After Uxmal, the Mayan ruins, my family drove me to Campeche. They wanted me to see the forts built to protect the Yucatan peninsula from pirates.

We headed off and drove another hour through the jungles and ruins of this paradise.

My cousin was on a mission as well. She remembers seeing a giant fort with lots of wooden floor panels.

We get to the fort. It looked like an empty castle. The front door opened and closed via levy and held by chains. As you walk through the doorway you see the moat surrounding the fort, now dry and filled with grass and lizards. It was nice to see this history in person.

The fort was small but it had several rooms filled with historical artifacts. It had medieval weapons, architectural plans and models and such. It was cute. The best part was climbing the fort.

The second floor of the fort is where they kept their cannons. Pointed in the direction of the sea. The space and view were both gorgeous. It made for a picture worthy experience.

After the fort, my cousin was unsatisfied. She complained and said this wasn’t the fort she visited during her childhood. Since the city was walled in, part of the wall and the forts are still there. We drove to the biggest fort to see her childhood castle.

This one was twice the size but $50 pesos to enter. Each room was a tiny museum with impressive Mayan artifacts, documented history, skeletal remains. It was fun to read and see.

The top of the fort was even more amazing and more medieval looking than the other one. I liked it, but I gotta say once you see one, you kind of seen them all.

After finishing our tour of the fort my cousin told us this wasn’t the right one either. She wanted to find a third one but my aunt, her mother, put her foot down.

We went to dinner where we had amazing sea food at the nearby port. It was good and plentiful. After dinner we drove back to Merida. Where I could shower and perhaps find the energy to go out and take in the city… Finally.

Let me break it down for you:

$50 pesos to see the fort— Im not sure its worth it. Go to the smaller one, right on top of the CAMPECHE sign. They all look the same and its free.

I had a good time with my family though. It was nice.