Historical Center of Cordoba

Undoubtedly one of the most historic places in Veracruz, its center is a reflection of that past. As you walk through its streets, you will be amazed at the history that they tell you of each of the tourist places that confirm it. Undoubtedly the historical center is the most visited tourist place in Córdoba, due to the architecture of its buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Parque 21 de Mayo

This spectacular park, harmonized with music coming from speakers installed in the park. You can walk through its gardens and contemplate the facade of the Municipal Palace, as well as visit the Cathedral of the Sagrario de la Inmaculada Concepción.

Municipal Palace of Córdoba

The Municipal Palace of Córdoba, of Neoclassic architectural style, dates from the Porfirian era, its construction began in 1904 and ended between 1909 and 1910, its 21 arches symbolize the heroic act of May 21, 1821.

Catedral del Sagrario de la Inmaculada Concepción

The beautiful architecture of the church is recommended point of interest in Cordoba. Inside the cathedral, you can appreciate its beautiful and fine finishes, as well as its wide corridors, where at different times of the year, different flower arrangements can be seen, as well as different altars so that people feel comfortable in the place.

Portal de Zevallos

The Zevallos Portal is the first thing to see in Córdoba, since this was where the Córdoba treaties were signed, this place is considered a historical monument due to its cultural importance. 

Located in front of Plaza 21 de Mayo, this portal is declared a national monument for its architecture and for being the place where the Córdoba treaties were signed in 1821.

Currently, this tourist place houses the Los Portales Cultural Center, an area open to artists to exhibit their works, and the El Balcón de Zevallos Restaurant, with an unbeatable view. Danzón classes are given every Tuesday afternoon.

Museum of the City

The City Museum is another of the places to visit in Córdoba. The city museum currently is located inside the Portal de la Gloria.

This tourist place has six rooms, four of them dedicated to archeology with samples of the Olmec, Mayan, Huasteca, Teotihuacan, and Totonac cultures, a history room, and one more for temporary exhibitions.

Considered the most important in the city, you should not miss it for the beauty of its headquarters and the interestingness of its rooms.

Coffee Museum

The museum is located in front of Parque 21 de Mayo. Here you can learn about the history and coffee identity of Córdoba, through this tourist place.

Inside the museum there is a “Sample Farm”, to know the nine varieties of coffee, a “Process Hut”, where the way in which the artisanal cut of coffee was processed at the beginning of the last century and in its two rooms, tools for coffee work and photographs are exhibited.

In a guided tour (approximately 2-3 hours) you will learn all about the whole process to make coffee and tea, and at the end of the tour (approximately 2-3 hours), they offer you a coffee tasting.

Pedro Díaz Centennial Theater

This theater was built in 1889 and was inaugurated in 1896 maintaining its original decoration until 1905. It was replaced by columns on pedestals and with a neoclassical target at the top, its facade is not perpendicular to its axis because it has a horseshoe style typical of the Porfiriato.

It is the official headquarters of the Emilio Carballido International Festival and the Córdoba International Jazz Festival.

Church of San Sebastian

It has French influence and its dome is made of bronze. It was used as a military barracks for Francisco I. Madero’s army but returned to worship years later, losing its altars.

Cultural Center “Casa Baltazar”

The Casa Baltazar Cultural Center is a place that you should visit to take advantage of your visit to the city, which used to be an industry where coffee was roasted, now converted into a building where coffee and art are combined. 

Ex-Convent of San Antonio

It is a temple considered unique in the nation also because it has two flat vaults, it was built in 1686 which makes it the oldest church in the city, it was used as a Franciscan convent but years later it was used as a military barracks, later it housed the fire station and finally returned to function as a church.

Parish of San Miguel Arcángel

It is the church that has changed its structure throughout history in the city, it is neo-Gothic in style and consists of two towers that are the second tallest in the city behind those of the cathedral.

Former Hacienda de San Francisco Toxpan

Located 10 minutes from downtown, his tourist place dates from 1690. It was one of the first sugar mills in the country and one of the most productive in Veracruz.

The Ex-Hacienda de San Francisco Toxpan is one of the favorites of tourism in Córdoba since it is an old sugar mill, which has been restored overtime to make it attractive. It preserves some of the original machinery that was used at that time, as well as extensive gardens and beautiful architecture, ideal for taking photos.

Currently, it has been rehabilitated to become a Cultural Center, with spaces for performing arts, plastic, and training.

It is also home to the Museum of Cane, where you will learn about the history and the process of making sugar.

Toxpan Archaeological Zone

The Toxpan Archaeological Zone The Toxpan Archaeological Zone is another place to visit in Córdoba.
This place consists of around 21 archaeological structures that have not yet been fully explored.

Ex Hacienda de Guadalupe

Located in Amatlan de los Reyes, 30 minutes south of Córdoba

For more than three centuries, this farm is one of the most representative of the State. Here, slaves brought from Cuba and Africa were previously trafficked.

Today it is a tourist place of history and coffee production, where Arabic beans are grown and exported. Guided tours are offered to learn from the harvest to the roasting of the coffee and to finish, a tasting.

There you will find Arabic coffee plantations, tours of the coffee plantations, explanations of the roasting process, as well as workshops and the delicious tasting with the beautiful landscape of the hacienda.

Heroic cities in Veracruz state:

• Alvarado
• Córdoba
• Cosamalopapan
• Coscomatepec
• Cosoleacaque
• Temapache
• Tlapacoyan
• Veracruz

Heroic cities in Sonora state:

• Caborca
• Cananea
• Guaymas
• Nogales
• Ures

Heroic cities in Oaxaca state:

• Taniche (?)
  
• Ejutla de Crespo
• Huajapan de León
• Juchitán
• Tlaxiaco

Heroic cities in Coahuila state:

• Candela
• Paredón
• Torreón

Heroic cities in Zacatecas state:

• Puente de Calderón (?)
  
• Jalpa (?)
• Nochistan
• Juchipila
• Zacatecas

Heroic cities in Tamaulipas state:

• Matamoros
• Tampico
• Camargo (?)
  

Heroic cities in Mexico state:

• Jocotitlán
• Tenango del Valle

Heroic cities in Michoacan state:

• Tacámbaro
• Zitácuaro

Heroic cities in Puebla state:

• Atlixco
• Puebla
• Tetela de Ocampo (?)

Heroic cities in Tabasco state:

• Cárdenas
• Teapa

Heroic cities in Sinaloa state:

• Concordia
• Culiacan (?)

Heroic cities in Tlaxcala state:

• Huamantla
• Calpulalpan (?)

Heroic cities in Chihuahua state:

• Ciudad Juárez

Heroic cities in Baja California state:

• Tijuana

Heroic cities in Baja California Sur state:

• Mulegé

Heroic cities in Campeche state:

• Campeche
• Champotón (?)
  

Heroic cities in Chiapas state:

• Chiapa de Corzo

Heroic cities in Hidalgo state:

• Huichapan

Heroic cities in Morelos state:

• Cuautla

Heroic cities in Yucatan state:

• Valladolid

Córdoba lies at an elevation of 817 m above mean sea level and has a warm climate.

• January: average monthly 19°C
• February: average monthly 19°C
• March: average monthly 22°C
• April average monthly 24°C
• May: average monthly 25°C
• June: average monthly 25°C
• July: average monthly 24°C
• August: average monthly 24°C
• September: average monthly 24°C
• October: average monthly 23°C
• November: average monthly 21°C
• December: average monthly 20°C

Most precipitation falls during the rainy season: from May to October.

The best time to visit Cordoba

The best time to visit Cordoba is from November to April when the weather is pleasant with lower chances of rainfall. The temperatures are more moderate, making it an ideal time to explore the city and its surroundings.

Check the current weather forecasts closer to your planned visit.

Córdoba, also known as Lomas de Huilango (Nahuatl Huilango), and the City of the Thirty Knights since it was founded by 30 members of important families in the region.

Cordoba has a rich history dating back to the Spanish colonial period.

Cordoba was founded in 1618 and quickly became a significant center for agriculture and trade due to its strategic location. The city prospered through the cultivation of sugarcane, coffee, and other crops.

The city was severely damaged by the 1973 Veracruz earthquake.

Cordoba played a role in the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) against Spanish rule. Notable figures like Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla passed through the region, contributing to the struggle for independence.

On August 24, 1821, Agustín de Iturbide, Chief of the Trigarante Army, and Juan O’Donojú, the last viceroy of New Spain, met in Cordoba to sign the Treaty of Córdoba, which established Mexican Independence.

Be that as it may, this treaty was rejected by the Spanish government. Spain did not recognize Mexico’s independence for 15 years, until December 28, 1836 (when they signed the Treaty of Santa Maria-Calatrava).

In the 19th century, Cordoba continued to be an essential agricultural and commercial hub.

By decree of November 29, 1830, Cordoba was granted the political category of City.

By decree of 1880, the title of Heroic was granted to the city due to the defense before the Spanish royalist forces.

In 1902 Córdoba became the interchange point of the narrow-gauge Córdoba and Huatusco Railroad to Coscomatepec.

Cordoba was also a scene of conflict during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). The city experienced battles and social upheaval as different factions vied for control.

Cordoba was the capital of the State of Veracruz between 1916 and 1920.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, Cordoba has evolved into a dynamic city with a diverse economy.

Tourist attractions and sightseeing:

• Barrio de San Sebastián
• Barrio de La Pitayitas
• Zocalo
• The Cathedral of Cordoba
• Municipal Palace
• Former Spanish Casino
• Portal de la Gloria
• Portal de Zevallos (Former Palace of the Counts of Zeballos)
• Ex-convent of Santa Rosa de Lima
• Convent of San Antonio
• Church of San Sebastián
• Church of San Miguel Arcángel
• Church of San José
• Ex-Hacienda of San Francisco Toxpan
• Pedro Díaz Theater
• Building of the Notary Public
• Palacio Fernández

The sculptural monuments of Cordoba:

• Obelisk erected in memory of the battle of May 21
• Obelisk erected in memory of the Burned House
• Citizen Reader
• Shangri-la Arch
• Roundabout of the Araucaria
• Civic Square in honor of Don Benito Juarez
• Plaza del V Centenario

Cultural centers, theaters, and auditoriums:

• Pedro Díaz Theater
• Arena Córdoba
• Anthropology Museum
• Contemporary art gallery of the former convent of Santa Rosa de Lima
• Los Portales Cultural Center
• Palmillas Museum
• Emilio Nava Gallery
• House of Culture
• USBI Córdoba
• Dr. Manuel Suárez Auditorium (E.S.B.A.O.)
• Paso Coyol Auditorium
• IMSS Auditorium
• Coffee Museum

Parks of Cordoba:

• San José Park
• Ecological Park Paso Coyol
• Paseo of San Antonio River
• Alameda Murillo Vidal

Here are some options for one-day trips from Cordoba:

Orizaba

Venture to Orizaba, a nearby city known for its stunning Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak in Mexico. Explore the city’s historic center, visit the Palacio de Hierro (Iron Palace), and enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

Fortín de las Flores

Just a short drive away, Fortín de las Flores is a charming town famous for its colorful flowers. Take a leisurely stroll through the floral-adorned streets, visit local markets, and enjoy the serene atmosphere.

Córdoba Coffee Route

Explore the picturesque coffee plantations surrounding Cordoba. Take a guided tour to learn about the coffee-making process, from cultivation to roasting, and savor the flavors of freshly brewed local coffee.

Cascadas de Texolo

Head to Xico to visit Cascadas de Texolo, a series of waterfalls surrounded by lush greenery. It’s a perfect spot for nature lovers, and you can enjoy hiking trails leading to various cascades.

Coscomatepec de Bravo

This historic town offers a glimpse into the region’s past. Visit the Church of San Juan Bautista, explore the central square, and appreciate the colonial architecture that characterizes the town.

Mágico Pueblo of Coatepec

Coatepec is recognized as a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) for its cultural and historical significance. Wander through its charming streets, visit local markets, and explore the Ex-Hacienda Zimpizahua.

Cuetzalan del Progreso

For a more extended day trip, consider visiting Cuetzalan in the state of Puebla. This town is known for its indigenous culture, coffee plantations, and the impressive Yohualichan archaeological site.

Catemaco and Lake Catemaco

Travel to Catemaco, a town located near a picturesque lake. Explore the town’s vibrant markets and consider taking a boat ride on Lake Catemaco to enjoy the lush scenery.

Maltrata and La Estancia

Discover the scenic landscapes of Maltrata and La Estancia. Enjoy the fresh mountain air, explore local trails, and take in panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve

Nature enthusiasts can head to the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, known for its biodiversity. Explore the lush tropical forests, spot diverse wildlife, and visit the town of San Andrés Tuxtla.

Córdoba Dance Festival

It takes place every 2 years in different venues in the city of Córdoba, although it has already been extended to Veracruz and Xalapa as a special gala. It is part of the Youth America Grand Prix and attracts representatives of the best dance schools worldwide.

Emilio Carballido Festival

It takes place every year in August in honor of the Cordovan playwright Emilio Carballido Fentanes. Within the framework of this festival, there are presentations of books, orchestras, opera, dance, dance, painting, film, and photography.

Treaty Festival of Córdoba

It is held every year in celebration of the signing of the treaties that gave freedom to Mexico from Spain. Its main venues are the Pedro Díaz Theater and the cultural center “Los Portales”.

From 1902 to 1953, Córdoba was served by the Córdoba and Huatusco Railroad narrow gauge railroad. The line operated as a unique and scenic 2 ft (610 mm) gauge branch of Ferrocarril Mexicano from 1909 through 1951.