Champotón and the Río Champotón

Champotón lies 65 km south of San Francisco de Campeche, about an hour by ADO or SUR bus down Highway 180 for roughly 45-120 MXN, or by rental car along the scenic Gulf-side coastal road through Lerma, Seybaplaya and Sihoplaya. The town sits where the Río Champotón meets the Gulf of Mexico, and its riverside malecón and the small Fuerte de San Antonio recall the 1517 clash between local Maya defenders and the Hernández de Córdoba expedition, remembered locally as the Bahía de la Mala Pelea. A day trip typically opens with a walk along the malecón and a look at the fort, followed by a river launch arranged at the waterfront that heads upstream into mangrove channels away from the open Gulf swell. Lunch is the highlight for many visitors: seafront palapa restaurants along the river mouth serve shrimp, pan de cazón layered tortillas and fried fish caught that morning, all eaten within sight of the fishing boats that supply them. In the afternoon, a short drive south reaches the quieter beaches of Punta Xen and Chenkán, both undeveloped stretches of Gulf coast with far fewer visitors than the town centre. The coastal road back to Campeche city passes the small fishing villages of Seybaplaya and Lerma, both worth a brief stop for their own waterfront activity. The dry season from November to April is most comfortable for the beach stops, and late in that window, toward the season's end, local shrimp catches are said to be at their best.