Rio Candelaria

The Río Candelaria is in fact a river of some exceptional natural beauty, ecological diversity, and cultural richness. For our purposes, here, we're talking about the cultural and entertainment complex along the waterfront within the town of Candelaria in Campeche. From the waterfront, it should be abundantly clear that Candelaria is again a railroad town, as the Tren Maya makes its way practically over top of the waterfront. But that's in addition to Candelaria's being a stunning river town with all of the laid back vibe and cultural ease that such a designation implies.

The cultural and ecological development includes the Casa de la Cultura, the Centro de Diversion (i.e.; fun) and the Teatro de la Ciudad "Aurora López de Cambranis," that is, the Aurora López de Cambranis City Theater. The complex has increasingly become the cultural heart of the city of some 11,000 residents. The complex nicely complements the town waterfront and the malecon or boardwalk extends well to the north, on the other side of the railroad bridge. 

The river flows through a region of remarkable biodiversity from deep in the south of Campeche. It actually originates in the Petén department in Guatemala where it is known as the San Pedro river. The watershed includes a huge variety of ecosystems from tropical rain forest to humid forest areas. Waters form pools and eventually crash over stunning waterfalls. Visitors will find a variety of places for swimming and relaxation, and much of the river valley is developed for at least some kinds of excursions. 

There are spaces kayaking and rafting as well as areas for jungle exploration and hiking. At 402 kilometers in total length, of course, this is but one simple approach to the river, in the city that bears the same name. Of course,  most visitors will arrive to Candelaria via the Tren Maya. It is possible to get here from Campeche as well. The bus, ATS, for example, takes just about three hours to arrive here.