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All Mexico Campeche Well of Conquest
AO Edited

Well of Conquest

A well was built by the Spanish before their conquest of Mexico.

Campeche, Mexico

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Mario Yair T.S.
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The Well of Conquest in Campeche.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Another view of the Well of Conquest.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
The interior of the Conquest Well.   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
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This famous well in the neighborhood of Ermita, Mexico, is believed by some to have been opened on March 22, 1517.

On that date, the first Spanish expedition led by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba arrived at the Mayan town of Ah Kin Pech. Chronicler Bernal Díaz recounts that when the Spaniards landed, the Mayans greeted them with curiosity, touching their clothes and beards.

The Spaniards looked for a well to stock up on water before continuing their journey along the coast. A few minutes later, Mayan warriors began arriving at the town, and the Spaniards continued on their way to Veracruz, where they began their march to the center of the country and eventually the war of conquest.

The town the was once knownn as Ah Kin Pech became the fortified Spanish city of Campeche. Since the 19th century, it has been believed that this was the well mentioned by the chronicler given its antiquity and because the parish of San Francisco (the first Catholic temple in Campeche and one of the first in the country) is located nearby.

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Mario Yair TS

Published

May 30, 2025

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Well of Conquest
50A Ah-kim-pech
Campeche, 24020
Mexico
19.851884, -90.521515
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Campeche

Campeche

Mexico

Places 4

Nearby Places

Xmuch'haltún Botanical Garden

Campeche, Mexico

miles away

Fort of San José el Alto

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miles away

Palacio Legislativo de Campeche (Legislative Palace of Campeche)

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

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Campeche

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