Fort San José el Alto

The San José el Alto Fort is so named because it was built on one of the highest points in the city of Campeche. The historic fort dates from the late 18th century, and was long used to defend the vulnerable city from attacks by sea. It was later partly demolished to prevent defense against the armies of Antonio López de Santa Anna. Thereafter it was used as a storehouse for all kinds ancient artifacts and those left over from the city's centuries of maritime trade and conflict.

By the 1990s, it was finally restored and from 1995 until 2016 it served as the  Museum of Ships and Weapons. Today, it has again been restored and reconfigured to serve as the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Unique in Latin America, it's adminstered by the National Institute of Anthropology and History. The already magisterial space houses a collection of more than 400 artifacts. These include ancient, colonial, and 19th- and 20th-century artifacts. Many of them were recovered from underwater archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean.

But people come, perhaps more than ever before, because the beautifully restored fort makes a terrific lookout point. Strolling the grounds and the upper parapets and walkways, one gets an un-rivaled view of the Bay of Campeche, and striking panoramas from a stony, historic structure itself of unparalleled beauty and charm. 

Visitors get to the museum after touring the other sites in and around the center and the walled city of Campeche. From the very center, a taxi will make the journey in under ten minutes, but for those walking, the hill should be considered. The walk can take about an hour. 

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.