Calle 59

The Calle 59, in Campeche

The Calle 59 is the most famous artery of the historic centre of Campeche, that crosses the fortified town from east to west. The Campeche audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this colonial street lined with pastel-toned façades, linking the Puerta de Mar to the Puerta de Tierra, once taken by the pirates, and become today the lively heart of the city, punctuated by historic dwellings, restaurants and galleries.

History

The Calle 59 is the most famous artery of the historic centre of Campeche. It crosses the whole fortified town from east to west and links two major monuments: the Puerta de Mar, turned towards the gulf of Mexico, and the Puerta de Tierra, that once opened the city towards the interior of the lands. Since the colonial era, it constitutes the central axis of the city. Formerly called Calle América, it already existed shortly after the foundation of the city in 1540; according to the local chronicles, before the construction of the ramparts, it was also the path that the pirates sometimes took to penetrate the city and plunder its houses. All around, the pastel-toned façades, yellow, pink, blue or green, are typical of the local colonial architecture. The houses, often built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, present high wooden doors, wrought-iron balconies and sometimes great interior patios that kept the freshness under this tropical climate. The street is punctuated with historic places, like the Casa del Teniente del Rey, former residence of the representative of the Spanish Crown. Today, the Calle 59 is the lively heart of the city: restaurants, bars, cafés, art galleries and craft shops occupy the old colonial houses there, and in the evening, the street fills with music and terraces.

What to see

Here you stroll in the most famous artery of Campeche, a colonial axis linking the Puerta de Mar to the Puerta de Tierra, once taken by the pirates; its pastel façades, its wrought-iron balconies and its dwellings like the Casa del Teniente del Rey rub shoulders with restaurants, cafés and galleries, in a street that comes alive with music in the evening. The Calle 59 is the living heart of Campeche. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Calle 59 crosses the historic centre of Campeche from east to west, from the Puerta de Mar to the Puerta de Tierra, reachable on foot. It is a street in free access, partly pedestrian, lined with shops, cafés and restaurants that follow their own hours, which vary. You discover it during a walk in the old town.

Why visit the Calle 59 in Campeche?

Because it is the most famous artery of the historic centre, a colonial axis that crosses the fortified town from the Puerta de Mar to the Puerta de Tierra, once taken by the pirates; lined with pastel façades, wrought-iron balconies and historic dwellings, it is today the lively heart of the city, punctuated with restaurants, cafés and art galleries.

Where is the Calle 59 in Campeche?

In the historic centre of Campeche, linking the Puerta de Mar to the Puerta de Tierra, in Mexico.