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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Champotón
Stop one night between Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen: seafood on the malecón, the 17th-century church, then move on. Two nights only for the turtle beaches 15 km south.
Champotón is a fishing town of about 30,000 on the Campeche coast, 65 km south of the state capital on the MEX-180D toll road. It has a Maya and colonial past, a working malecón and some of the best cheap seafood on this stretch of the Gulf. There is little to fill a full day in town, so it works as a one-night break on the Campeche–Ciudad del Carmen run, or as a base for the turtle-nesting beaches 15 km south.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- Avoid
- Apr–May (hot), Sep–Oct (rain and storm season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$500–900 excl. bed · Mid M$900–1,600 excl. bed · High M$1,600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Seafood lunch (shrimp, fish fillet) | M$150–300 |
| Shrimp cocktail | M$120–200 |
| Breakfast at the market | M$60–120 |
| Beer | M$40–70 |
| In-town hotel double room | M$700–1,600 |
| Campeche → Champotón bus | Under M$100 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CPE · Campeche International (Alberto Acuña Ongay)
- About 70 km (43 mi) north; few flights, mostly via Mexico City. Many travellers use Mérida (MID) instead.About 43 mi (70 km) north; few flights, mostly via Mexico City. Many travellers use Mérida (MID) instead.
- MID · Mérida International
- About 250 km (155 mi) east; more flights and car hire.About 155 mi (250 km) east; more flights and car hire.
Typical fares
- Campeche → Champotón, Sur bus
- under M$100, about 1.5 h
- Campeche → Champotón, combi
- about M$40
- Taxi in town
- M$50–100; agree the fare first
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre and malecón are compact and best on foot. Taxis cover the town and the beach hotels; agree the fare before you get in. For Punta Xen and Chenkán you need a car, taxi or a tour — check locally whether any bus runs along the coast.
See and do
Known for
- Malecón and Gulf seafood
- Baluarte de San Antonio (Castillo de Moch-Cohuo)
- Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes church
- Turtle nesting beaches at Punta Xen and Chenkán
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Campeche | MEX-180D toll road by car, or hourly Sur second-class bus from the Champotón terminal | About 1 h by car, about 1.5 h by bus |
| Punta Xen and Chenkán turtle beaches | Car or taxi south on MEX-180, about 15 km (9.3 mi)Car or taxi south on MEX-180, about 9.3 mi (15 km) | About 30 min |
| Edzná | Car via Campeche, MEX-180 then the Edzná road | About 2 h |
| Isla Aguada | MEX-180 south-west past Ciudad del Carmen | About 2.5 h |
| Hecelchakán | MEX-180 north-east towards Campeche | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro
- Around Calle 30 and the church; walkable to the market and the malecón, small traditional hotels.
- Malecón and MEX-180 strip
- Waterfront and highway-side hotels and seafood restaurants; easiest with a car, some road noise.
- Beachside, about 15 km south of town
- Resort-style hotels on the sand, including the Perla del Mar at Km 146; you need a car or taxi for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Do you take cards? | ¿Aceptan tarjeta?ah-SEP-tan tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah |
| Grilled fish, please | Pescado a la plancha, por favorpes-KAH-doh ah lah PLAN-chah |
| Help | Ayudaah-YOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- There is no proper beach in the town itself; the sandy strip starts about 15 km south.
- Turtle beaches are nesting sites: no lights, no touching, keep your distance and follow the camp staff.
- Cash is king outside the bigger hotels; some seafood places take no cards.
- The bus terminal waiting room is basic and has no restroom; there is an Oxxo next door.
- Swimming is Gulf water with currents and little lifeguard cover: ask locally before going in.
No local crime data is published for Champotón: check current advisories for Campeche state before you go. The Gulf here is open water with currents and little lifeguard cover — ask locally before swimming.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Champotón yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Malecón and Gulf seafood
- Baluarte de San Antonio (Castillo de Moch-Cohuo)
- Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes church
- Turtle nesting beaches at Punta Xen and Chenkán
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit México (national tourism board): www.visitmexico.com/en
- Campeche state tourism: www.campeche.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Champotón, revision 5068338 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5068338
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Champotón
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Champotón; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consulates in Mérida and Cancún.
Telcel 4G covers the town; signal drops to 3G on the highways between cities.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/champoton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.