Anyone who visits the city of Campeche is captivated by its historic center, by being able to walk from the Sea Gate to the Land Gate, and by walking and greeting the residents of that city who keep the environment alive.
And the historic center of Campeche is much more than the area where the wall was located. There are the neighborhoods of Santa Ana, Guadalupe, San Francisco, La Ermita, and San Román, where the walker finds something much more enriching than the contemplation of colonial architecture, or a very satisfying tasting of gastronomy based on fish and seafood. Campeche is a city where it matters little how beautiful or well preserved the buildings are or what dishes were tasted. The city was named a World Heritage Site 25 years ago and, a quarter of a century later, it is possible to assure that this distinction was not only due to its urban landscape, and that it was the people of Campeche who put their heart, soul and life into obtaining this recognition.
The city of Campeche has two facets: one that aims to be a tourist attraction, for the consumption of visitors – and the word consumption must be emphasized – and another that is lived daily and that, for those who come with an open mind and willing to be surprised, offers some of the best experiences that one can have in life.
It has been more than 100 years since Campeche stopped being the main port of the Yucatan peninsula. The rivalries between the local elites of that time led to the decline of the city that was the gateway for goods arriving from overseas. The henequen boom and the founding of Progreso concluded the transfer of commercial movement by sea to the point on the coast closest to Mérida – but not necessarily the one that offered the best natural conditions – and since then, Campeche entered a dynamic of offering its history as an attraction. Because the stories of pirate invasions, or the arrival of an image that has protected the entity since then, are simply captivating.
Then came a vision of modernity that brought down the wall, except for the bastions, and began to reclaim land from the sea, and then built a modern area, and then came a boardwalk that has gradually grown and become one of the most beautiful linear walks in Mexico. Of course, some projects to expand it have resulted in big announcements and few results, but despite this, it is impossible to deny that San Francisco de Campeche belongs to its people.
Because on a Friday or Saturday night, it is possible to witness a wedding photo shoot in Moch Cohuo Park, or look at full tables in the portals of San Francisco, or even witness a gigantic Campeche lottery game in the San Román neighborhood, or simply find yourself in front of a rehearsal of La Guaranducha, and find that you can arrive as a complete stranger and be greeted with the most sincere and friendly smiles that the people of Campeche can offer; and this is saying a lot.
The conservation program for the historic center of Campeche is today the most successful of its kind for UNESCO, but this is because, for a quarter of a century, the people of Campeche have also been a strong factor in maintaining the historic center as an inhabited, living area, not of businesses and offices, but of families. At the same time, they invite anyone who dares to visit the city not only to enjoy the urban landscape, but to share a little of the daily life, of grandmothers’ recipes, of a corner on the boardwalk or a troubadour show in the central plaza.
And so, it is difficult to resist recognizing that after touring San Francisco de Campeche, one returns with a little of the Christ of San Román in the heart, along with the memory of the smiles of hundreds of people from Campeche who in the end make one feel that one has visited a diamond and that some light has remained with us. Campeche is humanity, and that is why it is heritage. The recognition of an organization like UNESCO is separate, but it is with pleasure that they will fulfill that category for many more years.
Source: La Jornada Maya
