Travelers Guide to Campeche

PLACES AT INTEREST IN THE CITY AT CAMPECHE

 Continue. . . 

LA PIGUA RESTAURANTE

The beautiful state of Campeche has a lot to offer to its visitors. Besides evidence from colonial times and a rich Maya heritage, also gastronomically speaking Campeche is a wonderful place to be. Of the many restaurants based in the City of Campeche probably the most famous one is "La Pigua" where Campechan cuisine is being celebrated every day again with a wide variety of fish and shrimp specialities.

La Pigua was founded 13 years ago by its owner Mr. Francisco Javier Hernandez and has in those years grown out to become a greatly appreciated place by as well local people as visitors from outside the state. The restaurant has also received quite some celebrities like Ernesto Alonso (a famous Mexican soapstar), Carlos Carrera (the film producer), and the Cuban singer Celia Cruz amongst many others. And all, whether famous or not, have received the same excellent service and attention that La Pigua is famous for.  

From Campechan caviar and chillies filled with sharkfish to shrimp with coconut or fish in salsa verde, and for desert a mouth watering coconut pastry or a mousse made of chicozapote (a delicious fruit of the region) are just some examples of what's on the menu. Restaurant La Pigua and its owner invite you to sail with them on the immense sea of specialities of Campechan Cuisine. Enjoy your meal!!

La Pigua Avenida Miguel Aleman 179ª Opening hours: all days of the week from 12:00 to 17:30. La Pigua also caters for your special events and receives groups (also for breakfast and dinners). For more information and reservations call (019) 81 13365.  

ARCHEOLOGICAL ZONE EDZNA

This Mayan city that was founded around 600 and 300 BC as a small agricultural community. As the years passed it became an important economical, political and religious entity. Edzna reached its most important era between 600 and 900 AD as a grand regional capital. Over the years, an important hydraulic system of aguaducts, holding tanks, canals were developed thus allowing Edzna to be independent as they had water, the ever vital need for life.

Located 61 kilometers from Campeche, the translation of the name Edzna has caused quite a bit of controversy over the years. Some scholars think it means "House of the Itzaes" (a group of Indians), others think it is "House of Echoes," while others believe it is "House of Gestures." Whatever it is, this is Campeche´s most visited site and important one in the Maya World Route.

Buildings include the buildings to the north of the Plaza, Nohochna, buildings to the south of the Plaza, the Ball Park, the Small Acropolis, the Big Acropolis, an the Old Bewitched Lady.

Edzna was refounded in 1906 but not returned to until 1927, and just recently has undergone more study and restoration.

CALAKMUL

Far inside the jungle of the southern part of the state of Campeche, explorer Cyrus Longworth lundell discovered the ancient Maya City of Calakmul in 1931. He called it 'the city of two adjacent mounds', which can be explained as: CA (from the Mayan 'two') LAK (nearby), and MUL (mound). You'll find this incredibly impressive site in the biosphere reserve of Calakmul about 318 Km from the City of Campeche and 30 km from the border with Guatemala. 

The reserve was created in 1989 and covers an area of 723,185 hectares, which is almost 13 percent of the total state territory. In this area jaguars, howler monkeys, deer, pumas, wild cats and many other mammals have their home, together with many kinds of spiders, reptiles, insects and more than 800 plant species (for example the Ramon Brosimun Alicastrum a plant that was a very important source of food for the Mayas, and the "Zapote" Achras Zapota a tree providing wood, fruit and chicle, also Palo de Tinte or Campeachy wood). While you're driving through the 60 Km long road that leads you from the Escarcega Chetumal highway to the archaeological site just pull over for just a minute or two and enjoy the sounds of nature, right there and then you will realize how far you are from modern civilization and how much it feels as if you are in another world. 

The archeological zone covers an area of 70 square kilometers and has more than 6000 structures of which the majority is well hidden inside the jungle. Still the amount of constructions that are already exposing are most definitely a good proof of the fact that Calakmul used to be the largest Maya city of its time.  

THE PERL OF THE GULF

The Spanish pilot Anton de Alaminos discovered Ciudad del Carmen or 'Terminos island' as the Spanish used to call it, on Octuber 17, 1518.

After the Spanish conquest the island was occupied by English, French, and Dutch pirates in 1663. They used Carmen as a base for their transport of precious woods overseas, which turned out to be a really good business. On July 16 of 1717 the pirates were expelled by Don Felipe de Andrade. Nowadays this date coincides with the fair of the island (The feast of the Virgin of Carmen) which is being held every year from the 15^th until the 31^st of July.

During the colonial period and 19^th century stained wood was one of the basic products found in Ciudad del Carmen. After this came the era of the precious woods like cedar and mahogany which allowed Carmen to recover and rebuild itself after the fire of 1850. Somewhere in the middle of the 20^th century the shrimp era began and because of this Carmen turned into one of Mexico’s most important fishing ports. In 1980 Ciudad del Carmen became headquarters for support and service installations for offshore oilrigs in the Campeche area.

The island of Carmen with its 200.000 inhabitants is the most populated city in the state of Campeche, and is situated on the southwestern part of the peninsula of Yucatan. The island is 37 km long and its width is from 4/5 km in the west, to 500 m in the east.

The whole island is a protected natural area and hosts a great variety of flora and fauna.

A drive of 209 km on Federal Highway No.180 heading south of the City of Campeche will lead you to Ciudad del Carmen. While on this highway you'll have to cross `La Unidad´ bridge that measures around 3.2 km. This bridge crosses the waters of the Terminos lagoon between Aguada Island and Puerto Real. If you head on to Tabasco after visiting Ciudad del Carmen, you’ll have to cross another bridge called `Zacatal´ that measures 3.822 km and is considered one of the largest bridges in Latin America.

The main industries nowadays in Ciudad del Carmen are fishing and petroleum. First most of the shrimps caught where small white ones, after 1946 fisherman discovered the giant shrimp. The high season for shrimpfishing is from June until September.

Enjoy Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Especially the pretoleum industry is what Carmen is known for internationally. A space of approx. 156 km2 of superficies of Campechan and Tabascan coastline is being used by PEMEX (petroleum Company Mexico). There are 18 platforms in working which host a total of 156 wells (of 40 by 60 meter each) in operation, with a total production of one million 365,000 barrels a day.      

Hacienda Maria Bonita  Hotel Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

MORE. . . . . 

Travelers Guide to Campeche
Main Menu

Mayan World: