Bay of Campeche

The Bay of Campeche, located to the west of the Gulf of the same name, which in turn forms part of the Gulf of Mexico, is a large inlet that covers part of the coastline of the Mexican state of Campeche and on whose coast is the capital San Francisco de Campeche.

Since ancient times, the bay has served as a shelter for boats of all kinds and was an important refuge for corsairs and pirates. During the time of the Spanish colony, the city of San Francisco de Campeche had to build bastions, walls and fortifications, which today are a great tourist attraction, to protect itself, precisely because the calm waters of the bay attracted numerous visitors, often unwanted. It is the second largest bay in Mexico and its name is attributable to the Spanish explorers Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antón de Alaminos, who in 1517 toured the region and heard the Mayans who inhabited it express Can Pech, which means place of snakes and ticks.

The Cantarell Complex, made up of five oil deposits, is located in the bordering waters of the bay, within the so-called Sonda de Campeche. It was, until recently, the second most productive oil field in the world, providing a high percentage of Mexico's crude production.