The Fuerte de San Miguel is the most impressive of Campeche's outlying forts, positioned on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. Built in the late 18th century to provide a defensive position commanding the approaches to the city, it is now home to the Museo de la Cultura Maya, one of the better pre-Columbian archaeology museums on the peninsula.
The museum's collection includes jade funerary masks, carved stelae, and artefacts from sites across Campeche state, including pieces from Calakmul and Edzná. The views from the fort's battlements across the Gulf are excellent — on clear days you can see the shimmer of the water for miles. Allow two to three hours including the walk around the fort exterior.