Museo de Arquitectura Maya, Baluarte de la Soledad

Housed in the largest bastion of Campeche's city wall, this museum is devoted to how the ancient Maya built rather than what they buried, distinguishing it from the artefact-focused collection at Fuerte de San Miguel. Five galleries set out the major regional architectural styles of the Yucatan peninsula in turn: Peten, Rio Bec, Chenes, Puuc and Costa Oriental, each represented through carved lintels, column drums, roof-comb fragments and a substantial collection of stelae drawn from sites across the state of Campeche. The curatorial approach is thematic and comparative rather than strictly chronological, encouraging visitors to see how architectural solutions for facades, roof structures and monumental display differed between regions and periods even within a single state. The bastion's own casemates, exposed limestone walls and gun embrasures form part of the display context, since the museum occupies the fortification's original 18th-century chambers rather than a purpose-built gallery space. A rooftop terrace above the galleries overlooks the Plaza de la Independencia and the harbour, offering a break between gallery rooms and a wider view of the city the collection describes. Restoration adapted the bastion's interior for museum display while preserving its exposed masonry and defensive features largely intact.