Campeche City Tour Through Its Highlights + Jipi Japa Workshop

Getting to the Jipi Japa craft workshop in the caves of Bécal village will only take us 1 hour from Merida. Our professional tour guide and the bus driver will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel.

Take advantage of this time to enjoy the graceful scenery of the Yucatan Peninsula, learn more about the culture of this region of Mexico, and relax until getting there.

Jipi Japa is the name of the fiber that is used to elaborate hats, bags, fans, and other elements. This comes from the Jipi fiber and the palm of "huano". The main handicraft that is made here is the worldly famous Panamanian hats. All of this is hand-made in the caves of Becal, where the humidity softens the fibers. Almost all family members participate in the elaboration process, from the grandparents to the grandchildren. It is a tradition that has taken place many centuries ago.

We'll get back on our bus and head toward the stunning city of Campeche. We'll arrive there in one hour.

You'll be enthralled with the city's architecture, impeccable preservation of the wall surrounding it, and rich history.

Francisco de Montejo established this city in 1540 as a new entryway to the Yucatan Peninsula. Over time, it developed into a prosperous and thriving commercial hub. Pirates were drawn to this and began raiding the city, its businesses, and its citizens. It is currently the only walled city in Mexico. A wall was built around the city to defend it.

Come learn with us why so many people value and cherish this location.

Along the way through the Malecon, we will find some forts. We will visit Fort of San Jose and Fort San Miguel. During the small tour inside them, you will see how the forts were used in the past, the dynamic that worked for the watchmen, and how the structures were rescued by the city to what we can appreciate in the present.

Nowadays, the Fort of San Miguel works as the archeology museum of Campeche. Before the Spanish conquer, this region was dominated by the Mayas. We will see many artifacts that belong to them and tell the history of their culture and its great legacy.

In this museum, we will continue learning about the Mayan civilization that lived here. Appreciate the stelae, vessels, and some stone engravings. We will even be able to see a Calakmul jade mask. It was found on December 12th of 1984 in Campeche by the archeologist William Folan and his team.

We must visit the cathedral of Campeche, an icon of the city and a beloved monument for all its citizens.

This has been Campeche´s main street since almost the city was founded. In the past, it was used to transport goods entering or leaving the city. Nowadays, it is a pedestrian walkway only with many restaurants and shops.

After the city was walled, these were the only entrances to it. The gates you will see are restorations of the original ones that were partially destroyed in the 19th century. Take great pictures at these points and keep enjoying your tour.

We'll visit the Sea and Earth Gates.

We will also visit the Black Christ of San Roman, an invaluable piece of art, to whom many miracles are attributed.

The best way to know Campeche is through its people, traditions, history, and gastronomy. With us, you will have that and more. Going from the Mayan times, passing through the colonial era, until the modern life and the traditions that are strongly rooted in living Maya descendants.

The last part of the tour is to take you back to your hotel, where you can rest and continue enjoying your trip to Mexico.