Motorcycle road trip Mexico part 2

Time to say goodbye to Merida and its beautiful surroundings. Time to move on to Campeche. I am on a road trip from Cancun to La Paz, and that trip is roughly divided into 3 parts. After each part, it is time to reevaluate.

My son and I are a little structured. Our shared calendar is filled with suggestions for restaurants, hotels, and day trips. From experience of our Road trip through the Philippines we know that when we don’t do that, we miss out on a lot. Google does not show everything on the map when you are searching and planning. The results are mostly based on your last search and location.
But still, our structured schedule leaves enough space and freedom and most important flexibility.
Vandaar de gestructureerde voorbereiding. Toch laat het genoeg ruimte voor flexibiliteit en impulsiviteit.

Riding from Merida to Campeche is not a long ride. We can take it easy, no time pressure, we can stop for lunch. We are excited, for now, we are really leaving our well-known territory, and although while in Merida we explored a whole new area of the Yucatan peninsula, riding to Campeche gives us the feeling that the trip has really started. (read also: Motorcycle road trip Mexico part 1, departure day and Merida)

When we cross the state border the landscape changes.

The landscape changes drastically when we cross the State border, there are hills and there is forest, a different type of forest than the Yucatan jungle. Also the road surface changes. We can see we are in a poor state now, with lots of cracks and potholes.

I think what impressed me most during my Road trip through Mexico was the diversity of states. In every aspect, socially, economically, and culturally.

We planned on staying 4 days in Campeche. And we will stay mostly in the city, exploring both the historical center and the newer area where the public market is and the local people go shopping.

The historical center has a street-eat-culture. Lots of restaurants have tables in the streets and lots of musicians play folklore music while you are wining and dining.
I simply love it, the colorful facades of once majestic buildings, the shops in old almost antique settings, it has a vibe that appeals to me.
It is nothing I have seen before, not even in Merida or Valladolid.

We go all touristic in Campeche

Every day on the boulevard there is this spectacle with fountains, light, and music. The entrance to this show is free and it starts around sunset. It is a bit cheesy but also fun.
In the songs that accompany the spectacle, Campeche is the most wonderful city on earth. It makes me smile. Mexicans are so proud of their country and city.

Do you want fo ride our rides through Mexico? You can download the GPX file of this ride here (click)

Time for some photos!!

Campeche is very photogenic, and every street has the WOW factor. Especially when you love historic Spanish architecture. Do take a walk over the ancient city walls to overlook both the old and new city.
And visit the old houses that have opened their doors to showcase the living room and way of living in the old days.

Have breakfast in the little restaurant on the Zocalo, with views of the old cathedral, and visit the government building.
Enjoy local food in the streets or small restaurants hidden behind the colorful facades, and walk the boulevard with beautiful views over the Gulf of Mexico. I think I fell in love with Campeche.

I have selected the photos that show you Campeche in all her glory. If you click on a photo it will enlarge for a better view.