Campeche

The state’s terrain is largely low and sedimentary, with modest hills such as Cerro Champerico and Cerro El Gavilán rising near the Guatemalan border. Rolling hills of the Sierra Alta, also called the Puuc, extend northeast toward Yucatán, while the central Sierra Seybaplaya breaks the flatness with modest elevations. Rainforest types range from tall evergreen to semi‑deciduous, supporting trees like Spanish cedar and Campeche logwood, and palms such as coconut and royal palm along the coast. Wildlife includes jaguar, ocelot, Yucatán spider monkey and a variety of birds, while the brackish waters of Laguna de Términos host sea bass, small sharks, crabs and turtles.

During the colonial period the city of Campeche served as a prosperous port, its fortified walls protecting merchants from pirate attacks. The discovery of offshore petroleum in the 1970s revived the coastal economies of Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen, turning them into important centres for the oil industry. Although the state contains Mayan ruins and other colonial sites, they receive fewer visitors than those in neighbouring Yucatán. The preserved bastions and walls that still frame the waterfront illustrate why the old town earned its World Heritage designation.