring the colorful colonial houses in the walled center of the city of Campeche, explore the two forts open to the public - Fuerte de San Miguel and Fuerte de San Jose el Alto.
Another colonial city in Mexico with cobblestone streets worth exploring is San Miguel de Allende.
Campeche Is One Of The Safest Places In Mexico
Mexico has a reputation for being dangerous - but it can be much safer if visitors stick to the safer destinations in Mexico that are perfect for a family vacation. It so happens that Campeche is one of the safest destinations in Mexico (although, by some measures, the safest city in Mexico is Merida).
The U.S. Department of State categorizes Mexican states into four travel advisory categories as of the time of writing (April 2023). These are Do Not Travel, Reconsider Travel, Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling, and Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling. The common causes of concern are risks of crime and kidnapping.
The Mexican states the U.S. Department of State lists as "Do Not Travel" include the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. "Reconsider Travel" includes the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, and Sonora. The third list of states in the "Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling" includes the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chiapas, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico State, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosi, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.
Only two states are green-lit by the U.S. Department of State as "Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling" - they are the states of Campeche and Yucatán.