Historic Fortified Town of Campeche

The Historic Fortified Town of Campeche is a colonial settlement encircled by thick stone walls with eight bastions and gates strategically positioned throughout. The fortification system connects these defensive structures in a continuous perimeter that clearly separates the old district from modern development beyond.

Spanish colonists established the settlement in the 16th century atop an existing Maya site. The massive fortifications were built later as protection against pirate raids that frequently threatened the Caribbean coastline.

The old town displays colonial architecture through pastel-painted buildings where homes and places of worship from different periods sit side by side. Residents continue to use these streets as the center of daily life and community gatherings.

You can walk through the old town and pass through preserved gates while visiting museums housed inside the bastions. Numbered informational panels along the fortification walls help guide you and explain different sections of the defensive system.

The defensive system includes underground tunnels that connected strategic military points during colonial times. These hidden passages allowed defenders to move quickly between different bastions without being exposed outside the walls.