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Writer's picturePaula Chaurand

Museums of Campeche City: highlights of history and archaeology of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Campeche city has many interesting archaeology, art and history museums that are worth visiting, among them, the San José Fort Underwater Archeology Museum, the Baluarte de la Soledad Mayan Architecture Museum (where you can see the jade mask of Calakmul); the Fuerte de San Miguel Archaeological Museum, the Baluarte de San Carlos City Museum, or the El Palacio Museum of Fortifications, Trading and Sailing.



Baluarte de San Carlos City Museum


This museum houses the city's title, granted in 1777 by King Charles III of Spain.

The bastion was the first of the fortified site to be built and it exhibits historical objects from the colonial era, such as cannons and armor. Plans, weapons, furniture, paintings and other interesting objects achieve a museographic account of the city of Campeche and its changes throughout its main historical moments. The museum also guards the keys to the city.


El Palacio, museum of fortifications, trade and navigation.


In addition to housing the Campeche Library, this building has an important museum that offers a tour through the defense systems built against the constant looting of the city of Campeche by pirates and privateers. 

The museum also shows how the foundations of the economy were forged from those days on; and, what is fascinating, the world of navigation at the time, with interesting replicas of the ships, the shipyards, the historical routes and the life of navigators.






Fuerte de San José Underwater Archaeology Museum


This fort, built to defend the city from the English and besieged by the French, exhibits a wonderful archaeological collection of objects found in the marine waters of the Mexican Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Here, we understand how underwater cultural heritage is studied and preserved. Sceneries and animals from prehistoric times have been recreated, and pieces belonging to the world of Mayan navigators are exhibited. The museum displays objects and navigation instruments that were used by European explorers during the colonial period; and closes with the amazing collection of viceregal origin, of precious stones, gold jewels and silver coins recovered in 2014 from the ship Ancla Macuca.


Baluarte de la Soledad Mayan Architecture Museum


This museum contains pieces of Mayan architecture and sculpture that showcase the predominant styles of various archaeological sites from around the State of Campeche. Here you can find the famous Calakmul mask, part of the funerary trousseau from Structure VII of the Great Plaza of Calakmul. 

The exhibition highlights the explanation of different glyphs of Mayan writing and the translation of texts in stone, metal or wood from the Classic Period.

Currently, the space presents the temporary exhibition “The Multiple Burial of Uxul, and the phenomenon of ritual violence.”


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