Ciudad Del Carmen, Mexico Summary

CIUDAD DEL CARMEN, the only town of any size on the 35-kilometre-long Isla del Carmen, doesn’t merit a special trip except perhaps during its lively fiesta in July. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s hot and crowded and has much less historical atmosphere than Campeche. The conquistadors landed here in 1518, but the first settlers were pirates in 1633. Nowadays it’s home to a fishing fleet, catching, among other things, giant prawns for export. The oil boom has created new industries and forced prices up, so you won’t find any accommodation bargains here. The town’s environs also suffer from oil industry pollution. Should you be interested, Carmen now has a small museum on C 22 (daily 8am-8pm; US$0.50) with an imaginative display charting the history of the city.