Campeche was founded in 1540 at the site of an ancient Mayan city named Kimpech. Its location on the Gulf of Mexico made it susceptible to pirate attacks, so a fort and defensive wall were constructed. Much of the original wall remains, and the city within the walls is listed as a World Heritage Site.
This is what the historic section of the city looks like from above. Notice the regular grid plan.
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We'll start off at the square you see in the upper part of the picture.
Most of the historic center is beautifully paved like you see below. In modern planningspeak, you could say the paving stones act as an indicator to drivers that this is a "shared space." Of course, this is just how cities were built back then.
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The city is famous for its colorful buildings:
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Campeche is one of the few truly walled cities in North America. Here's one of the colonial-era gates into the city:
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Finally, we'll leave Campeche with a look at one of my favorite streets in the city leading to another one of the city gates:
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Next we will travel to the winding streets of Taxco.
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