The Baluarte de San Carlos is a 17th-century fortress in a corner of the old city walls. Devoted to King Carlos II of Spain, this pentagonal bastion was inaugurated in 1676 and was used as a prison. Make your way around the outside of this limestone construction and admire the thick stone walls and palm trees lining the rear.
Climb the elevated ramp to the wooden door marking the entrance to the bastion. Once inside, browse the period furniture and old armor and cannons of the City Museum. The site provides an insight into daily life during the city’s colonial period, including the risk of pirate attacks.
Head to the terrace on top of the bastion and enjoy the unobstructed vista of the park, the sea and the buildings of the historic center surrounding you.
Go into the inner vault to see the former prison that was known as El Pulguero (the Flea Market). Figures of prisoners are set up in positions of torture to show the squalid and harsh conditions.
Study the bell in one of the corners of the bulwark. It was used to raise the alarm in case of attacks or disasters. Note that the fort also contains sculptures, replicas and the keys to the city.
Back out on the street, see how the lanterns around the fortress light it up as evening falls.
There is a fee to enter the museum, which opens Tuesday through Saturday from morning until evening, with a closure around lunch. The rest of the fort is open at all times for free.
The Baluarte de San Carlos is in the northwestern corner of the Old Town district of Campeche, just one block inland from the Gulf of Mexico. It is in the opposite corner from the Baluarte de San Pedro, which is a 15-minute walk southeast of the fort.
Linger for a while in the historic center to see other nearby treasures such as the Ex-Templo de San José, the Puerta de Mar and the Parque de Moch Couoh.