OUTSTANDING ARTICLES
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Campeche is the only city in Mexico which has conserved the remains of a wall that used
to protect the population from the pirate attacks between the 17th
and 18th centuries. This colonial construction shields the historical
centre of the city which was declared as World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1999.
The historical center of Campeche, declared as World Heritage by the
UNESCO in 1999, is surrounded by a great stone wall. This wall, which has been
reconstructed almost entirely, used to protect the citizens from constant
pirate attacks that were rather habitual during the 17th and 18th
centuries. The pirates would surprise the town and empty it from its valuables
and treasures; an activity in which especially the French pirate Laurent de
Graff and the Englishman Henry Morgan gained both a rather dreadful reputation.
Along the wall you will be able to find the remains of what used to be
its original defenses, forts and bulwarks, and which nowadays house the most
important museums and galleries of the city. These include the Museum of las
Estelas, sheltered by el Baluarte (bulwark) de San Carlos, which exhibits an
interesting collection of archaeological items; el Baluarte de la Soledad,
where there is the City Museum which preserves an important catalogue of maps
and other historical objects; el Baluarte de Santiago, reconstructed in 1950
and turned into a botanical garden and el Baluarte de San Pedro, dedicated to
promoting the existing tourist attractions in the city. There is also el
Baluarte de San
Francisco,
which contains the historical and anthropological library and el Baluarte de San Juan, the tiniest of all. Finally, it is worth of paying a
visit to el Baluarte de Santa Rosa, where all kinds of handicrafts can be found in very
cheap prices and to the Fort of San Miguel, where you can admire the lovely
jade masks of Calakmul amongst other important objects that form part of the Mayan Archeological Museum?s collection.
