Campeche does not end at its walls. A short distance from the historic center, two natural sanctuaries offer another way to know the Yucatán Peninsula: a biosphere reserve and a calm-water beach. Both can be visited on a single day trip.
Los Petenes Biosphere Reserve
A protected natural area of extraordinary diversity that runs along the coastal strip, northwest of Campeche. Petén, in the Mayan language, names the islets of lush vegetation with wetland characteristics that make up the reserve. Its flora and fauna make it an ecosystem of global importance: home to spider monkeys, pumas, jaguars, tapirs, anteaters and cacomistles, along with hundreds of species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and mollusks.
The reserve offers kayaking, camping, marine fishing — especially where fresh and salt waters meet — and boat tours through the red and green mangroves, with guided bird watching. You can also swim in its clear springs and cenotes. We recommend a guided excursion from the city to make the most of your visit.
Bajo de Xpicob
On this beach, a sandbank forms a zone of shallow water and gentle waves, perfect for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking or a speedboat ride. At night, boat tours set out to observe bioluminescence, the phenomenon by which certain marine organisms emit blue, green and turquoise light.
Xpicob is also an ecotourism beach devoted to protecting marine life, with a sea-turtle rescue sanctuary. Conservation activities and craft workshops with shells and snails are organized here, and you can explore its semi-submerged sea caves, where the waves create striking sounds and vibrations. It lies just 25 minutes from the city of Campeche.
Return from nature to the cool silence of a colonial home.
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