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.

The “Totonac”‘ are a native Mesoamerican culture of the Veracruz region. Formed a Confederation of cities; but toward the early 16th century were under the Aztec domain. Its economy was agricultural and commercial and had large urban centers.

The Totonac culture (translated by some as “three hearts”, in reference to the three centers that form this culture) stands out for the very varied ceramics, stone sculptures, monumental architecture, and advanced urban city conception.

In 1519 a meeting between 30 Totonac cities was held in the city of Cempoala.

This would forever seal their fate and that of all Mesoamerican Nations. This was an alliance established with the Spaniards, to march together to the conquest of Tenochtitlan.

The Totonac voluntarily contributed 13,000 warriors to the task, to accompany some 500 Spaniards.

The Totonaca reasoning was that the Spaniards would free them from the Aztec yoke, but once the Aztec empire was successfully defeated, the Totonacs, including those of Cempoala, were subjected to the Spanish empire, and then evangelized and partly cultured, first by the new Spanish “virreinal” authorities and then by Mexicans.

The Totonacs developed in the central part of Veracruz, towards the late Mesoamerican classical period, their occupational area reached the southern basin of the Papaloapan River, and to the west the municipalities of Acatlán de Perez Figueroa, Oaxaca, Chalchicomula, Puebla, Perote Valley, the Puebla sierra, Papantla and the Cazones river lowlands.

The Totonac culture apogee was reached during the Mesoamerican classical period when ceremonial centers such as El Tajín, Yohualichán, Nepatecuhtlán, Las Higueras, Nopiloa, and Zapotal were built.

Their development and perfection achieved is remarkable, in developing yokes, palms, axes, snakes, smiling caritas, and monumental clay sculptures. Apparently, the Totonaca formed part of the Tula Empire and since 1450 were conquered by the Triple Alliance (Mexico) nahuas and joined their troops.

The Language

The Totonacan Languages are a family of closely related languages spoken by approximately 200,000 Totonac and Tepehua people in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo in Mexico. The Totonacan languages are not demonstrably related to any other languages, although they share numerous areal features with other languages of the Mesoamerican Sprachbund, such as the Mayan languages and Nahuatl.

Although the family is traditionally divided into two languages, Totonac and Tepehua, the various dialects thereof are not always mutually intelligible and thus Totonac and Tepehua are better characterized as families in themselves. The following classification is the one made by the Ethnologue, although some of these groups can probably be seen as forming subgroups of their own. Standard terminology is used for the dialects that the Ethnologue names differently from published scholarly works, e.g. “Upper Necaxa Totonac” instead of “Totonac of Patla-Chicontla”.

Like many native Mexican languages, the Totonac languages have slowly been replaced by Spanish.

However, the totonacan misanteca variety is in greater danger of disappearing. Other languages are still spoken in several communities in the States of Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosí.

Discovered in 1971, with one of the most beautiful and impressive ceramic prehispanic sculptures. The site was occupied by Totonac. The discovery included several human burials with clay figure offerings, including a group of women with naked torso, identified as representations of the lady of the land: Cihuatéotl, today are exhibited in the Jalapa Anthropology Museum.

Information was available about great figures of women and goddesses modeled in clay in the vicinity of the Laguna de Alvarado, in the municipality of Ignacio de la Llave, Veracruz. It was known that this region was very rich in archaeological remains.

El Zapotal is a great Totonac site whose apogee seems to have occurred at the end of the late classical and early postclassical periods. Although it contains many buildings, (as is typical in Mexico) only a few have been explored.

There is an ossuary and many ceramic objects, some with excellent handcraft. Among these, there is a beautiful ceramic sculpture found in the walls of one of the buildings. This piece was an integral part of that building’s decoration and was made with uncooked clay.

It is thought that it corresponds to a shrine dedicated to the Death God, there were many offerings of clay figures, as well as nearly a hundred individuals, constituting the most complex and lavish funerary ritual known.

The offerings cover several stratigraphic layers, it is estimated that it was dedicated to the Lord of the Dead, whose image, also modeled in clay, was uncooked. The God, whom Nahuatl speakers called Mictlantecuhtli is sitting on a lavish throne, whose back is integrated into the enormous headgear worn, there are human skulls sideways, heads of lizards, and fantastic Jaguars.

It is a beautiful image of Mictlantecuhtli, the Death God, represented as an emaciated person.

The Death Lord is a God that represents the essence of life and death, hence it is a deity representing an intermediate state: a living dead. The body is emaciated, as its torso, arms, and head have some joints, bones, ribs, and skull exposed. It is believed that the material with which the eyes were made depicted an alive look, in addition, its tongue hangs out, a symbol of the dark underworld; the mocking expression displays the aesthetic sensitivity of Mesoamerican thought.

Fear of death and beauty mingle when this figure, an incredible testimony of the prehispanic past is seen for the first time. It is located at a side of the sanctuary, the side walls were decorated with priest procession scenes on a red background, with the figure of the God, its throne, and headdress; some segments painted the same color are preserved.

Because of its quality, it is considered one of the most outstanding Mesoamerican cultural manifestations because all are elaborated with clay, together constitute a unique artistic style, most of the pieces found are in the Jalapa Anthropology and history Museum, “The Lord of Death” (Mitlantecuhtli), is located in the Zapotal Site Museum.

Because of its fragility, the sculpture was kept on site, and a site Museum was founded.

The Mictlantecuhtli deity

Mictlantecuhtli (also Mictlantecuhtzi, o Tzontémoc): death lord and Lord of Mictlán, also the northern god, one of those holding heaven.

“‘Mictlantecuhtli”‘ (Nahuatl word meaning (tecuh-tli) Lord of the underworld (Mictlán)) is an Aztec, Zapotec, and Mixtec underworld God and of the dead (not the Catholic concept of hell), was also called Popocatzin (from “popoca” ‘smoking’), was therefore the God of the shadows. Together with his wife Mictecacihuatl, governed the underworld or Mictlan Kingdom. Exercised sovereignty over the “nine underground rivers” and on the souls of the dead. He is depicted as a human skeleton with a skull with many teeth. Associated with spiders, bats, and owls, when drawn was represented with black hair and stellar (star) eyes.

The Sculpture on the right was found in the Eagle Warrior House, a sacred place of the Templo Mayor of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

Female goddesses, warriors, Sun companions, grandiose and eternal. Fertility Symbol and lineage willingness, an example of courage and deliverance. Their eyes closed open mouths, singing to death, death or singing, eternal life, and the struggle between what man is and what the gods represent.

Magnificent clay sculptures, samples of mastery and mystery, walking towards Mictlan, red, blue, adorned with snails and extraordinary snakes, burning copal pleasing the gods of the sky. Are the El Zapotal Cihuatéotl, the best example of female power, of the respect that its characteristic strength gives them?

Their eyes closed as if hiding something more than a glance behind her eyelids, hiding life reality that sometimes was sublime. Mouth open, as if expressing the mother’s pain and recounted the history that hundreds of women like her lived.

The Cihuateteo or Cihuapipiltin in Aztec mythology were spirits, (gods of excess), Macuiltonaleque sisters (excess gods) who were souls of noble women dead at childbirth (mociuaquetzque). Contrary to the Civatateo honored as men killed in battle. The Cihuateteo were pale white faces skeletons, eagle feet instead of hands, and dress with lace dresses decorated with tibias crossed.

The Codex Borgia, within the “Great Mother” concept, the Cihuapipiltin is the epitome of women dying at their first childbirth. “Noble women” or Cihuateteo were the Cihuapipiltin “divine women”.

These women or mocihuaquetzque, were worshipped with extensive magical facets; parts of their bodies were prized objects for warriors and mages who saw them as magical instruments. Their hierarchy allowed them to be buried in the Cihuapipiltin temple patio.

In fact, they were considered part of the warriors killed in battle, of the sun entourage. They were considered responsible for adultery.

These women appear nine times in the codex, and represent newly birthed women, with naked torsos full and heavy breasts, and folds in the belly. There are four Cihuateteo in sheet 46. The body painting is yellow with a profile body to show us the folds in the womb of their status as newly birthed. On their black hair have the insignia wig made of amatzontli paper with feather ornate to indicate their sacrificed woman character (killed) in the sacred action of conceiving life. The hair is tied with a wide leather strip adorned in the front with a larger size feather. Between the latter and the wig, protrude two hair tufts placed vertically.

In the times of Yenistle III King of the Totonaca dynasty, one of his wives gave birth to a girl called Tzacopomtziza (dawn shining star), because her singular beauty was consecrated to the cult of the Tonacayohua, carer of seeding, bread, and food.

But a Prince named Zkatan-Oxga (young venison) fell in love with her, while he knew that such sacrilege was punishable with death, one day when Tzacopomtziza came out of the temple, he abducted her and escaped with her to the mountain, on their way monster wrapped them with fire waves forcing them back to where the priests anfgrily awaited them and before Zkatan-Oxga could speak, both their throats were cut. Their hearts were thrown to the goddess’s altar.

When the grass dried, their blood began to sprout a shrub, with thick foliage giving birth to a climbing orchid covering the thick foliage with amazing speed and exuberance, perfuming the ambient with its aroma. Jose de Jesús Núñez and Domínguez.

From Veracruz

By bus from Veracruz to Santiago Tuxtla $7-$25 (3:05 hours) 4 times a day.
In taxi from Santiago Tuxtla to El Zapotal $5-$7 (0:30 min).

From Veracruz to El Zapotal in taxi takes around 2:15 hours.

From Coatzacoalcos

By bus from Coatzacoalcos to San Andrés Tuxtla $8-$26 (4:05 hours) once a day.
By taxi from San Andrés Tuxtla to El Zapotal $7-$9 (0:40 min).

By taxi from Coatzacoalcos to El Zapotal $28-$35 (1:55 hours).

From Cordoba

By bus from Cordoba to Veracruz $8-$12 (2:00 hours) once a day.
By bus from Veracruz to Santiago Tuxtla $7-$25 (3:05 hours) 4 times a day.
In taxi from Santiago Tuxtla to El Zapotal $5-$7 (0:30 min).

By taxi or by car from Cordoba to El Zapotal takes 2:10 hours.

From Orizaba

By bus from Orizaba to Veracruz $7-$25 (2:35 hours) every 20 min a day.
By bus from Veracruz to Santiago Tuxtla $7-$25 (3:05 hours) 4 times a day.
In taxi from Santiago Tuxtla to El Zapotal $5-$7 (0:30 min).

By taxi or by car from Orizaba to El Zapotal takes 2:25 hours.

From Puebla

By bus from Puebla to Cosamaloapan $14-$35 (5:40 hours) every 20 min a day.
In taxi from Cosamaloapan to El Zapotal $55-$70 (0:55 min).

By bus from Puebla to Veracruz $13-$35 (5:10 hours) hourly.
By bus from Veracruz to Santiago Tuxtla $7-$25 (3:05 hours) 4 times a day.
In taxi from Santiago Tuxtla to El Zapotal $5-$7 (0:30 min).

By taxi or by car from Puebla to El Zapotal takes 4:00 hours.

The city of San Andrés Tuxtla is the largest city in the municipality of the same name and in the entire Los Tuxtlas region. It is located in a small valley with the San Martín Volcano towering above it.

The city is centered on a square called Parque Lerdo, which has a circular kiosk in the center.

Every Sunday the city sponsors cultural events such as art exhibitions and traditional music and dance, such as fandango and zapateado dance. Much of this reflects Afro-Mexican influence.

The main structure is the Cathedral of Saint Joseph and Saint Andrew, built in 1870 with sleek bell towers and a sober facade with Neoclassical influence. The patron saint of the city is Saint Andrew, who is celebrated on November 29 and 30.

On the 29th, the main event is the running of a bull figure made of reeds with the local youth.

This is followed by a parade of mojigangas, large figures of hollow cartonería on a frame, worn on the shoulders of a dancer. These figures were brought to the area by the Spanish and over time have been modified to a unique Tuxtla style.

On the 30th, there is a mass and a procession with a large image of the saint pulled by a tractor and surrounded by mojigangas. There are also releases of sky lanterns.

Another important annual event is Las Ramas on December 16, which begins Las Posadas, a type of caroling event carrying branches.

The main museum is the Regional Museum of San Andrés Tuxtla, which contains objects from the region, many of which were donated by residents. It was opened in 2008 and features artifacts from its pre-Hispanic history as far back as the Olmecs and the development of the tobacco industry, especially in the 19th century.

One important piece is a crucified Christ image called El Señor de Matacapan, whose pieces were found in Matacapan and reconstructed by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.

The Casa de Cultura is on Hernandez y Hernandez Street and holds cultural events mostly attended by city residents. It also has a collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts.

The city has a number of old houses with gardens and patios from the city’s heyday and Parque Chichipilco is popular with families and holds cultural events.

La Maquina Vieja is an old industrial structure dating from 1840, located just outside the city.

San Andrés Tuxtla is best known for the production of tobacco and cigars and cigarettes with their cigars considered the best in Mexico, and Winston Churchill is said to have favored cigars from the area.

The area’s tobacco history began in the 19th century when Cuban and German immigrants decided that they could grow fine tobacco and make cigars here for export to Europe.

Today, the area produces some of the finest cigars in the world. All steps from the growing of tobacco, to curing to wrapping are done in the municipality with San Andres’s own experts to assure quality.

Torcedores, or those who create cigars from cured tobacco leaves, apprentice for two years. Many families have worked in the industry for generations, with children learning the work as children in family workshops that make both cigars and cigarettes.

The best-known local producer of cigars is Te Amo in Sihuapan, ranked as among the best cigar producers in the world. The enterprise employs an average of 350 people although times of peak demand can raise this number to 1,200.

Te Amo and other producers have large “houses” in which tobacco leaves are dried and fermented using firewood and steam over a course of fifteen days. The dried and fermented leaves are rehydrated for deveining and rolling.

After this, the cigars are stored for one or two years before going to market. The flavor of the cigar depends on the selected leaves. Te Amo produces five kinds of cigars which vary in diameter and length.

Other notable tobacco producers include Matacapan, Sihuapan, La Constancia, and El Salto.

156.5 km of main highway, mostly state-maintained roads. The main highway through the area is Federal Highway 180.

The municipality is located in the south of Veracruz in the San Martin Mountain Range in the Los Tuxtlas region. It has rugged terrain of volcanic origin that extends to the Gulf of Mexico and an average altitude of 300 meters above sea level.

The main elevations are San Martín, Mastagaga, Vigía, and El Chilar. There are caverns at Roca Partida, De la Encantas, the Cerro del Borrego, and Arrecife de la Poza.

Along the Gulf shore, there are beaches such as Salinas Roca Partida, Toro Prieto, Arroyo de Lisa, Costa de Oro, Playa Hermosa, Los Organos, Dos de Abril, Monte Pio and Balzapote (which is also a fishing port). There are cliffs at Roca Partida.

Most of the natural vegetation of the area has been destroyed with 410 sq km used for agriculture, 398 sq km for pasture, and 7 sq km is urban. Ab out of 36 sq km contains secondary vegetation only 11% is forest and 94 sq km is rainforest.

The soil is poor in nutrients and is susceptible to erosion.

Despite this, much of the municipality is part of the second most important biosphere reserve in Mexico, the San Andres Tuxtla Reserve. The remaining dominant natural foliage is mostly high perennial rainforest, with dunes and secondary vegetation near the coast.

Wildlife consists of armadillos, rabbits, opossums, skunks, and anteaters.

Most of the municipality’s surface water is in the San Andrés River, streams such as the Sihuapan and San Juan, and various small lakes.

Laguna Encantada (Enchanted Lake) is an isolated lake, off the highway between the city and Sontecomapan in the neighboring Catemaco municipality. The road does not reach the lake, so it is necessary to walk about a kilometer over a rise.

The name comes from the fact that its water level rises in the dry season and lowers during the rainy season. Its circumference is 1,500 meters. Other lakes include De Cuyapan, De Tizatal, Los Manantiales, Delicia, and Carrizal.

On the San Andrés River is the Eyipantla Falls, located twelve km from the municipal seat. The name comes from Nahuatl and means “three furrows of water.” Legend has it that Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain, governed the Los Tuxtlas area and the waterfall was his home.

The falls are part of the San Andres River, which drains Lake Catemaco on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The falls itself is forty meters wide and fifty meters high. It is popular with tourists, to descend 400 stairs to the foot of the falls.

At the top of the falls, there is a lookout point that gives a view of the surrounding mountains along with the falls. The entrance to the falls is crowded with restaurants and tourist shops.

Another important waterfall in the municipality is Los Organos, located between Playa Hermosa and Costa de Oro. Other waterfalls include Del Río Revolución, Salto Maquina Vieja, and Tres Chorros.

The climate of the municipality varies depending on location. It is warm in all parts but the amount of rain varies from areas with most rain in the summer to those that receive abundant rainfall year-round.

Average annual temperature varies from 18 to 28C and average annual rainfall varies from 1,100 to 4,600mm.

The name “Tuxtla” is derived from Nahuatl and means “place of the rabbit.” San Andrés refers to the patron saint, Saint Andrew.

In the 16th century, the area belonged to the Santiago Tuxtla province.

In 1530 there was an eruption of the San Martín Volcano, which prompted the movement of people from Ixtlán to what is now the city of San Andrés Tuxtla, then called Tuzacoalco (land between the mountains).

The settlement was recognized in 1580 by the head of the Tlacotalpan, Tuztla, and Cotaxtla region.

Its tobacco history began in 1830 when a slow influx of Cubans and Europeans made their way here and decided that the climate was apt for the growing of fine tobacco.

Today, the area produces some of the finest cigars in the world. Just prior to the Mexican Revolution the industry experienced strikes by workers, with the first occurring at the El Destino factory in 1896.

The municipality was defined in 1825 and in 1826 the city was declared its seat. In 1830 the seat was declared a town, and in 1893 a city.

In 1932, the city and municipality’s name was changed to Los Tuxtlas, but this was changed back to San Andrés Tuxtla in 1938.

The area in which Papantla is found has been dominated by a number of pre-Hispanic cultures. The first known is that of the Olmec, with the Huastecs coming afterward. Evidence of these cultures can be found at nearby archeological sites such as Cempoala, El Tajin, San Lorenzo and Tres Zapotes. The settlement was founded around 1200, by various groups of Totonacs, some of whom migrated here after being pushed south by the Chichimecas and other groups coming from the fallen city of El Tajín. During the rest of the pre-Hispanic period the site belonged to the Pueblos del Totonacapan, dominated by Tuzapan, and paid tribute to the Aztec Empire.

Soon after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish quickly realized the value of the vanilla bean, which is native to this area. The Totonac town was refounded as Papantla de Santa María de la Asunción with Spanish families moving in. Soon after, vanilla was being sent to European markets. It was made the seat of the region called Totonacapan, which encompassed the modern municipalities of Cazones, Coatzintla, Coyutla, Espinal, Coxquihui, Chumatlan, Filomeno Mata, Gutiérrez Zamora, Mecatlán, Poza Rica, Progreso de Zaragoza, Tecolutla, and Zozocolco de Hidalgo.

In 1785, the nearby ruins of the pre-Hispanic city of El Tajín were accidentally discovered by Spaniard Diego Ruiz, while he was looking for clandestine plantings of tobacco. This site became famous around the world soon after due to the writings of Alexander von Humboldt and others. During the Mexican War of Independence, Serafin Olarte and his guerrillas actively fought in the area from 1813 to 1820, until Olarte was captured by royalist forces and executed. The municipality was created in 1880 by decree. In 1910, the settlement gained city status with the name of Papantla de Hidalgo. The official name was changed to Papantla de Olarte, in honor of Serafin Olarte. As during the War of Independence, indigenous peoples of the area rebelled against the regime of Porfirio Díaz in the late 1890s, just prior to the Mexican Revolution. A number of clashes were also fought here during that war.

In 1922, the city of Papantla became the seat of the Diocese of Papantla when it was created from territories that had belonged to the Dioceses of Veracruz and Tampico.

One of the most famous people to come from Papantla is artist Teodoro Cano Garcia, who was a disciple of Diego Rivera. During much of the 20th century, this artist worked to promote Papantla’s native Totonac heritage. He is responsible for most of the sculptures and other public art works that can be seen in the town today. Some of these include the “Evolution of the Totonac Culture” mural on the side of the main church, the “History of Papantla” mural which is on the side of the Chapel of Cristo Rey and the Monumento del Volador, a giant statue which is on a hill in the center of the city.

The city was nominated to become a Pueblo Mágico in 2006. However, the process has been suspended. Problems to be resolved include the large number of street peddlers, the need to bury telephone and electrical lines and the need to paint many of the houses in the historic center.

Papantla is the heart of the Totonacapan region. When the Spanish refounded the town, they laid it out in Spanish style with a central plaza surrounded by the most important buildings, such as the main church and the main government building. The Municipal Palace still faces the main plaza, marked by the classic-style pediment over the main entrance. This building contains two murals: one about the Totonacs by Teodoro Cano Garcia and the other by Xolotl Martinez Hurtado de Mendoza. The construction of the building dates from 1810 although it was destroyed by forces associated with Pancho Villa in 1915. The building was reconstructed in 1929, with remodeling done in 1979 and 1999. The plaza is officially named the Israel C. Téllez Park, which contains grass and a number of trees. In this plaza are weekend events such as the Danzón Fridays as well as live music on Saturday and cultural events on Sundays. On the underside of the kiosk is a mural by Teodoro Cano Garcia which depicts the indigenous concept of creation, as a world with four suns.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was constructed between 1570 and 1590 by the Franciscans. Originally, the church did not have a bell tower as the bell was located on the nearby hill which is now the located of the Monument al Volador. The bell tower was built in 1875, and the clock which is there was installed in 1895. The church is in the form of a Latin cross and has an entrance flanked by Roman style pilasters. Across from the main facade are the principal markets, called Hidalgo and Juarez. On the atrium wall is a sculpted mural by Teodoro Cano Garcia which depicts the evolution of Totonac culture superimposed on the body of the god Quetzalcoatl.

The city has a total of eleven murals on public buildings as well as private houses. The Fernando Gutierrez Barrios Auditorim has a high relief mural depicting sports in the Totonacapan region. The Chapel of Cristo Rey is located on Madero Street and is modeled after the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. It contains a mural by Cano about the history of the city of Papantla. In addition to the murals, the Monument to the Voladores is located on a hill in the center of the city. This hill also serves as a scenic lookout and contains a mural which narrates the ceremony from the cutting of the tree to the execution of the descent.

The city is home to the Universidad Pedagógica Veracruzana, as well as a number of museums. The Museo de la Ciudad is located on Pino Suarez Street and contains exhibits from the pre-Hispanic, colonial and post- Independence periods. The Museo de las Mascaras contains a collection of over 300 masks from Totonacapan and other parts of Mexico, located in the community of San Pablo. It was founded by Simon Gomez Atzin who collected masks and ceremonial dress for many years. The Teodoro Cano Garcia Museum contains works by this artist as well as some of his protégés. It also contains archeological pieces and elements of Totonac culture such as dress. Other museums include the Museos del Totonacapan and the Casa de Cultura’s permanent collection of paintings and sculpture.

On December 7, there is a tradition called the “Dia del Niño Perdido” (Day of the Lost Child). On this day, lighted candles are placed on doorjambs and windowsills. However, the major festival for this city is the feast of Corpus Christi, which features processions, and indigenous dances such as the tocotines, guaguas, negritos, Santiagueros and voladores. The first feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated in Papantla sometime between 1550 and 1560, sponsored by the encomendero of the area, Placido Perez. Until very recently, the celebration was strictly religious with processions and liturgy. In 1957, a more secular event called the Festival of Corpus Christi was added to run concurrently with the religious rites. In that year, a livestock, agriculture, industrial and cultural fair was added. In 1958, the celebration of “Juegos Florales” (flower arrangements) and the Festival Xanath began to distinguish the event from others in the area. The Xanath Festival was begun by Mariano Torres Carreño and Hector Ventura de Castro with the aim of presenting Totonac culture to the city and make the residents proud of their heritage. The festival has indigenous art exhibits, traditional dance, costumes and music. The dances are choreographed into a single spectacle which is reworked each year.

Like the rest of Mexico, Papantla celebrates Day of the Dead but has some local variations. “Ofrendas” (altars to the dead) can be set up on tables or on board which are suspended from the ceiling. The altar is called a pachau and the lack on one in the home can bring on social rejection for violating community norms. These are decorated with palm fronds, bananas, oranges, limes, anis and chocolate figures. Food stuffs include mole, candy, tamales, local breads and other regional specialties. A glass of water and “renio” (a type of local alcohol) are also placed. Day of the Dead celebrations begin on 31 October for those who had died of natural causes. On 1 November, the souls of deceased children (called Laqsq’at’an) are welcomed. Later on 1 November and 2 November the souls of adults are said to return. It is believed that the souls come in the form of insects to eat the meals laid out in offering. It is also believed that this food needs to be freshly prepared and hot. During the nights, groups of living children go house to house singing traditional songs.

For religious and secular events, two dances are definitive of Papantla. According to Totonac myth, the gods told men “Dance, and we shall observe.” The Danza de los Voladores is one of these events that was originally meant to please the gods. The ceremony involves five participants who climb a thirty-meter pole. Four of these tie ropes around their waists and wind the other end around the top of the pole in order to descend to the ground. Each rope is wound around the top of the pole thirteen times, which by four equal 52 and corresponds to the Mesoamerican ritual calendar. The fifth participant stays at the top of the pole, playing a flute and a small drum. The flute represents birdsong and the drum the voice of the gods. The four who descend or “flying men” represent the four cardinal directions. The flautist begins by honoring the east, from which life is believed to have originated. This dance or ceremony has been inscribed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO

The Dance of the Guaguas (also spelled Huahuas) is mostly performed by Totonacs but also by some groups of Nahuas and Huastecs who live in this area. It is a variant of the Dance of the Quetzales. The dance represents a survival of beliefs based on agricultural and the solar year. One essential element of the dance is the construction of a wooden cross which turns in a vertical position, representing the basis of creation and the genesis of cosmic life. Dancers dress in red pants, which have been elaborately embroidered, white shirts and a decorated cloth that goes across the chest. But the most distinctive apparel is the headdress, with is a large circle of woven ribbons with loose ends hanging around down the back. The dance movements involve the stomping with the boots that dancers wear.

Papantla is the heart of Mexico’s vanilla-growing region, called Totonacapan and the spice has been grown and trade here since well into the pre-Hispanic period. According to legend. The Totonacs have lived and grown vanilla since they came to this area after the downfall of Teotihuacan. The origin of the plant is said to have come from the death of two young lovers. The young woman, Tzacopantziza, was the daughter of a king named Tenitztli. She was so beautiful that her father consecrated her to the goddess Tonacayohua so that no mortal man may have her. However, a young prince by the name of Zkatan-Oxga, kidnapped her. This angered the gods and send a monster to terrify the people. The priests found the couple hiding in the mountains and decapitated them both. Where their blood spilled, a plant began to grow, which soon began to give the people their fragrant flowers and seed pods.

True vanilla comes from a seed pod of an orchid called vanilla panifolia. This plant grows as a vine on host trees and is native to this area. The pods are green when harvested, and turn black when dried. In the Totonac language, vanilla is called Xanath and is used to make a liquor which is almost never seen outside of the Papantla area. These people have used vanilla for centuries as a flavoring, a perfume and as medicine. In the early colonial period, the Spanish quickly exported vanilla to Europe and a number of cultivators became wealthy. The name “vanilla” comes from the Spanish “vainilla” which means little seed pod. The growing of vanilla remained a monopoly of Mexico until hand pollination methods were developed that allowed the plant to grow in other parts of the world, devastating the industry here. Today, Mexican production of vanilla trails behind production in parts of Africa and Asia. In spite of this, the Academy of Sciences and Gastronomic Arts in Paris in 1921chose to pay homage to the Totonacs who discovered vanilla.

Outside of Papantla, real vanilla is difficult to find in Mexico because of its cost. Within the Papantla area, elaborate figures, such as animals are made with the pods. The Xanath Festival, which is held concurrently with Corpus Christi, also honors vanilla. In addition, Papantla holds a Vanilla Expo in December.

The city of Papantla is the governing authority for over 500 other named communities which cover a territory of 1,199.26km2. About a third of the municipality’s population of 152,863 (2005) live in the city proper. The city and municipality still has strong communities of Totonacs, with about 25% of the municipality’s population speaking an indigenous language. The overwhelming majority identify themselves as Catholic but about ten percent are evangelical Christian. Papantla borders the municipalities of Cazones de Herrera, Tecolutla, Gutiérrez Zamora, Martínez de la Torre, Espinal, Coatzintla, Tihuatlán and Poza Rica as well the state of Puebla to the south and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. The municipality is located in the Sierra Papanteca, which is a series of low mountains with numerous valleys. The most notable peaks are the La Jarana, Pelón, El campanario, La Palma, De la Cruz, Del Jazmín, del Grillo, de Dolores and Del Clavel. Small rivers which feed into the Tecolutla, and Texistepec Rivers pass through here, such as the Tlahuanapa, Santa Agueda and the Poza Verde. The area is heavily forested with subtropical perennial foliage with trees such as the heliocarpus, laurel, cedar and ceiba. It contains 17 km of mostly virgin beaches. The coastline includes the Boquila Estuary, Playa Chichinit, Rancho Playa, Playa Olmo, Tenixtepec and Boca de Lima. Most of the animal life consists of small mammals such as rabbits, raccoons and coyotes along with various species of birds and snakes. The area is considered to be tropical rainforest with most rain falling between May and August. September and October are notable for the occasional hurricane.

About 75% of the municipality’s land is dedicated to agriculture and pasture, with about 47% of the municipality’s population dedicated to it, as well as crafts. Main crops include corn, beans, chili peppers and oranges. Livestock raised here includes cattle, pigs, sheep and horses. There is some logging done. There is some industry here, much of which is the packing and shipping of oranges. Tourism is becoming an important part of the economy, based on the area’s archeological sites, beaches and traditions, especially the Danza de los Voladores.

The El Tajín archeological zone was one of the major cities of ancient Mesoamerica which existed between 800 and 1150 C.E. It has an extension of 105,555m2 with 165 buildings and 17 ball courts. The main attraction is the Pyramid of the Niches. It also has a site museum. At the Tajin site every year is the Cumbre Tajin Festival which falls on the spring equinox. It celebrates Totonac heritage with concerts, conferences, food, cultural events workshops and more. Another archeological zone is Cuyuxquihui, which extends about thirty hectares. It contains various pre-Hispanic structures of which the military fort and the ceremonial center stand out. It is located about 37 km from the city.

There are also two ecological parks called Kiwíkgolo and Xanath.

Since pre-ceramic times, human groups existed in Rancho Nuevo, Roca Escondida, and other places on the central coastal strip of the gulf. Its development is known because ceramics similar to that of Tehuacán were found, considered one of the oldest in Mexico.

In the Middle Preclassic, these men experienced the influence of the Olmec culture, which produced the characteristic elements of the Totonac group. The Totonac territory covered the Puebla mountains and the coastal plains. Its “borders” varied over time from north to south, from the Cazones River to the Papaloapan.

Totonac cultural elements were enriched in the classical era (1st centuries BC-9th AD) due to the influence of Teotihuacán; Thus, there was a time of maximum splendor called by specialists the Late Classic (7th – 9th centuries), during which El Tajín, Las Higueras, Vega del Cuajilote, among others, known as open cities, flourished; that is, without any defensive character.

In the Epiclassic period (800 BC-900), due to the militaristic presence from the north represented by hunting and gathering groups, these sites were abandoned. Then its inhabitants protected themselves in geographically suitable places; for example, in the deep ravines that originate on the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre, or in high places that are difficult to access, as in the case of Quiahuiztlán.

The inhabitants of Quiahuiztlán partially adapted areas of Cerro Bernal through terraces; These had a double function: they served as checkpoints for the spaces gained from the hills, preventing the escape of the earth accumulated in them, and at the same time they were defensive walls that made access difficult for invaders. However, the success was not total; On two occasions they were invaded and subjugated by peoples from the Mesoamerican highlands.

The first invasion occurred in the twilight of 800; So the Toltec presence in the area is undeniable. His remains were found in an underlying structure in the Eastern Cemetery and in the substructures of the larger buildings of the Cemetery Complex.

The construction technique was careful; On the facades, small stones well carved in the shape of a rectangular prism were used as perfectly attached blocks, which were then covered with stucco of notable hardness.

The second invasion happened in the early 1400s and was carried out by the Aztecs. The main roof of the buildings and the cemeteries with mausoleums correspond to this moment, distinctive characteristics of this area.

Specialists point out that when the Spanish arrived, about 15,000 residents lived in the area.

The travels of Juan de Grijalva and later that of Hernán Cortés made it possible for the Spanish to discover the site.

During Cortés’s journey, a church and a fortified enclosure were built on the plain near the roadstead and the surrounding hills, which was called Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, which is considered the first Hispanic site in Mexico. In Quiahuiztlán an alliance was made between the Europeans and 30 Totonac peoples, a fact that significantly facilitated the Conquest of Mexico.

According to data obtained from archaeological research, the city was abandoned during the conquest and then repopulated by nomadic tribes.

Quiahuiztlán is located on the Cerro de los Metates, so called because there are many metates buried there. During the rains, it is known that the landslide uncovers some of these objects, although this has been decreasing as more people visit the hill.

This hill is a strategic point on the Veracruz coast due to its great visual and strategic dominance, which is why it had great importance for the Totonacas.

Rock climbing. This hill with steep walls and stained with bushes and grasses is used for rock climbing. The visual panorama as you gain height is spectacular. The level of the climb is between 5.6 and 5.8 in general.

The main route begins to the left of the path that goes up to the top of the hill, shortly after passing the highest section of the archaeological zone of Quiahuiztlán.

This route was reequipped in the early years of the 21st century by the CEMAC Veracruz climbing group. The route has two armed pitches and two meetings. A third pitch that presumably reaches the summit is not assembled.

The word “Cēmpoalli”, from the Nahuatl root “Cēmpoal”, means twenty, and “ā (tl)”, means water, hence “twenty waters”.
An alternative etymology suggests the name meant “Abundant Water”.

Both versions imply that the city had many aqueducts which fed the numerous gardens and surrounding farmland fields.

A third version conjectures that the name referred to commercial activities which, according to some sources, were performed every 20 days in pre-Hispanic times.

Research by Vincent H. Malmström (Dartmouth College) describes an interesting astronomical relationship between the three-round rings found at Cempoala.

The Totonacs moved onto this coastal plain during the height of the Toltec Empire (A.D. 1000-1150). Archaeologists believe the Toltecs had pushed the Totonacs out of their settlements on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental and down to the coast.

Cempoala lies on the flat coastal plain about six kilometers from the Gulf and a little more than a kilometer from the banks of the Rio Actopan (also called the Rio Chachalacas).

Alliance

Cempoala and other coastal Veracruz locations were defeated by the Aztec armies of Moctezuma I (mid-15th century).

They were heavily taxed (goods and sacrifice prisoners) and forced to send hundreds of people as a tribute for sacrifices and as slaves. This conditioning treatment at the hands of the Aztecs created the situation which led up to the defeat of the Aztecs by Cortez in the 16th century.

When the Spaniards led by Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519, the Totonacs had been suffering Aztec domination for several years.

The Spaniards heard of a town on the way named Zempoala while at their malaria-ridden camp of San Juan de Ulua. They marched over and sent word of their arrival, and upon their arrival were met by 20 Zempoalan dignitaries.

In town, they met with “Fat Chief” Xicomecoatl, who fed them and gave them quarters. The Totonac presented Cortez with numerous gifts, including gold jewelry.

Xicomecoatl made many complaints against the Aztec Empire and the great Montezuma.

Cortez promised to alleviate his concerns. At Quiahuiztlan, the Spaniards and Totonacs forged their alliance against the Aztecs.

Spaniards and Totonacs had the same fate. In August 1519, Cortés and 40 Totonac captains, which by a lower estimate equates to around 8000 soldiers, and 400 porters left for Tenochtitlan.

The effort ended with the fall of Tenochtitlan and Moctezuma II, the Aztec Tlatoani, as a hostage.

After conquest

Cempoala was a prosperous city in 1519 when the Spaniards under Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico and established alliances with some groups to go towards the capture of Tenochtitlan.

The city of Cempoala then numbered approximately 20,000 inhabitants and was the most important ceremonial and commercial center of the Aztec empire, more so than Tlatelolco.

The Spaniards called it Villa Viciosa, meaning fertile village by the many festivals and vast orchards and gardens available and festive and joyful inhabitants character, was later known as new Seville for its resemblance, as per the Spaniards, with the Iberian town.

Between 1575 and 1577 smallpox (matlazahuatl) epidemic decimated the population, it is estimated that two million people lost their lives in Mesoamerica, the city was totally abandoned, and the few survivors moved to the city of Xalapa, which eventually fell into oblivion until archeologist Francisco del Paso and Troncoso rediscovered it.

After the victory and conquest, the Cempoala Totonacs soon took their new destiny next to their foreign partners: were relocated and had to leave the city as they were Christianized, banned from practicing their ancient cults, and were turned into slaves to work new Spanish sugar cane fields.

Cortés first arrived at Zempoala in 1519 with 500 conquistadores who then made a long trip up into the highlands using the same routes used to haul maize to Tenochtitlan. His was added by the lord of Cempoala, known by his extraordinary corpulence as the “fat Cacique”.

The town was settled around walled perimeters delimiting temples and palaces; dating back to the 11th to 16th centuries.

The site buildings show impressive squares and fortresses surrounded by vegetation which permanently covers this area, called “Place of accounts”, as was called the Mexica rulers because it was here where all taxes and tributes from the region were collected.

What today is the archaeological site had been the most important political-religious center of the city, whose constructions were made with river stones, joined with mortar, and flattened with the lime produced from burning shells and snails, obtaining in this way that buildings shone from far away as if they were built in silver.

The urban Cempoala complex includes several buildings and major architectural structures, not only by its construction but by its historic importance, often unknown, as for example, in the part of the site now known as walled system IV, Cortés successfully faced the forces of Pánfilo de Narváez, thus consolidating his leadership in the colonization of the Mexican territory.

The main structures at Cempoala, include the following:

Templo del Sol or Great Pyramid

Or Sun Temple was built on the same platform as the Templo Mayor, separated by an ample square.

This is probably the most impressive structure on site. The great temple resembles the Sun Temple in Tenochtitlan. The Quetzalcoatl Temple, the Feathered Serpent God is a square platform, and the Ehécatl Temple, the wind God is round.

Templo Mayor

The top part is surrounded by battlements.

Templo de las Chimeneas

Or chimney temple, has a series of semicircular pillars 1.5 meters high, because of this peculiar shape, the building is named.

El Pimiento

It has a three-bodied structure, its most notable feature is its exterior decor based on skull representations.

Moctezuma’s Palace

No information

Templo de la Cruz

Or cross temple maintains some fresco mural sections with celestial motifs.

Templo Las Caritas

The so-called Temple of Charity standing about 200 meters to the east is a two-tier structure decorated with fragments of stucco reliefs.

It is named for the hundreds of stucco skulls that once adorned the facade of a small structure at the base of the temple’s staircase-archaeologists believe this complex was dedicated to the god of death.

It consists of two overlaid basements with top side elements, an open room, and two decorative belts, the lower has murals depicting the sun, Moon, and Venus, as the early morning stars, and the higher section has a large amount of clay “little faces” or little skulls.

The Structure is decorated with stucco faces on the walls and hieroglyphs painted in lower sections Gran Pirámide and the wind god Ehécatl worship altar.

Other Mounds

There are other mounds, unexcavated, that cannot be visited, located within Cempoala’s current houses. Some of the structures there are probably built in the same style as were the residences of the prehispanic commoners.

Some research by Vincent H. Malmström of Dartmouth College describes an interesting astronomical relationship that exists because of the three-round rings found at Zempoala. We will quote a part of his discussion concerning the Three Ceremonial Rings of Zempoala.

Beneath the massive pyramid (north eastern corner) in the central plaza of Zempoala, are three puzzling stone rings, each made from rounded beach cobbles jointed together to make small, stepped pillars.

The largest ring has 40 stepped pillars, the middle ring has 28, and the smaller ring is 13, around its circumference. It seems that three rings were used to calibrate different astronomical cycles, possibly by placing a marker or an idol from one pillar to the next, day after day.

The stone rings viewed from the top of the main pyramid, are surmounted by 13, 28, and 40 step-like pillars, which might have been counting devices to keep track of eclipse cycles, by Totonac priests.

It is possible that by using the rings, Totonacs priests were able to calibrate the movements of the moon. There are reasons to believe these rings provide further evidence of the intellectual curiosity and architectural ingenuity of the early Mesoamericans.”

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The site is located in Mexico in the highlands of the municipality of Papantla in modern-day Veracruz, not far from the city of Poza Rica, which lies northwest of the port and city of Veracruz.

The city is set in the low rolling mountains that lead from the Sierra Madre Oriental to the Gulf coast near the Tecolutla River.

In ancient times, this city was located in the northeast corner of what is called Mesoamerica and controlled an area from between the Cazones and Tecolutla Rivers to the modern state of Puebla.

The main city is defined by two streams that merge to form the Tlahuanapa Arroyo, a tributary of the Tecolutla River. These two streams provided the population with potable water.

Most of the buildings are at the southern end, where the land is relatively flat and the two streams converge. The site extends to the northwest where terraces were constructed to place more buildings, mostly for the city’s elite.

However, the city also had communities located on the hills east and west of the main city, with mostly lower-class dwellings. The total site extends to 1,056 hectares.

The area is rainforest, with a hot wet climate of the Senegal type.

The average temperature for the year is 35 °C with hurricanes possible from June to October. It is also affected by cold fronts with winds that come from the north and down the Tamaulipas and Veracruz coasts.

The site has no major settlements located next to it. Surrounding it are tobacco fields, banana plantations, apiaries, and vanilla groves. The closest settlement of any real size is Papantla.

When it was rediscovered by officialdom in 1785, the site was known to the local Totonac, whose ancestors may also have built the city, as El Tajín, which was said to mean “of thunder or lightning bolt”.

Related to this is their belief that twelve old thunderstorm deities, known as Tajín, still inhabit the ruins.

However, a series of indigenous maps dating from the time of the Spanish conquest, found in nearby Tihuatlan and now known as the Lienzos de Tuxpan, suggest that the city might then have been called “Mictlan” or “place of the dead”.

This was a common denomination for ancient sites whose original names have been lost.

This name also appears in the Matricula de Tributos, a surviving Aztec tribute record, which later formed part of the Codex Mendoza. This may therefore be linked to another Totonac meaning claimed for El Tajín: “place of the invisible beings or spirits”.

Chronology studies at Tajín and nearby sites show that the area has been occupied at least since 5600 B.C. and show how nomadic hunters and gatherers eventually became sedentary farmers, building more complex societies prior to the rise of the city of El Tajin.

The pace of this societal progression became more rapid with the rise of the neighboring Olmec civilization around 1150 B.C., although the Olmecs were never here in great numbers. It is unclear who built the city.

Some argue in favor of the Totonacs and the Xapaneca; however, there is a significant amount of evidence that the area was populated by the Huastec at the time the settlement was founded.

In the 1st century CE Monumental construction started soon after and by 600 CE, El Tajín was a city. The rapid rise of Tajin was due to its strategic position along the old Mesoamerican trade routes.

It controlled the flow of commodities, both exports such as vanilla and imports from other locations in what is now Mexico and Central America. From the early centuries, objects from Teotihuacan are abundant.

From 600 to 1200 C.E., El Tajín was a prosperous city that eventually controlled much of what is now modern Veracruz state. The city-state was highly centralized, with the city itself having more than fifty ethnicities living there.

Most of the population lived in the hills surrounding the main city, and the city obtained most of its foodstuffs from the Tecolutla, Nautla, and Cazones areas. These fields not only produced staples such as corn and beans but luxury items such as cacao.

One of the panels at the Pyramid of the Niches shows a ceremony being held at a cacao tree. The religion was based on the movements of the planets, the stars, and the Sun and Moon, with the Mesoamerican ballgame and pulque having extremely important parts.

This led to the building of many pyramids with temples and seventeen ballcourts, more than any other Mesoamerican site.

The city began to have extensive influence starting around this time, which can be best seen at the neighboring site of Yohualichan, whose buildings show the kinds of niches that define El Tajin.

Evidence of the city’s influence can be seen along the Veracruz Gulf coast to the Maya region and into the high plateau of central Mexico.

At the end of the Classic period, El Tajín survived the widespread social collapse, migrations, and destructions that forced the abandonment of many population centers at the end of this period.

El Tajín reached its peak after the fall of Teotihuacan and conserved many cultural traits inherited from that civilization. It reached its apogee in the Epi-Classic (900-1100 C.E.) before suffering destruction and the encroachment of the jungle.

El Tajín prospered until the early years of the 13th century, when it was destroyed by fire, presumably started by an invading force believed to be the Chichimecas. The Totonacs established the nearby settlement of Papantla after the fall of El Tajín.

El Tajín was left in the jungle and remained covered and silent for over 500 years. While the city had been completely covered by jungle from its demise until the 19th century, it is unlikely that knowledge of the place was completely lost to the native peoples.

Archeological evidence shows that a village existed here at the time the Spanish arrived and the area has always been considered sacred by the Totonacs. However, there are no records by any Europeans about the place prior to the late 18th century.

In 1785, an official by the name of Diego Ruiz stumbled upon the Pyramid of the Niches, whilst looking for clandestine tobacco plantings breaching the royal monopoly in this isolated area rarely visited by the authorities.

He made a drawing of the pyramid and reported his find to a publication called Gaceta de Mexico. He claimed the natives had kept the place secret.

The publication of the pyramid’s existence in the Gaceta influenced academic circles in New Spain and Europe, attracting the attention of antiquarians José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez and Ciriaco Gonazlez Carvajal, who wrote about it.

It also gained the interest of several academics, who compared the pyramid with the constructions of ancient Rome. The pyramid was further advertised by Italian Pietro Márquez in Europe and by Alexander von Humboldt.

Since its discovery by Europeans, the site has attracted visitors for two centuries. German architect Charles Nebel visited the site in 1831 and was the first to graphically and narratively detail the Pyramid of the Niches as well as the nearby ruins of Mapilca and Tuzapan.

He was also the first to speculate that the pyramid was part of a larger city.

The first archeologists reached the site in the early 20th century and included Teobert Maler, Edward Seler, Francisco del Paso y Troncoso, and Herbert and Ellen Spinden. With the discovery of oil in the area came roads that were built and improved from the 1920s to the 1940s.

This allowed for a more intensive investigation of the area. In 1935-38 the first formal mapping, clearing, and exploration was done by Agustin Garcia Vega. The first building to be completely cleared of jungle growth was the Pyramid of the Niches.

He eventually cleared 77 acres (310,000 m2), uncovering more buildings, and proposed that it be called “The Archeological City of El Tajín.”

Starting from 1938, excavation and reconstruction work was sponsored by INAH and headed by Jose Garcia Payon, uncovering platforms, ballcourts, and part of Tajín Chico with its palaces.

He continued to explore the site for 39 years until his death in 1977 despite the challenges of working in the jungle and the lack of funds.

By this time, he had uncovered most of the major buildings and established that Tajín was one of the most important cities of ancient Mexico. By the 1970s, the site was one of the few in Veracruz state that attracted significant numbers of tourists.

From 1984 to 1994, Jürgen K. Brüggemann built on the work of García Payón, uncovering 35 more buildings. It is believed that only half of the El Tajin archeological site has been uncovered.

El Tajín was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1992, because of its historical significance and architecture and engineering. “Its architecture, which is unique in Mesoamerica, is characterized by elaborate carved reliefs on the columns and frieze.

The ‘Pyramid of the Niches’, a masterpiece of ancient Mexican and American architecture, reveals the astronomical and symbolic significance of the buildings.” The site is one of the most important in Mexico and the most important in the state of Veracruz.

Its significance is due to its size and unique forms of art and architecture. The borders of the city’s residential areas have not yet been defined but the entire site is estimated at 10.7 sq km.

To date, only about fifty percent of the city’s buildings have been excavated, revealing a series of plazas, palaces, and administrative buildings within a two-square-mile area.

Unlike the highly rigid grid patterns of ancient cities in the central highlands of Mexico, the builders of El Tajin designed and aligned buildings as individual units. There are several architectural features here that are unique to the place or seen only rarely in Mesoamerica.

Adornment in the form of niches and stepped frets is omnipresent, decorating even utilitarian buttresses and platform walls. Stepped frets are seen in other parts of Mesoamerica but rarely to this extent.

The use of niches is unique to El Tajin.

One notable aspect of the construction at El Tajin is the use of poured cement in forms. Surviving roof fragments from Building C in the Tajín Chico section is an example of cement roof construction.

Due to the lack of beams or other materials to prop it up, this roof had to be very thick to support itself. To lighten the load and to bind the layers of cement, pumice stones, and pottery shards were mixed into the cement.

The cement could not be poured all at once but rather in successive layers. It has been suggested that the buildings were filled with earth to support the roof as it was being poured and dried. The finished roofs were nearly a meter thick and almost perfectly flat.

While this kind of cement roof is common in modern times, it is unique in the Mesoamerican world. Impressions of baskets, tamale wrappers, and other items have been found in the dried cement.

The poured cement was used in the only building with two floors at the site, Building B, as a roof and as a separator between the ground and upper floor. The only other known example of two-story construction is in the Mayan territories.

Another feature shared only with the Mayans is the use of light blue paint. (wikerson45) Another feature unique to El Tajin is that a number of the residences have windows placed to allow cool breezes to enter on hot days.

While ballcourts are common in Mesoamerica, El Tajin distinguishes itself by having seventeen. Two of these ballcourts contain sculpted panels that depict the ball game and its ritual significance.

The most impressive of these panels are on the South Ballcourt which contains images of underworld deities and a ballplayer being decapitated in order to approach the gods and ask for pulque for his people.

Since becoming a World Heritage Site, research and conservation efforts have been made to promote knowledge of and protect the site. There have been a number of research projects as well as reconstruction projects and projects to make more of the site accessible to visitors.

However, the director states that more needs to be done to conserve the site, especially its fragile murals, and to balance the needs of tourists against the need to conserve the site in general.

Each year since 1992, the number of visitors to the site increased which now stands at 653,000 annually.

Air pollution from oil-drilling platforms and power stations along the coast causes high levels of acid rain in the region, which is eroding the intricately carved reliefs on the soft limestone buildings “at an alarming rate”, according to Humberto Bravo of the University of Mexico’s Center for Atmospheric Sciences in 2007.

The entrance and site museum

The entrance to the site is located at the south end. In being named a World Heritage Site in 1992, new facilities have been added to this area, such as a cafeteria, information services, a park, and administrative offices.

The site museum is also located here. In addition, the Danza de los Voladores is enacted at the entrance to the site and is considered a requirement for visitors. The voladores appear every half-hour at the pole and circle erected just outside the main gate.

The park is named Parque Takilhsukut and is located about one km outside the site proper. It is a modern facility with the aim of being a center of Veracruz’s indigenous identity. It covers 17 hectares with a capacity of 40,000 people.

It hosts fairs, conventions, and other events, including part of the annual Cumbre Tajín cultural festival which is held in March. There are also facilities for workshops, exhibitions, alternative therapies, seminars, and ceremonies.

The site museum is divided into two parts: an enclosed building and a roofed area covering large stone sculpture fragments. The enclosed room is for smaller objects that have been found during the years the site has been explored, most coming from the Pyramid of the Niches.

One of the most interesting objects on display is an altar from Building 4. It is a large stone slab sculpted to depict four individuals standing in pairs with a figure of intertwined snakes between the two pairs.

The snakes represent the ball game marker called the tlaxmalacatle in Aztec times. The main exhibits of the roofed area are the fragments recovered from the Building of the Columns, with a number partially reassembled.

One tells the story of 13 Rabbit, a ruler of El Tajin who probably had the building constructed. The scene shows a dual procession with 13 Rabbits seated on a wooden throne and his feet on a severed head.

In front is a sacrifice victim with his entrails slung over a frame. 13 Rabbit’s name glyph appears above as well as an attendant named 4 Axe. The rest of the procession consists of warriors holding captives by their hair.

Arroyo Group

This is called the Arroyo Group because two streams surround it on three sides.

This area is one of the oldest sections of the city and is more than 86,100 square feet (8,000 m2). It is flanked by four high buildings, named Buildings 16, 18, 19, and 20, which were topped by temples.

Stairways lead from the plaza floor to the temples above. Unlike the rest of the city, these four buildings are uniform in height and nearly symmetrical. The pyramids here are primitive in comparison to the rest of the site, with niches that are not as finely formed.

The east and west pyramids of the Arroyo group each held three temples at the top.

Another unusual feature is that this plaza has no smaller structures such as buildings or altars to break up the space. It has been determined that this was the city marketplace because of the large plaza space for stalls and for a deity found here that is related to commerce.

The merchant deity found here has features more in common with this kind of deity in the central highlands of Mexico than of Tajín. The market that filled this plaza consisted of stalls made with sticks and cloth offering regional products such as vanilla as well as products from other parts of Mesoamerica such as jaguar skins, exotic birds such as the parrot and the macaw and quetzal feathers.

Slaves for service and sacrifice were also sold here.

West of the building on the south side is a large ball court with sloped sides and sculpted friezes depicting the god Quetzalcoatl. When the city fell, most of the sculptures in this area were smashed or defaced with some being reused as building stone.

The Pyramid of the Niches

This pyramid has a number of names including, El Tajín, Pyramid of Papantla, Pyramid of the Seven Stories, and the Temple of the Niches. It has become the focus of the site because of its unusual design and good state of preservation.

It was prominent in ancient times as well. A large quantity of sculpture was recovered from this pyramid. The building is mostly constructed of carefully cut and crafted flagstones, the largest of which is estimated to be about eight metric tons in weight.

The stones, especially around the niches are fitted together to need a minimum amount of lime and earth mortar. The structure originally was covered in stucco which served as the base for paint.

The pyramid has seven stories. Each of these consists of a sloping base wall called a talud and a vertical wall called a tablero, which was fairly common in Mesoamerica. What is unusual about this construction and others in the city is the addition of decorative niches with the top capped by what Jose Garcia Payon called a “flying cornice,” a triangular overhang. The stones are arranged in controlled lines and delicate proportions. Originally the structure was painted a dark red with the niches in black intended to deepen the shadows of the recessed niches. Niches are also found underneath the stairway along the east face, which indicates that the stairway was a later addition. The niches on the original structure, not counting those on the later stairway, total 365, the solar year. At the top of the pyramid, there were tablets framed by grotesque serpent-dragons.

The ritual function of the building is not primarily calendaric. The deep niches imitate caves, which long have been considered to be passageways to the underworld, where many of the gods reside. Caves, especially those with springs, have been considered sacred in much of Mexico with offerings of flowers and candles being traditional. As last as the mid-20th century, remains of beeswax candles could still be found left on the first level of this pyramid. There is a popular belief that each niche contained an idol or effigy but archeological work here has ruled this out. The most important part of the structure was the temple that was on top of this pyramid; however, this was completely destroyed and little is known about what it might have looked like.

Sculpture from the temple is largely fragmentary. The larger tablets have depictions of the rain god, or a ruler dressed as the deity, involved in several ritual or mythological scenes. This seems to have been the most important god of the culture as other depictions are found in other places at the site. His appearance here underlies the significance of this pyramid. The stairway to the temple is adorned on the sides with frets, which are called xicalcoliuhqui. It is thought to symbolize lightning and while it is common in Mesoamerica, it is a very prominent motif here. These frets were probably painted blue as they were on other buildings, where remains of paint have been found. At the top of the stairway were probably two large three-dimensional stelae. One has survived mostly intact and is now in the site museum. Off the stairs and leading east from the pyramid are large round stone with holes in the middle, in which were probably placed banners. The interior of the pyramid is rocks and earth. This fill is strained between the sloping walls which become the taluds of each level of the pyramid. Buried under all of this is a smaller stricter with taluds but no niches.

The pyramid is flanked by two smaller structures named Building 2 and Building 4. Both are small temple-like platforms. Building 4 contains a smaller, older structure inside it that may be among the earliest structures at the site.

Tajin Chico is a multilevel portion of the site that stretches north-northwest from the older parts of the city up a hill. Much of this section was created by using massive amounts of landfill. It is an immense acropolis composed of numerous palaces and other civil structures.

There are relatively few temples here. It is also more easily defended than other parts of the city. Tajin Chico is so named because it was initially thought to be a separate but related site. It is now known that it belonged to the center of the city.

However, as the term was already in the literature about the site, it has stuck.

Building C was not a temple but its function is not entirely clear. Nearby buildings A and B were palaces. It is probable that this building was used by priests or rulers to receive visitors, petitioners, and others.

The roof of Building C was more than 150 sq m in size and covered two rooms on the west side as well as the main room which opened to the east through five piers.

The entire exterior of the building is covered in stepped frets, with these frets arranged to give the appearance of niches. To further this effect, the inside of the frets were painted dark red and the exterior portion light blue, similar to turquoise.

The broad eastern stairway was also painted with cloud-like scroll motifs.

Building B is a two-story structure that was used as a residence and classified as a palace. Like other structures nearby, its roof is a thick slab of cement and there is another slab that separates the ground and upper floors.

The entrance to the building from the plaza was through a divided stairway, leading to a single room 9.8 by 7.3 m in size. This space is broken by six stone and cement pillars that support the floor above.

These columns were thickened over time as it became apparent to have stronger bracing for the weight of the two floors. The upper story is reached by a narrow stairway. This floor is more spacious even though there are columns here as well.

This is the only multistoried palace found outside the Mayan areas.

Building A has two levels, stepped frets, and niches, and is reminiscent of structures found in the Yucatán.

However, the lower level of the building is not rooms but a solid base. The lower level is adorned with large rectangular panels which appear to have been painted red. The entrance is on the south side of the building and is quite elaborate.

The upper level contains a corridor that goes all the way around and a number of rooms. The upper level was adorned with stepped frets and scrolls as well. These were painted yellow, blue, red, and black.

The panels inside were painted with murals, of which only fragments survive. At the east and west sides of the corridors are entrances to the rooms, two interconnected rooms on each side of the building.

Building A is constructed over older buildings that were buried when this area was filled in, some aspects of the building, like the buttresses been damaged due to settling where there are no buildings below.

The facade depicts a false stairway and balustrades of stepped frets capped by niches. It is unknown if the similarity between this building and the Pyramid of the Niches indicates a relationship between the two.

The false stairs were originally adorned with scroll motifs done in blue and yellow paint, but very little remains. At the center of the false stairway are true stairs leading upwards under an arch to the first level of the palace.

The Building of the Columns dominates the highest portion of Tajin Chico. It is part of one of the last building complexes built at El Tajín. These buildings are situated on a platform terrace with is formed on natural contours and filled in spaces.

The other structure on this platform is called the Annex or the Building of the Tunnels, as it is connected to the Building of the Columns by a passageway. Behind these buildings is a large plaza with small low structures on its edges.

This building is named for the columns that adorned the east facade of the structure.

The columns were made by stacking circles cut from flagstone. Then the surface of the columns was sculpted with scenes celebrating a ruler named 13 Rabbit, who probably had this structure built. Most of the remains of these columns are on display at the site museum.

This structure also had a cement roof, which was arched in the “porch” area between the columns and the inner rooms. There is an inner courtyard and ornately decorated, with stepped frets, and other symbols in stone and cement which were painted.

This complex was one of the last to be built and it also shows evidence of fire and other damage from the fall of the city.

Just east of Tajin Chico is an area of valley floor. There are numerous buildings in this section but many are not accessible to visitors due to the lack of trails and many have yet to be explored. Two have been partially explored.

The first is the Great Xicalcoluihqui or the Great Enclosure. This is a wall, which from above forms a giant stepped fret and encloses about 12,000 sq m. This structure is unique among Mesoamerican sites and contains two or three small ballcourts.

The sides of the enclosure are formed by a slender platform with sloping sides and free-standing niches, resembling the Pyramid of the Niches. There are more than a hundred niches in this wall, broken up by a number of entrances.

The other structure is the Great Ballcourt, the largest court at El Tajin. It is located at the northwest corner of the Great Xicalcoluihqui and at the base of Tajin Chico. It has vertical sides and is about 65 m long.

Unlike other ballcourts, there are no carved panels and no sculptures have been associated with this structure.

Buildings 3, 23, 15 and 5

Building 3 or the Blue Temple has some features that set it apart from other pyramids at the site. Except for six benches on the staircase and at the top of the balustrades, probably later additions, there are no niches. The seven stories of the pyramid are composed of gently sloping walling divided into panels of varying widths. The unreconstructed north side has a large indentation made by looters before the site was protected by guards. No sculpture is known to have come from this building and nothing of the temple at the top remains. The building was covered in cement several times over its history, and each layer of this cement was painted in blue rather than the more common red. Remnants of this paint can be seen on part of the stairway and on the side facing east toward Building 23. Blue is most often associated with the rain god but there is no other evidence to support this.

While the Blue Temple was a fairly early construction, the pyramid next to it, Building 23 was built very late in Tajin’s history. It consists of five stories in near vertical talud without niches. The original staircase was destroyed then reworked into its present form. The divider in the center is a buttress to hold the fill behind the stairs in place. The stairs are made from a mixture of lime, sand and clay without a stone core. The interior of the building is composed of loose stone, mostly rounded river boulders. At the top, there the temple was located, is a series of stepped merlons which look like medieval European battlements.

Just south of Buildings 3 and 23 is Building 15, which is only partially excavated. It faces west and appears to have a civil function much like Building C in Tajín Chico. It has stairways on both the east and west sides that lead to the top of the second level. The third story begins with a wall of niches and no visible stairs. The two lower levels are adorned with larger niches as is the top of the stairway divider. Beneath the larger niches is a line of seven panels. Under the fourth panel, an older panel was found. Deeper excavation found an older, damaged structure which was covered over by the visible structure. This building is thought to the last built with niches.

Building 5 is considered to be the stateliest of the El Tajin site. While located next to the Pyramid of the Niches, its visual appeal is not lost to its more famous neighbor. It is located in the center of a pyramid complex and consists of a truncated pyramid rising from a platform that is over 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) in size. Access to the first level of the pyramid, which is lined with niches, is via a single staircase on the west side or a double staircase on the east side. Access to the top of the pyramid, where the temple once stood, is via a double staircase on the east side. The top of the pyramid contains two platforms, both of which are decorated with stepped frets. Between the two sets of staircases on the first level on the east side is a tall column-line sculpture. It had been thrown down from the top of the pyramid in ancient times and broken. Archeologists reassembled it at the spot in which it was found. The sculpture is similar in style to the carved stone yokes of Veracruz. The figure seems to be an allegorical representation of a seated figure with a severed upper torso and a skull for a head. The arms are holding a serpent like form and the body contains scrolls, which may signify sacrificial blood. The small buildings that surround this pyramid are meant to compliment it. However, the one on the northeast side has been completely destroyed due to centuries-old trail that was used when this area was still jungle.

The North Ballcourt is constructed by three layers of large flagstones. There are six carved panels with ritual scenes and an ornamental frieze that runs along both walls. The court is 87 feet (27 m) long, which is considered to be unusually small and has vertical rather than sloping walls. It is probably one of the oldest structures at Tajín.

Portions of the panels and friezes are worn to the point that large areas are incomplete. The four end panels have scenes relating to the ritual of the ball game that result in entreaties to the gods. The central panels depict the gods responding or performing a ritual of their own. Variant forms of the god of pulque appear over each of the end panels, suggesting that the drink was an important part of the ritual. The southeast, east and northwest panels show a ruler on a throne. The southwest panel has a figure dressed as an eagle seated in a vat of liquid, probably pulque, and being fed by a female figure on the left and a male on the right. The deteriorated north central panel shows two cross-legged figures facing each other. One is seated on a throne and the other by a pulque vat. In the center are two intertwined serpents which seem to form the shape of a tlaxmalactl or ball game marker. The friezes running along the upper edges of the court are composed of interlocking scroll figures, each containing a central element of a head and an eye. Many have feathered headdresses and reptilian attributes and a few are human like.

The South Ballcourt, like the North Ball court, has only vertical walls which are sculpted. The sculpted panels on these walls remain largely intact and show in step-by-step fashion how the ball game was played here, complete with ceremonies, sacrifice and the response of the gods. The court has a general east-west alignment and is 198 feet (60 m) long and 34.5 feet (10.5 m) wide. Spectators could watch events from Building 5 to the north and Building 6 to the south as well as from stands built on one side of the court. The court is made of stones of up to ten tons in weight many of which came from outside the valley. Once the court walls were built six panels were sculpted at the corners and centers of the two walls. The panels on the ends show scenes from the ballgame itself and the center panels show responses from the gods.

The southeast panel illustrates the opening ritual when the principal participant is elaborately dressed and is being handed a bundle of spears. This is part of an initial activity before the game itself starts. Overlooking this scene is the death deity who rises from a vat of liquid, perhaps pulque. The glyphs above the deity identify it with the planet Venus. Next is the southwest panel in which a different ceremonial preparation is depicted. The principal participant is supine on a kind of a sofa. Two musicians are playing a turtle shell drum and clay rattles. A figure dressed as an eagle dances in front while a skeletal deity flies above and the death deity rises from liquid. The northwest panel shows the beginning of the ballgame. Two participants are standing in the center of the court with speech scrolls emerging from their mouths. One holds a large knife in his left hand and gestures with his right. Between them are intertwined slashes, the symbol of the ballgame and a ball. At their waists are the protective and ritual accoutrements which are very similar to the stone yokes, palmas and hachas common in elite burials. Behind the players are two figures, one with a deer head, who are watching from the court walls as well as the death deity again above. The northeast panel indicates that the game has been played and one of the participants is about to be sacrificed by having his head cut off. The three figures are all dressed in the garments and symbols of the ballgame. The center figure has his arms held back by the one on the left. The figure on the right holds a large knife which is at the center figure’s neck. There are scrolls indicating speech from the sacrifice as well as a depiction of the skeletal god.

After this point, the panels deal with the response of the gods. The north central panel represents the continuation of the ritual in the afterlife, and shows how the events of the game connect the society of El Tajin to the gods. At the center of the scene is a temple with the rain and wind gods seated on top and a vat of liquid within. The sacrificed player appears here, whole and with a pot under his arm. He points to the vat and addresses the rain god. The liquid is protected by a reclining chacmool, who is speaking. What is being requested is pulque, indicated by a glyph indicating the mythical origin of the drink and a split image of the god of pulque above the scene. On the south central panel is depicting a scene after the sacrificed ball player has received the pulque with the same temple, glyphs and depiction of the pulque god. The differences are a depiction of the moon as a rabbit, the rain god in front of the temple and the level of the liquid in the vat lowered. The rain god is shown in a rite of auto sacrifice running a spike through part of his penis. The blood falls into the vat and to refill it with pulque.

The Cumbre Tajin is an annual artistic and cultural festival which is held at the site in March. The Cumbre Tajin is considered to be an identity festival of the Totonacs, who are considered to be the guardians of El Tajín. Events include those traditional to the Totonac culture as well as modern arts and events from cultures from as far as Tibet. Some of the events include musical concerts, experiencing a temazcal, theatrical events and visiting El Tajin at night, with a total over 5,000 activities. Many of the cultural, craft and gastronomic events occur at the adjacent Parque Takilhsukut which just located just outside the archeological site. In 2008, 160,000 attended the event which featured Fito Páez, Ximena Sariñana and Los Tigres del Norte. Thirty percent of the revenue the event generates goes toward scholarships for Totonaca youth.

In 2009, the event added the Encuentro Internacional de Voladores (International Encounter of Voladores). For five days, voladores from various places perform at the poles erected at the site. The objective is not only to see the different costumes and styles of the groups but to share experiences about the fertility ritual. Voladores come from as far as San Luis Potosi and Guatemala.

The Cumbre Tajín has been criticized for its emphasis on modern shows rather than on cultural events. One criticism is the illumination of pyramids at night without any kind of cultural historical instruction. The criticism is that it disrespects the site and the Totonac people. There are also fears that large numbers of visitors to the site for events such as concerts by names such as Alejandra Guzmán damage the site. However, the Centro de Artes Indígenas de Veracruz states that it works very hard to preserve and promote Totonac culture through the event, sponsoring events such as traditional cooking, painting and the ritual of the Voladores.

Taxi from Poza Rica $16-$20 (0:15/0:20 min).

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

SNational Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The administrative boundaries of the municipality are determined by the municipality northeast of Papantla, south to the town of Coatzintla and to the northwest by the municipality of Tihuatlán, separated from the latter by the course of the river Cazones.

The center of the city sits in a small valley on the basin river Cazones, in the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico, with an average altitude of 60 m, although most of the land sits on uneven ground and mostly hills northeast of the city, among which is the Cerro del Meson, with a maximum height of 242 meters. The predominant soils are of the vertisol type, with a high content of clay forming expansive cracks in dry seasons.

Since its inception, the rapid urban growth in extension exceeded the capacity of available flat land in the city, expanding the urban area to the northeast of the city, using increasingly uneven ground and hills bordering the town of Papantla, inhabiting the slopes of the hills that surround the city center.

The town of Poza Rica is located in the watershed of the river Cazones, this River 100 km long born in the mountainous region of Hidalgo and flows into the Gulf of Mexico, has a higher average annual runoff of 40 m³ / s in its mouth. The city is also surrounded by several Cazones River tributary streams such as the Mollejón, Hueleque, Salsipuedes and Arroyo Corn, which is regularly affected by flooding the annual rainy season.

Mexico’s only nuclear power plant (Laguna Verde) is about 200 kilometers (120 mi) away, near the state’s capital city of Xalapa, Veracruz.

The city of Poza Rica has 36 parks. The most important are:

Parque Plaza March 18. It is the city’s central park is located between Avenues Lazaro Cardenas and Calle 8 Norte. It has an auditorium for musical events. It also attracts young people who practice hobbies such as rollerblading and biking.

Juarez Park. It is the second largest park in the city, located on 16th Avenue West.

Parque de las Americas. The park features all the flags of America, and is located on the hillside.

The main destinations are the beach which is just 45 kilometers from the city center as well as the archaeological site of El Tajin, where every year a summit is held. Another attraction is the Tajin Teayo Castle.

As for the local cuisine, this is distinguished by typical regional dishes Totonac and Huastec, of which the best known is the Zacahuil, plus a variety of typical Mexican snacks, among which are sopes, bocoles, molotes, tlacoyos, enchiladas, and blanditas.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of El Tajin is 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) away. It has a downtown area which provides a good shopping experience. It has a local famous height called “El cerro del abuelo” where it’s possible to see the whole city and its “quemadores”, big petroleum burners which were used to light the city in the early years. There are few of them at the present time.

Every year there is a holiday called “Desfile del 18 de marzo” (March 18 Parade, “Petroleum Day”) which commemorates Mexican oil expropriation and has two beautiful parades, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Public transport is the main means of transport of pozarricenses. Transport in the city are buses that take you to different areas of the city, as well as shared taxis.

Poza Rica taxis are the tsuru model that move around the city.

Central Bus Terminal: For land transport with the rest of the country, Poza Rica has three bus terminals:

The North Central, where more than 30 lines come from across the country (Estrella Blanca, ADO, Axis Gulf, First Plus, Chihuahuan, AU, PLATINUM ADO, ADO GL, Premium Green, Futura, Omnibus de Mexico)
the second terminal has access only to passengers going to the neighboring city of Tuxpan. (ADO Bus)
The third terminal is in the Petromex (Alternate Petroleum), which exits south of the country (Xalapa, Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, Villahermosa, Ciudad del Carmen, Chiapas, etc.)

El Tajín National Airport in Tihuatlán serves Poza Rica.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The town lies at 1,200 m. (4000 ft.), at the confluence of the Río Blanco with several tributaries, including the Río Orizaba, near the mouth of a large valley heading westward into the eastern Sierra Madre Oriental. This location, at the bottom of the ascent into the mountains, is an important transition point along what has been for centuries the main trade route between Mexico City and Veracruz on the Gulf Coast.

The climate is generally pleasant, though often cloudy and rainy, and the soil of the Orizaba valley is extraordinarily fertile.

Overlooking the valley from the north is the Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl), a volcano that, at 5,636 m. (18,490 ft.), is the highest mountain in Mexico and third highest in North America.

In the town of Ixhuatlancillo north of Orizaba, and in a large mountainous area to the south (the Sierra de Zongolica), live many thousands of people who speak a variant of Nahuatl which is often called Orizaba Nahuatl.

It is generally understood that the name Orizaba comes from a Hispanicized pronunciation of the Nahuatl name Ahuilizapan [āwil-lis-ā-pan], which means “valley of happy waters”.

Another possibility, however, is the word Harish (Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, in 16th-century Spanish pronunciation), this place being the hometown of the first Spanish settlers (1521) of Orizaba.

Harish or—in a simplified form—Ariz, with the addition (under the influence of the Arabic language) of the gentilic “i” and/or with the ending “aba”, meaning fortification, would have become Ariziba or Arizaba, from which Orizaba would have derived.

The word Harish—in turn—is, according to some authors, linked to the capital of Tartessus and could refer to the biblical Tarshish. Its Semitic meaning could be “trading post” or “fundry site”, since Tartessus was a major Phoenician center of tin commerce and bronze production.

Prehistory and conquest

Orizaba was already an important town at the time of the Spanish conquest, and it was in Orizaba that La Malinche, Hernán Cortés’s interpreter and mistress, was married to the Spanish gentleman Juan Jaramillo.

A plaque at the Temple of “The Immaculate Conception” in Huiloapan commemorates this event.

Colonial period

During the colonial period, Orizaba became an important city. On January 27, 1774, the Spanish king Carlos III conceded town status (villa) to Orizaba, and on November 29, 1830 Orizaba was declared a city.

Independence war

In October 1812, José María Morelos captured the city for the insurgent army. In 1821 to the end of the war, Agustín de Iturbide was in Orizaba before and after the signature of the Agreements of Córdoba in the neighbor city.

Independent period

When Lucas Alamán established, in 1836, the first textile factory (Cocolapan factory) of Orizaba, the city started its economic life as an industrial city.

In 1839 the newspaper La Luz was created and the Veracruz by the governor Francisco Hernández y Hernández gave the name of Veracruz-Llave (remembering the General Ignacio de la Llave, who was born in Orizaba) to this state of Mexico.

On May 8, 1874, Orizaba was declared the capital city of Veracruz by the governor Apolinar Castillo, but in 1878 the status was transferred to Xalapa.

During the government of Porfirio Díaz, Orizaba was declared the most educated city in the Mexican province.

In the late years of Porfirio Díaz’ Government, two important workers’ strikes occurred, those of Cananea and Río Blanco, the latter taking place in Orizaba and being an important prelude to the Mexican Revolution.

The American World War I and World War II transport ship USS Orizaba (ID-1536) was named after this town.

The old City Hall El Palacio de Hierro (The Iron Palace) in the centre of the city was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Built with 600 tons of Belgian steel, its parts were shipped from Belgium during the Porfiriato (the government of Porfirio Díaz), to be assembled in Orizaba.

The palace cost 100,000 pesos (gold) a very large sum at the time,considering 1 peso gold was 3 dollars at the time. It was Don Manuel Carrillo Tablas who not only loaned the money to the city, but also had to pay the additional cost of unloading the palace from the port and having it reassembled at its present location, the Plaza de Armas.

Unfortunately, Don Manuel Carrillo Tablas died New Year’s Eve of 1899 without ever having received a cent from the city for his loan. He was a very charitable man, though, having donated the land where the present Cathedral of Orizaba now stands, as well as the adjacent shopping center known as “El Mercado”.

El Palacio de Hierro served as the City Hall until the city felt it was not large enough for the growing needs of the local government and therefore moved to its present location.

The new Teleferico or cable-car to the top of Cerro Borrego has great views of Pico de Orizaba in the mornings. Or if you prefer climb Cerro Borrego which has a very nice trail to the top, about an hour walk. Go in the morning.

The river that flows thru the city is a free linear Zoo with many animals to see. It basically starts behind the Municipal palace at the cable-car entrance and goes northward about 1.3 miles.

At the north end, across the road is another Eco-park with Bengal tigers and camels and other animals.

Monuments and buildings

• The Iron Palace
• El Palacio Municipal (The City Hall)
• The Church of Nuestra Señora Del Carmen
• The Church of La Concordia
• State Art Museum
• New building for Artists in centro. I think it’s on North 3 and Poniente 2, or close by there.
• Mercado Cerritos, NW Orizaba and Mercado Melchor Ocampo, centro.
• Centro Orizaba park (Parque Castillo) and the Theater there has almost nightly free plays or music.
• Huge Rock in the Panteon (municipal cemetery).

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The name Xalapa comes from the Nahuatl roots xālli (“sand”) and āpan (“water place”), which approximately means “spring in the sand.”

It is classically pronounced “sha la pan” in Nahuatl, though the final “n” is often omitted; the “sh” sound was written “x” in the 16th century. This does not occur in modern Spanish, and its counterpart is the [x] or [h] sound, normally written j.

The spelling Xalapa (like the word México) reflects the archaic pronunciation. Xalapa is pronounced [xaˈlapa] or [haˈlapa], the latter pronunciation used mostly in dialects of southern Mexico, the Caribbean, much of Central America, some places in South America, and the Canary Islands and western Andalusia in Spain where [x] has become a voiceless glottal fricative ([h]).

The full name of the city is Xalapa-Enríquez, named in honor of 19th-century Governor Juan de la Luz Enríquez. The city’s nickname, La ciudad de las flores (“The City of Flowers”), was bestowed by Alexander von Humboldt, who visited the town on 10 February 1804.

The reference is also related to the city’s earlier colonial history. In folklore, the Spaniards believed that Xalapa was the birthplace and home of the Florecita, which literally means “little flower”.

Residents of Xalapa are called Xalapeños or Jalapeños, which is the name given to the popular long peppers cultivated in this area.

Xalapa is situated in eastern-central Mexico, approximately 55 miles (89 km) northwest of Veracruz city. and roughly 350 kilometres from Mexico City. The municipality of Xalapa has an area of 118.45 square kilometres.

The city of Xalapa is located beneath the volcanic peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental, at an elevation that oscillates from 1400 metres to 1700 metres above sea level, and is surrounded in lush tropical vegetation. This mountainous area of Mexico is volcanic, and in the area surrounding the city are places such as the Naolinco volcanic field. Located north of the city, it consists of a broad area of scattered quaternary pyroclastic cones and associated basaltic lava flows.

Situated east, about 50 km (31 mi) away along Mexican Federal Highway 140 is the Cofre de Perote National Park. The park covers an area of 117 km2 (29,000 acres), and consists of mainly forested mountains and hills. Its highest point of Cerro de Macuiltépetl rises 1522 metres above sea level. Other hills of prominence include the Cerro de Acalotépetl and the Cerro Colorado.

From Xalapa you can also see the Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak in Mexico (5,366m or 18,490 feet). It is also the third highest peak in North America.

Hydrographically, there are numerous streams and springs which are in the area around the city. These include the rivers: Sedeño River, Carneros River, Sordo River, Santiago River, Zapotillo River, Castillo River and the Coapexpan River, 3 artificial lakes and the springs Chiltoyac, Ánimas, Xallitic, Techacapan and Tlalnecapan.

Climate

Xalapa features a humid subtropical climate that borders on a subtropical highland climate. The climate in Xalapa is semi-humid, but the city is relatively cool being located in the mountains over 1400 metres above sea level.

The climate can be variable, having a maximum temperature of 37.3 °C and a minimum ranging from 0 °C to 10 °C, but on average the temperature does not fluctuate greatly all year round with an average annual temperature of 18 °C.

The warmer season in Xalapa tends to fall between March and reaching a peak in May when the average high reaches 28 °C and low of 17 °C. The cooler season is late December, January and February with an average low of 11 °C and an average high of 22 °C.

The average annual precipitation is 1509.1 mm. During the cooler winter months rainfall is at a minimum, with Xalapa receiving only 42 millimetes in January and 38 millimetres in February on average.

Snow, however, is common in winter outside the city at Perote, located around 35 minutes from Xalapa.

Very early in the morning, Xalapa often has a mist, giving it a characteristic mountain atmosphere.

The greatest rainfall occurs during the summer months, particularly in June, when on average rainfall reaches 328 millimetres, remaining relatively high until mid-September.

The Totonacs were the first people to establish themselves around the Macuiltepetl, fifth mountain in Nahuatl language (Macuilli: five, fifth; Tepetl: hill, mountain). This mountain, an extinct volcano, received its name after the Aztecs used it as the fifth reference mountain to get to the gulf of Mexico’s shores. Today it is preserved within a park. During the 14th century, four cultures of indigenous peoples settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each of them built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) was founded by the Chichimecas; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the Toltecas, and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas.

Eventually around 1313, the four villages grew and joined, forming one big village which was given the name Xallapan. Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, the fifth Aztec emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century. All the land was ruled as part of the Aztec Empire before the arrival and conquest of the Spanish conquistadores.

In 1519 Hernán Cortés passed through Xalapa en route to Tenochtitlan. In 1555 Spanish Franciscans completed construction of a convent, the second-most important event in that time in Nueva España.

When the Spanish arrived, Xalapa was barely populated. The population rose after the conquest and colonial settlement. When the Spanish improved the Mexico-Orizaba-Veracruz route, Xalapa declined in importance as a transport hub, with its population stagnating during the 17th century.

From 1720 Xalapa became increasingly important, due to trade with numerous retailers of the New Spain arriving to sell products and to buy products cultivated and made in the peninsula. At this time numerous resident Spanish families in the near towns settled in Xalapa, so that by 1760 the population had increased to over 1,000 inhabitants, including mestizo and Spanish. The growth of Xalapa in population, culture, commerce and importance, increased dramatically in the 18th century. Responding to residents’ requests, Carlos IV of Spain elevated the status of Xalapa to a town on 18 December 1791.

In 1772, the construction of Xalapa Cathedral began. On 18 May 1784, José María Alfaro lifted the first air balloon in the Americas, in Xalapa. Due to the abundance of flowers growing in the region, Alexander von Humboldt, who visited the town on 10 February 1804, christened the town as the “City of the Flowers”.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, Xalapa was the scene of some important historical events, and it supported the movement for independence from Spain. Ideas greatly flowed in the town, and Xalapa was represented by many who put forward these ideas to those in Mexico City in government meetings. On 20 May 1821, shortly before completing Mexican Independence on 27 September of the same year, Xalapa was attacked by the forces of Don Antonio López de Santa Anna. Together with Don Joaquin Log, he forced Spanish captain Juan Horbregoso to surrender the town. Independence was gained months later; the first emperor Agustín de Iturbide was not warmly received in Xalapa due to past differences.

On 9 May 1824, by decree of the President of the Republic Don Guadalupe Victoria, the First Legislature of the State of Veracruz was established in Xalapa. That same year, Xalapa was declared the state capital.

In the 1820s Xalapa and the surrounding area was subject to a revolt when Vicente Guerrero replaced General Anastasio Bustamante. Veracruz was attacked by Isidro Barradas, who was attempting to reconquer parts of Mexico, and over 3,000 were deployed to defend the cities of Veracruz, Córdoba and Orizaba for military purposes. Anastacio Bustamante, betraying the confidence given to him, revolted against the legitimate government with a new plan of Xalapa, signed on 4 December 1829. The revolt was subdued.

On 29 November 1830 by decree, Xalapa was elevated to the class of city. On 1843, Don Antonio María de Rivera founded the Normal School of Xalapa to train teachers. Today it operates as a preparatory school for students going to college.

During the United States invasion of the Mexican–American War, in 1847 General Don Antonio López de Santa Anna attempted to defeat the opposing forces at a site near Xalapa in the Battle of Cerro Gordo. He led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers. Mexican troops suffered many casualties, around 1,000 were killed and 3,000 wounded on 18 April 1847. The US invaders occupied the city the following day. Among them was Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, later commanding General of the Union armies in the American Civil War. Grant’s letters call Jalapa “decidedly the most beautiful place I ever saw in my life;” its climate “the best in the world.”

Xalapeños such as Ambrosio Alcalde and Antonio García fought bravely to defend the city of Veracruz, but were taken prisoner by the enemy. They were released and paroled, but after rejoining the fighting against the US, they were recaptured near Teocelo. They were taken to Xalapa and sentenced to death, executed on 24 November 1847. Today these two men are remembered as martyrs. An obelisk monument commemorates their sacrifice, standing between San Jose Church and Alcalde Market, which was named after Ambrosio Alcalde. The US forces after marching on to capture Mexico City departed after the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo.

In November 1862 Xalapa was attacked during the French invasion; the foreigners temporarily took control of the state capital. On 27 November 1867 the corpse of the emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who had been executed in Querétaro, arrived at Xalapa. It was held in the neighborhood of San Jose and attended to by the priest José María y Daza, before being transferred to Veracruz the following day. The emperor’s remains were shipped back to Austria to be buried.

In 1885 General Juan de la Luz Enríquez increased the power of Xalapa by moving some legislative authority from Orizaba to Xalapa, in accordance with the decree issued in June 1884 by the provisional Governor Jose Manuel Jauregui. General Enríquez together with the Swiss teacher Enrique C. Rébsamen, in 1886 founded the Normal School in Xalapa, the first school of this type in the country.

Enríquez died in 1892, but the construction of Normal School and founding of other schools led to Xalapa becoming known for its centers of learning as the “Athens of Veracruz”.

During the regime of Enríquez, the old convent of San Francisco was demolished, and the area developed as the Parque Juárez. In June 1890 railroad construction brought the first locomotive for the Xalapa-Coatepec-Teocelo railroad to the city. The interoceanic railroad was completed in Veracruz in 1901. The public lighting system was introduced in 1904. In 1906 a clock was installed in the centre of the city on a building on Enríquez Street, which now houses the National Lottery agency.

On 18 May 1911, Francisco I. Madero visited Xalapa. On 21 June of the same year a minor conflict occurred between federal forces and revolutionaries.

On 3 January 1920, a strong earthquake rattled the city, destroying several buildings. Years later in December 1923, Xalapa fell into the power of the huertístas, commanded by Guadalupe Sánchez.

In 1940 the water building and agricultural house were constructed, which today is occupied by the Agrarian League of Communities and Union Farmers of the State. On 11 September 1944 the Universidad de Veracruzana was established, and Dr. Manuel Suárez became the first director. On 4 September 1978 by means of decree number 325, the Local Legislature approved that the official name of the city Xalapa Enríquez should be written with a “X” rather than a “J”, to emphasize its derivation from Nahuatl.

Xalapa is a thriving center for commerce and many multinational companies have large retail stores and franchise restaurants in the city. These include Wal-Mart, Superama, Sam’s Club, The Home Depot, Liverpool, Sears, Costco, Office Depot, Office Max, Oxxo, Sanborns, Comercial Mexicana, C&A, Fabricas de Francia, Coppel, Garcia, Milano, Burger King, McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, Subway, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Little Caesars, Block Buster, Hugo Boss, Pull and Bear, and Carl’s Jr., Prada, Tous, etc.

Xalapa also has a number of cinemas, some of them of substantial size, such as the Cinepolis Museum (10 screens), Cinepolis the Americas (16 screens), and other cinemas, such as XTreme Cinemas in Crystal and Cinetix in Plaza Animas, which is a local movie theater.

There are also several retail malls in Xalapa: Plaza Crystal, Plaza Museo, Plaza Animas (L.A. Fashion), Plaza Américas, and Plaza los Arcos.

Many people in Xalapa are employed by the government, since it is the state capital. Xalapa is also the head one of the five regional sections of the Tribunal Electoral (a level below the Supreme Court). This area encompasses 7 states: Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatán. The other regional seats are Mexico City, Toluca, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

The Xalapa Cathedral is a mix of Baroque and Neo-Gothic design built in 1773. It has a clock tower, the clock coming from England.

Callejón Diamante (lit. Diamond Alley) is one of the more crowded streets at night because of its Bohemian atmosphere with cafes and an artists’ colony. Callejón Jesús te Ampare is a cobblestone street next to the Church of San José .

Patio Muñoz is a neighborhood built in the 19th century, with most of the original buildings intact. Here are held workshops in Veracruz-style painting, dance and music.

In the Paseo de los Lagos, there used to be an ancient dam. Today it has footpaths surrounded by leafy trees, circling three lakes and a fresh-water spring.

Xalapa is known as the “Athens of Veracruz” because of the strong cultural influence of its major university, Universidad Veracruzana (the main public university in the State of Veracruz). General Enriquez is known for policies encouraging the educational system in Xalapa.

Culturally, Xalapa has a wide variety of events associated with its theatres, museums, and street art. Many musicians and dancers frequently perform in the center in the nights, especially on special occasions and events of celebration or commemoration; they often dance the fandango.

The Museo Interactivo de Xalapa (Interactive Museum of Xalapa) features a planetarium with an IMAX screen, showing educational documentaries.

The Museo de Antropología de Xalapa houses the largest collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf Coast cultures such as the Olmec, the Huastec and the Totonac with more than 25,000 pieces. The most notable pieces in the museum are the giant Olmec heads and the smaller Totonac ones. Some of the pieces in the museum date back to the Early Pre-Classic Period from 1300 BC −900 BC.

Nearby is the Hacienda del Lencero Its first owner was Juan Lencero, a soldier of Hernán Cortés. In 1842 it was purchased by Antonio López de Santa Anna for 45,000 pesos. Today, it is a museum which displays furniture and personal belongings dating from the 19th century. It also has a chapel, spacious gardens and a lake surrounding the property which include a sculpture by Gabriela Mistral who spent time there while in exile.

Art has a keen following in Xalapa. The gallery, Pinacoteca Diego Rivera, located near the City Hall and Parque Juárez in downtown, has the most numerous collection of Diego Rivera’s paintings in all of Mexico.

Museums

Museo de Antropología de Xalapa
Museo Casa de Xalapa
Museo Interactivo de Xalapa
Museo del Transporte. Carr.
Hacienda del Lencero
Museo del Bombero.
Museo de la fauna.

Galleries

Casa de las Artesanías
Galería “Ramón Alba de la Canal”
Agora de la Ciudad
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
Galería de Arte Contemporáneo
Galería del Centro Recreativo Xalapeño
Galeria Marie Louise Ferrari
Jardín de Esculturas

Theatres and auditoriums

Teatro del Estado
Sala de Conciertos de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa (to open in 2010)
Teatro J. J. Herrera
Teatro La Caja
Auditorio de la Escuela

Parque Juárez is a park in central Xalapa with a terrace-like appearance. The southern side of the park looks over the valley below, offering scenic views of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in the distance. Parque Juárez was the location of the Monastery of San Francisco. It is located among the four oldest neighborhoods of the city. Its central garden features enormous monkey puzzle trees, art gallerys, an agora, workshops, an auditorium and a café.

The Jardín de Esculturas (Sculpture Garden) is a museum dedicated to sculpture, exhibiting works by nationally and internationally recognized artists.

The Parque de los Tecajetes is in a natural depression or ravine of the same name in the center of the city. Underneath is a fresh-water spring that feeds the aqueducts, artificial pools and canals of the park.

The Jardín Botánico Clavijero (Clavijero Botanical Garden) has an important collection of regional plants with sections dedicated to Mexican ornamental flowers, reconstructed mountain environments in Xalapa, ferns and the most extensive variety of pines in Mexico.

Parks and gardens

Jardín Botánico de Xalapa
Parque Juárez
Parque Los Berros
Parque Ecológico “Cerro del Macuiltépec”
Paseo de Los Lagos
Parque Ecológico “El Haya”
Parque “Natura”
Jardines de la Universidad Veracruzana
Parque “Tejar Garnica”
Jardín de las Esculturas
Parque Ecológico de Los Tecajetes
Parque María Enriqueta
Parque Revolución
Parque Bicentenario
Stadium Xalapeño

Xalapa is the place of origin of the famous Jalapeño peppers.

Dishes made with maize: gorditas, tostadas, pasties, enfrijoladas, and chicken are common.

The desserts that are consumed in the region are typically sweet such as cake and cocodas and craft candies like candied fruit, dulce de leche and jamoncillo.

Feast day of San José, Feast of Santiago Apostle, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Jesus, Conception of Maria, and Expo-Fair International are all celebrated in the city.

An important religious holiday is on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrating Mary the Mother of God patroness of the city.

On 24 October San Rafael Guizar and Valencia are celebrated, with thousands of people from all over Mexico visiting their tomb that is in a chapel within the cathedral. The cathedral remains open all night and day during this event.

The city is connected by the 140-D Highway with the cities of Veracruz, Puebla and Mexico City. Also the 140 Road provides a link between those cities.

The city has a central bus station (CAXA) which is a nodal point for many bus companies operating in the area, including AU, ADO, ADO-GL, OCC, Auto-Tour and Buses Sierra-Texcoco.

Several bus companies are based in Xalapa including Servicio Urbano de Xalapa (SUX); Auto-Transportes Banderilla (ATB); the yellow and green sets of Interbus, Auto-Transportes Miradores Del Mar; and Transportes Rápidos de Veracruz (TRV) amongst many others.

There is also a bus service which exclusively takes passengers back and forth from Xalapa to Coatepec. These buses operate all over the city, with a cost per person ranging from 6.00 to 8.00 Mexican pesos; discount is offered to the elderly and to students who normally pay 5.00 Mexican pesos within the urban area. There are over 100 bus routes in the city.

The taxis that operate in Xalapa are easily recognisable by their white and red paintwork. The most abundant taxis are of the Nissan Tsuru model. Typically, taxi drivers do not charge based on taximeter.

The city of Xalapa is served by a small airport, El Lencero Airport, located 15 minutes by road from the city. The only commercial airline that serves the city is Aeromar with non-stop flights to and from Mexico City.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

Like the majority of the coastal part of Veracruz State and southern parts of Tamaulipas, the city of Veracruz has a tropical savanna climate (Koppen Aw). The wet season typically lasts from June to October, when a vast majority of the yearly precipitation falls.

Large tropical thunderstorms occur nearly daily in the late afternoon, originating in the moist atmosphere above the Gulf of Mexico. The wet season has slightly hotter temperatures and is more humid than other seasons; the dewpoint can easily exceed 25 °C.

It has fewer foggy days than the dry season (averaging around 4-7 foggy days).

The dry season of the year spans from November to May, with slightly cooler temperatures and less humid days; making it the much more desirable part of the year for visiting tourists as opposed to the stormy, humid wet season.

Despite the dryness, winters are foggy and cloudy, averaging 10-17 overcast days and 11-17 foggy days per month during the dry season. Many tourists visit Veracruz during Christmas and March break, amid the winter’s comfortably warm dry season.

Veracruz receives an average of 1,564 mm of precipitation annually. The wettest month of the year is July with an average monthly total of 385 mm of rainfall, while the driest month of the year is March with only 13 mm of rainfall.

Temperature-wise, the hottest months of the year are June and August, both sharing mean temperatures of 28 °C, while the coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 21.2 °C.

In September 2010, Hurricane Karl, a small, strong Category 3 hurricane, caused widespread flooding and damage affecting approximately half a million people. Sixteen were confirmed dead with another eleven missing.

Sixty-five municipalities in the state were declared disaster areas.

The name Veracruz (originally Vera Cruz), derives from the Latin Vera Crux (True Cross). Having established the settlement of Villa Rica (Rich Village) on Good Friday 1519, Cortés dedicated the place to the True Cross as an offering.

When Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico in 1519, he founded a city here, which he named Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, referring to the area’s gold and dedicated to the “True Cross”, because he landed on the Christian holy day of Good Friday, the day of the Crucifixion.

It was the first Spanish settlement on the mainland of the Americas to receive a coat of arms.

The Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo, first arrived in 1518 at the island later known as San Juan de Ulúa. The Spanish gave it that name because they landed on the Christian feast of John the Baptist, and in honor of the captain.

De Ulúa is derived from the local name for the Aztecs, coluha or acolhua.

According to tradition, when the Spanish arrived, they found two young men who had been sacrificed. When they asked the locals what had happened, they said the Aztecs had ordered the sacrifice. The word for Aztec evolved into Ulúa.

Because the first expedition detected the presence of gold in the region, a second expedition under the command of Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519. Cortés and his men landed at the shore opposite the island where Grijalva had moored, which has the pre-Hispanic name of Chalchihuecan.

Cortés, Francisco de Montejo, and Alonso Hernández Puertocarrero founded the settlement, naming it Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz.

The name Villa Rica (rich village) referred to the gold that was found here and Vera Cruz (True Cross) was added because the Cortés expedition landed on Good Friday, a Christian holy day.

When Cortés and his soldiers elected a “Justicia Mayor” and a “Capitán General”, they created the first city council on the American continent. The city was the first on mainland America to receive a European coat of arms, which was authorized by Carlos V in Valladolid, Spain on 4 July 1523.

The original settlement was moved to what is now known as Antigua, at the mouth of the Huitzilpan (or Antigua River) shortly thereafter. This separated the city from the port, as ships could not enter the shallow river.

Ships continued to dock at San Juan de Ulúa, with small boats being used to ferry goods on and off the ships.

When large-scale smuggling of goods took place to avoid customs officials, the Spanish Crown ordered the settlement returned to its original site to cut down on that traffic.

Docks and an observation tower were constructed on the island to ensure that goods went through customs officials.

As in other parts of Mexico, the indigenous peoples suffered from epidemics of European infectious diseases and maltreatment, which decimated the population after contact.

The Spanish began to import African slaves via the port of Veracruz to work on sugarcane plantations. In the 16th century, this state had more slaves than any other in Mexico.

Before the slave trade was abolished, Mexico had the second-highest population of African slaves in the Americas, following Brazil.

By the end of the 16th century, the Spanish had constructed roads to link Veracruz with other cities such as Córdoba, Orizaba, Puebla, Xalapa, and Perote. Their gold and silver were the principal exports.

This caused the city problems with pirates, prompting the construction of Fort San Juan de Ulúa on the island where Grijalva had landed in the mid-16th century. Major public buildings were constructed at the beginning of the 17th century: the municipal palace, the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, and the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Loreto.

In 1618, a fire nearly reduced much of the city to ashes. In 1640, the Barlovento Armada was stationed here for additional defense against pirates. Through the rest of the colonial period, this was the most important port in New Spain, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City.

The pirates Van Hoorn, Laurens de Graaf, and Michel de Grammont attacked Vera Cruz in 1683.

The 19th century was marked by armed conflicts. During the Mexican War of Independence, Spain placed troops here to maintain Mexico City’s sea link with Spain. In 1816, Antonio López de Santa Anna commanded royalist troops to counter the insurgency.

In 1820, insurgents took the city, despite Santa Anna’s attempts to stop them. The last viceroy of New Spain, Juan O’Donojú, arrived here in 1821, where he signed the Treaty of Córdoba with Agustín de Iturbide at Fort San Juan de Ulúa.

In 1823, Spanish troops remaining at Fort San Juan de Ulúa fired on the newly independent Mexican city of Veracruz.

The city’s defense against the attack earned its first title of “Heroic City.” During the Pastry War in 1837, the city mounted a defense against a French attack, and earned its second title of “Heroic City.”

In 1847 during the Mexican–American War, United States forces invaded the city. It was defended by generals Juan Morales and José Juan de Landero, but they were forced to surrender a few days later.

The government of Mexico recognized Veracruz with a third title of “Heroic City.”

Ten years later, a civil war between liberals and conservatives forced Benito Juárez’s government to flee the capital of Mexico City. Juárez went to Veracruz and governed from there in 1857.

In 1861 Spain sent its troops to occupy the port to secure payment of debts, which Juárez had suspended. French military forces accompanied them to prepare for Maximiliano I and occupied the city when the emperor and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in 1864.

The conflicts and damaged trade relations with Europe took their toll on the port of Veracruz.

By 1902, the port facilities had deteriorated, and it was considered one of the most dangerous on the American coast. President Porfirio Díaz contracted with foreign enterprises to modernize the port’s infrastructure.

Between April- November 1914, during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), the US attacked and occupied 7 months of the port to try to preserve trade in the dispute with President Huerta. The city gained its fourth title of “Heroic City”.

After the Revolution, most port workers became unionized. Through most of the 20th century, federal and state legal and political initiatives intended to better workers’ lives had effects on the operations of the port.

Eventually, unions came to have great power over the operations and tariffs charged. By the latter part of the 20th century, competing unions made the operations of the port difficult.

Some blocked access to the port from federal roads and financial corruption was a problem.

In the 1970s, a federal commission was established to design a new administrative system for the ports of Mexico. The legislature passed laws authorizing the federal government to take control over important ports such as Veracruz.

The federal government modernized the port, adopting automation of loading and unloading. This resulted in a reduction of 80% of the port’s jobs and labor resistance through strikes.

The dockworkers’ unions unified, negotiating for members to have a stake in a new company to manage the port’s functions, named the Empresa de Servicios Portuarios de Veracruz, S.A. de C.V.

The old Compañia Terminal de Veracruz was dissolved in 1988 and the new organization was fully in place by 1991.

Veracruz is not as popular a tourist destination as many other resort areas. But the city has been promoting an identity as a tourist destination, emphasizing new attractions such as the Veracruz Aquarium and the City Museum, and the renovation of historic ones, such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa and the Naval Academy.

The cultural center of the city is its main plaza, officially named Plaza de las Armas but commonly called the Zocalo.

This tree-shaded square, which has camped several foreign invading armies, is occupied from morning to night with people playing dominos, selling food, cigars, etc. playing music, dancing, and other activities. It is more crowded in the evening when nearly every night the danzón is dancing.

This dance was brought over to Mexico from Cuba by refugees in the 1870s. It was originally restricted to the lower classes but eventually gained acceptance by all levels of society. The danzón is sponsored by several dance schools dedicated to keeping the tradition alive.

Around the plaza are numerous shops and restaurants, as well as the municipal palace and the cathedral.

The Municipal Palace was built for the city council in 1608. The building was extensively remodeled in the 18th century. Its architectural style is a sober Baroque with a tower at one of the corners.

Lookouts used this tower to keep watch on the ships entering and leaving the port. It has a large courtyard surrounded by wide arches and is the oldest city government building in Mexico.

The Cathedral of Veracruz, named Catedral de la Virgen de la Asunción, is also located on the Zocalo. This cathedral was begun in the 17th century and finished in 1731. It was modified in the 19th century but was not designated as a cathedral until 1963.

The building has five naves, with an octagonal cupola covered in Puebla tiles. The tower was begun in the early 20th century and has its own small cupola. The main façade is Neoclassic with two levels and a crest.

The lower level contains an arched entrance flanked by two Doric columns and the upper level contains the choral window, above which is a medallion. The interior is simple with crystal candelabras.

In the port area are the Pemex Tower, the old lighthouse, which was the seat of government for Venustiano Carranza, and the Crafts Market. On Marina Mercante Street are located the Old Customs Building, the Postal and Telegraph twin buildings, as well as the old railroad terminal.

In the 1920s, passenger traffic was such that the station had its own hotel. The Juarez Hemicycle Monument stands in front of the Civil Registry Building, which contains the first birth certificate issued in the country.

The Heroica Escuela Naval (Heroic Naval School) was founded here in 1897 by José María de Vega, then Secretary of the Navy.

The school was founded because, at the time, Mexico was dependent on the hiring of foreign sailors and foreign training of its officers to staff its Navy; prior attempts to establish an academy had failed. Porfirio Díaz approved the institute to train both Navy and Merchant Marine officers, to be based on similar schools in Western Europe.

The malecón (boardwalk) stretches for kilometers along the Gulf of Mexico, leading from the city center into the suburbs.

This area is popular at night when people stroll and exercise, enjoying the ocean breezes. Near the city center, the malecón is crowded with merchants selling knick-knacks, souvenirs, jewelry made with seashells, and T-shirts.

The Veracruz Aquarium was built in 1992 and is the largest and most important in Latin America. The Freshwater Gallery consists of thirteen exhibitions containing 562,177 liters of water. These exhibitions contain aquatic species from Asia, Africa, South America as well as Mexico. The Reef Tank is best known for its sharks. The Salt Water Gallery contains fourteen tanks with tanks dedicated to the species of Veracruz, the Red Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Another exhibit is devoted to sharks, containing 25 species that swim around visitors as they walk through a glass tunnel built through the tank. There is also an exhibit dedicated entirely to manatees.

The City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) is located at the intersections of Zaragoza and Esteban Morales streets in the historic center. It is housed in a two-story building which is of neoclassic design built between the mid and latter 19th century. The main façade on Zaragoza Street has an enormous main door with posts, framed by Ionic pilasters, which reach to the upper floor and are topped by a pediment and a cornice. The building was originally constructed as an asylum. When the French invaded Veracruz in 1861, the building was commandeered for other purposes until 1870.

The asylum took it back and operated here for almost 100 years. New facilities were constructed for it south of the city, and the building was renovated for adaptive reuse as a museum. The City Museum was inaugurated in 1970 and contains exhibits relating to the history of Veracruz.

The Agustín Lara House Museum exhibits works, photographs and personal effects of the poet Agustín Lara, located in what was his house in Boca del Río just outside Veracruz city. News clips, caricatures and a replica of the radio studio where he hosted “La Hora Azul” (“The Blue Hour”) are among the items on display. Lara was one of the city’s most famous sons as a popular songwriter and singer in Mexico. He began his career playing the piano in brothels and later became a bullfighter. Lara had seven wives, one of whom was Mexican screen diva María “La Doña” Félix, for whom he wrote the song, “María Bonita”. To be a gentleman, when he and Félix were about to break up, he married her to “make an honest woman of her” even though they had lived together for years.

The Port of Veracruz is the oldest and largest port in Mexico, deeply important to its history. During the colonial period, it was the most important port in New Spain, the connection to ports and the Atlantic trade creating a large wealthy merchant class, which was more prosperous than that of Mexico City. From the port of Veracruz were exported turkeys, corn, beans, avocados, and cotton to Spain. From Spain came fava beans, wheat, rice, cattle, pigs, fabric, wine and other goods. In the mid 16th century, so much gold and silver was found in Veracruz that these precious metals were the chief export to Spain on what were called treasure ships. The bounty attracted pirates, mostly from Britain and Holland, such as Francis Drake and John Hawkins, who preyed on such ships. Veracruz was invaded during conflicts with France and the United States.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Veracruz’s importance waned as trade to Europe diminished. The port was refurbished at the beginning of the 20th century, but petroleum production was the primary income for the state rather than the port. This began to change in the latter half of the 20th century, and the port has surged back to the state’s economic forefront,

In 1991, the federal government took over the port of Veracruz to correct[how?] the handling of merchandise. Later that same year, the first private shipping companies began operations. In 1993, the Law of Ports was passed regularizing the operations of ports in the country. This law created the Administración Portuaria de Veracruz (Port Authority of Veracruz).

In the 2000s, the port continues to handle all kinds of cargo, moving 16.1 million tons[verification needed] of products in 2004. This figure is expected to rise once modernization efforts have finished, especially a truck bypass that leads directly from the highway to the port. Veracruz is the gateway for Mexico’s automobile industry, which is concentrated in the center of the country, in the states around Mexico City. This port has several advantages. It is the first to be equipped specifically for shipping automobiles. Located on the south-central coast, Veracruz is closer to car manufacturers and has better access to both import and export markets in the U.S., Europe, Central and South America than other Mexican ports. In 2004, the port handled 70% of the automobiles exported. With traffic expected to rise, the port authorities unveiled a program to enlarge the port’s infrastructure and expand operations by 2010. However conversion of port area for tourism challenges operations.

The mainland has several beaches. Playa Martí is located between the city of Veracruz and Boca del Río, five km from the historic center.

This beach also has goals and nets for football and volleyball games. The Playa de Hornos is located next to the Veracruz Aquarium. It is safe to swim here. Amenities include tables, chairs, and umbrellas to rent, as well as food stands.

During the high seasons, lifeguards are on duty. Banana boats may be rented. Some boats take tourists to the Isla de Sacrificio and Canuncito. Villa del Mar is just south of Playa de Hornos and is more popular.

Fort San Juan de Ulúa

During the colonial period, this city had the largest mercantile class and was at times wealthier than the capital of Mexico City. Its wealth attracted the raids of 17th-century pirates, against which fortifications such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa were built.

Fort San Juan de Ulúa is located on an island, now connected to the land of the same name.

The island is part of the La Gallega coral reef and has about 2,500 meters of beach. The full reef covers about 100 hectares and varies in depth between sixty and ninety centimeters, forming a natural break.

In the pre-Hispanic era, this island was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca. The site where the Spanish first landed has been developed over the centuries and today serves as the container ship terminal of the port.

Most of the island is occupied by the fort. This fort was built where the Spanish first landed to conquer Mexico. They used it for their last defense during and just after the Mexican War of Independence.

Between these periods, the fort helped defend the city against piracy and later was used for prisoners and interrogations of the Mexican Inquisition. The fort was begun here in 1582 to protect the city from pirates and was enlarged in 1635 during the period of frequent pirate raids. It was finished in 1707.

After the War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish kept control of the island and fort and occasionally bombarded Mexican forces on land. They finally transferred this area to Mexico in 1825. The fort was used in 1838 during the Pastry War with the French. In 1847, it was used for an unsuccessful defense of the port when United States (U.S.) forces invaded during the Mexican–American War.

In the 19th century, the fort was converted into a military prison.

The fort’s narrow stone passageways lead to a series of dungeons with walls 24 feet thick in some places. Those cells that were darker and hotter were reserved for those charged with more serious crimes.

A few of the most dreaded dungeons were nicknamed “Heaven”, “Purgatory” and “Hell”. Some of the prison’s more famous prisoners include Fray Servando Teresa de Mier and Benito Juárez, both political prisoners.

But the most famous is Jesús Arriaga, better known as “Chucho el Roto”. Most people visit San Juan de Ulúa out of attraction to the legend of this 19th-century bandit.

Jesús Arriaga, better known as “Chucho el Roto”, was held at Fort San Juan de Ulúa where he died. It is not known whether he died of natural causes, as a result of a fight with other prisoners, or by other means.

Chucho was a Robin Hood figure who lived during the 19th century. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, inspiring songs and poetry such as the verses penned by Rafael de Zayas Enriquez.

Chucho was arrested in Querétaro after a jewelry store heist. He was sent to the Belen Prison in Mexico City, then to Veracruz. He was also renowned as a seducer of women, especially those who were rich and lonely.

Most of his targets were jewelry shops, pawnshops, and the homes of the wealthy.

Along with Fort San Juan de Ulúa, the city used to be walled in for protection against pirates and invasions. All that is left of these city walls is the “Baluarte”, a small fortress. The 1635 structure has thick, sturdy walls with cannons directed to cover sea approaches.

Inside is a small museum featuring a collection of high-quality pre-Hispanic jewelry discovered in the 1970s by a fisherman.

***

Veracruz is primarily a commercial port, but it has some beaches and other sea attractions. Controversy has accompanied the clean-up of the island called Isla de Sacrificios, which lies just off the coast of the city and measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide.

The island is part of a system of twenty-three coral reefs called the Veracruz Reef System, which is protected as a national park. Visitors can kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans, and the fish that inhabit the coral reef.

In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash.

Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle among authorities, tour operators, and fishermen as to the fate and uses of the island.

Some would like to build hotels, restaurants, and other facilities for ecotourism. However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching, and the occasional sporting event.

Other small islands and shoals off the coast include Isla de Enmedio, Isla Verde, Anegada de Adentro, Santiaguillo, and Anegada de Afuera, the last two next to Anton Lizardo Beach.

All of them are included within the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano National Park and make fine sites for SCUBA diving. Several operators in Veracruz and Boca del Rio offer scuba equipment and tours. The best season for scuba diving is May to August.

For 400 years, the island has suffered ecologically from pollution related to development, as well as the pillaging of its coral reefs and archeological pieces.[clarification needed] Current pollution problems are mostly due to untreated wastewater that flows into the ocean from the city and the polluted Jamapa River. Its coastline has been modified and more than 200 hectares of reefs in its littoral zone have been pillaged. Coral and other marine species have been taken for commercial and craft purposes, as well as by fishermen. Some of these coral reefs have already died due to pollution. Since the island was closed, there has been some revival of marine life.

Ruins here have not been extensively studied but cover more than 700 years of history. In the pre-Hispanic era, the island was considered sacred and a sanctuary on which to perform religious rites. Human sacrifice was frequently performed and the remains buried here. A small altar is referred to in historic sources but it had not been found. The Spanish built a hospital here, but all that remains is part of one wall. Later, a storage faculty to store gunpowder was built, as well as an obelisk during the French Intervention, but these have crumbled as well. The only surviving structure is a small lighthouse. About 800 archeological artifacts have been partially excavated on the island but cannot be exhibited because the humidity and weather would damage them.

Reopening the island is difficult because the ecosystem here is delicate, and any construction could damage archeological sites and valuable pieces. Any plans to reopen the island to visitors will require the collaboration of the Veracruz Reef System Park, to which it belongs, as well as Secretariat of the Navy, INAH, the Veracruz Aquarium and other government agencies negotiating with the local associations of hotels, tour operators and fishermen. So far, government agencies have blocked efforts to develop anything on the island. An ecotourism project consisting of guided tours is considered the most viable, such as that proposed by the Veracruzana University and the Aquarium, but there is concern on the part of INAH and the Secretariat of the Navy.

Veracruz recipes use corn, beans, and squash as staples, a practice dating to the indigenous peoples.

Local diets also include indigenous tropical foods such as chili peppers, tomatoes, avocados, pineapples, papaya, mamey, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and sapote fruit, all of which have been cultivated since pre-Columbian times.

The Spanish introduced the use of herbs such as parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay laurel, and cilantro, as well as saffron, wheat, rice, almonds, olives/olive oil, garlic, and capers, which are used more widely here than in other parts of the country.

A signature dish of the area, Huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper Veracruz-style), uses local fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, chili peppers) and Spanish ingredients (olive oil, garlic and capers). Other popular dishes include arroz a la tumbada, a rice dish baked with a variety of seafood and caldo de mariscos, a seafood soup reputed to cure hangovers.

Coffeehouses are a center of social life in the city, and the Gran Café del Portal and the Café de la Parroquia are the two best-known establishments. To request a refill, customers clink the sides of their glasses (not cups) with their spoons.

This clinking can be heard from the early morning to late at night. The story behind this custom is that a trolley driver used to ring his bell when he was a block away from the Gran Café del Portal to let the waiters know he was coming.

When the driver died, his casket was borne on the trolley and when it passed the establishment, the customers and waiters tapped their glasses in his honor.

The song “La Bamba,” made famous by Ritchie Valens, has its roots in the Veracruz “son” style of music, which originated in southern Veracruz state. It has African and Caribbean influence and is popular throughout Mexico, Latin America, and the United States.

Traditional Veracruzian music is called “Son Jarocho”.

Although there are many types of son music found in Mexico, the Son Jarocho is typically associated with the city of Veracruz. Other types of son include “Son Comercial”. This style is faster and flashier than the traditional Son Jarocho and can be heard in Mexican folk dance exhibitions, when Veracruz women with long white dresses and fans dance with partners also dressed in white. The Son Commercial developed in the 1940s from the Son Jarocho; in the 21st century it is so pervasive that many mistakenly believe it to be the first version.

The Casa de Cultura has a workshop for traditional music and son singers can be heard just about anytime on the main plaza (Zocalo) The Veracruz Carnaval has been celebrated every year since 1866, during the empire of Maximilian I of Mexico. At that time, a request was made to sponsor the “Festival of Masks,” which would consist of dances at the principal social gathering sites of the city such as the main theater. While the events were officially held at these locations, many residents took advantage of the celebration on the streets near these sites. Eventually, the event became based in the historic center of the city and focused on the Carnaval Parade of Veracruz. Today, the event begins with the “Burning of Bad Humor” and ends with the “Burial of Juan Carnaval”. Carnaval here is the largest celebration in the country.

General Heriberto Jara International Airport serves the city of Veracruz with daily service to Mexico City and Houston, USA. The commercial passenger airlines that serve VER airport are Aeromexico, Interjet, United Airlines, Aeromar VivaAerobus, and Mayair.

Veracruz is linked to Mexico City by a four-lane toll highway which also passes through Cordoba and Puebla. Halfway between Veracruz and Cordoba, it is connected to the La Tinaja-Cosoleacaque toll highway which goes as far as Villahermosa, Tabasco.

Another toll highway goes to the state capital of Xalapa.

The municipality Boca del Rio is located on the central zone of the state and part of the plains known as the Llanuras del Sotavento. The main river is the Jamapa, which empties here into the Gulf of Mexico. At the mouth of this river, there are mangroves and boat tours are available to see them and the nearby Moreno Arroyo.

The municipality has a hot, humid climate with most rain falling from June to October.

It is mostly covered in perennially green tropical forest with some pines in the highest elevations. Tree species that can be found here include sapodilla and mahogany with most animal species being small mammals such as armadillos, squirrels, rabbits, opossums and foxes. There are deposits of oil and natural gas within the territory.

The name “Boca del Río” is from Spanish, meaning “mouth of the river” and refers to the mouth of the Jamapa River as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The pre-Hispanic name for the area was Tlapaquitan, which means “divided land”.

From 1000 to 1200 BCE, the area was under Olmec domination. The area officially came under Aztec domination in 1474 and is mentioned in the Codex Mendoza as part of the district of Cuetlachtlan. However, the Aztecs had been active here for sometime before that.

In 1518, Juan de Grijalva came to the area with his crew and named the river “Río de las Banderas” because they saw indigenous peoples communicating across the river with flags. In the same year, the first Christian rites were performed at a chapel called Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana.

In 1879, the localities of Hacienda de Santa Maria Punta, Hato and Anton Lizardo were separated from the municipality and joined with neighboring Alvarado municipality. In 1892, the Veracruz- Tierra Blanca rail line was built, passing through Boca del Río. The settlement gained city status in 1988.

The city is part of the metropolitan area of Veracruz and its port works closely with the port of Veracruz. Much of the area’s modern and luxury hotel and restaurant infrastructure is located here, centered around the World Trade Center Veracruz. The main church is called the Parish of Santa Ana, which was constructed in 1776. Nearby is the colonial-style municipal palace. The Plaza Civica is in front of the municipal palace and contains the Nahuatl Fountain. The main dock is called Muella Banderas.

The Agustín Lara House Museum, also called the “La Casita Blanca” (The Little White House) exhibits works, photographs and personal effects of the poet Agustín Lara, who was called “El Flaco de Oro” (The Golden Skinny One). News clips, caricatures and a replica of the radio studio where he hosted ” La Hora Azul” (“The Blue Hour”) are among the items on display. Lara was one of the city’s most famous sons as a popular songwriter and singer in Mexico. Lara began his career playing the piano in brothels and later became a bullfighter. Lara had seven wives, one of whom was Mexican screen diva María “La Doña” Félix, for whom he wrote the song, “María Bonita.” To be a gentleman, when he and Félix were about to break up, he married her to “make an honest woman of her” even though they had lived together for years.

A ship museum called the Buque Cañonero (Cannon Ship) Guanajuato is located here. When the ship was decommissioned, it was decided to restore it as a naval museum rather than to scrap it. It is considered to be one of the most important naval museums in Latin America. The ship contains an arms room, a telecommunications room, infirmary, bunks, dining room and library. The themes covered include the history of the ship itself as well as naval warfare simulation room, based on the technology of the Xbox 360.

The major attraction of the municipality is the World Trade Center Veracruz, serving business travelers. The World Trade Center Veracruz is affiliated with the World Trade Center Association and is the organization’s third site in Mexico. The center has 16,000m2 of space with elevators, escalators, handicapped access, commercial stands, lockers, ticket windows, parking lot and direct access to a neighboring mall and hotel. It hosts business meetings and professional conferences as well as cultural events.

It has its own art gallery, the Galería Veracruzana de Arte (Veracruz Gallery of Art), which is a joint Project between the World Trade Center Veracruz and the Coordinación de Difusión Cultural y Artística del Sistema DIF Estatal (Coordination of Cultural and Artistic Diffusion of the State DIF System). The art center holds temporary exhibits from a variety of artist and with different themes. Some of the shows in 2009 included a collection of portraits done by Mexican artist Enrique Estrada, landscapes of Veracruz state by Armando Zesatti and a photo exhibit named “Lenguajes fotograficas.” The World Trade Center Veracruz also contains an ice-skating rink, something that has become popular in Mexico.

Boca del Río’s two major festivals occur in the summer and are collectively known as the Fiestas del Boca del Río (Festivals of Boca del Rio) or simply Fiestas de Boca. Events take place at various locations such as the Plaza Civica, the Plaza Dorada, the Gutierrez Barrios Theatre, the Plaza Banderas, the San Pedro y San Pablo Church and Vicente Fox Boulevard. Bocafest occurs each year in June when a number of musical artists play in the main venues of the city, especially in Plaza Banderas. Musical styles represented range from the very traditional Mexican folk to electronic music. In 2008, featured artists included Natalia Lafourcade and Aleks Syntek. Other events include Mexican and Caribbean folk dance and music and art expositions. The Feast of Saint Ann is the main traditional festival of the city, taking place from 24 to 31 July. The days are filled with cultural as well as religious events.

The Expo Regional Ylang Ylang (Ylang Ylang Regional Expo) occurs from the end of May to the beginning of June and showcases the area agricultural, craft, industrial and commercial production. It also has cockfights, rodeos (called palenques) and folkdance such as jaripeos. From the end of May to the beginning of June is held the annual agricultural, crafts, industrial and commercial fair of the city, with cockfights, rodeos and folk dance. Crafts here include seashell jewelry, wooden boxes, key rings and trinkets made with ocean materials such as coral and pebbles.

Veracruz’s annual carnival parade passes along the boardwalk that connects the port of Boca del Rio with the port of Veracruz. It is one of the highlights of the event, which has contained as many as 35 dance groups, 10 bands and over 100 floats. The city is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records for preparing the largest seafood-filled fish in the world.

Isla de Sacrificios

Off the coast of Boca del Río is an island called Isla de Sacrificios (part of Veracruz municipality), which measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide, the largest of a group of islands that are in front of the Boca del Río and Veracruz ports.

The island is part of a system of twenty three coral reefs called the Veracruz Reef System which is a national park. It is possible to kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans and the fish that inhabit the coral reef.

In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash. Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle between authorities, tour operators and fisherman as to the fate of the island. There are those who would like to build hotels, restaurants and other facilities for ecotourism.

However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching and the occasional sporting event. The island contains one of the lighthouses used to guide ships into the ports of Veracruz and Boca del Rio.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

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.

The city is located where the Coatzacoalcos Quaschnick River debouches into the Bay of Campeche. Overland it is connected by road and rail to the Pacific Ocean about 160 kilometres (99 mi) away. This location has prompted plans for an interoceanic waterway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, or for a much expanded railroad system, for over a century.

In the Köppen climate classification the climate is classified as Am for a tropical monsoon climate. A typical year sees more than 290 centimetres (110 in) of rainfall. Lying on the Gulf of Mexico, Coatzacoalcos has been struck by several hurricanes and tropical storms such as: Hurricane Diana in August 1990, Hurricane Mitch in November 1998, Tropical Storm Larry in October 2003, Hurricane Stan in October 2005, Hurricane Dean in August 2007, Tropical Storm Marco in October 2008, Tropical Storm Hermine in early September 2010, Hurricane Karl in mid September 2010, Tropical Storm Matthew in late September 2010, and Hurricane Richard in October 2010. The winter months are cooler and drier than the summer months. Occasionally cold high pressure cells from North America drift south across the Gulf of Mexico and drive strong Tehuano winds across the Isthmus, with very strong wind concentration taking place in Chivela Pass in Oaxaca.

Coatzacoalcos, in Nahuatl, means “The place where the snake hides.” According to the legend, this is the place where the god Quetzalcoatl made his final journey to the sea around the year 999 and where he made his promise to return.

Coatzacoalcos comes from an indigenous word meaning “Site of the Snake” or “Where the snake hides”.

Coatzacoalcos lives within the Olmec heartland. Excavations in 2008 for a tunnel underneath the Coatzacoalcos River indicate a substantial pre-Hispanic population. By the time of the Spanish arrival the area was under Mayan influence. In 1522, Hernán Cortés ordered Gonzalo de Sandoval to fund a settlement near Guazacualco. Sandoval named it Villa del Espíritu Santo.

The San Martín Tuxlta is an active volcano lying northwest of Coatzcoalcos in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas. It erupted in 1664, in May 1793 with large ash falls and lava flows, and most recently in 1796.

The town was elevated to the category of port in 1825 and the name was changed to Coatzacoalcos.

The municipality of Coatzacoalcos was established 22 December 1881, with the town as its seat. In 1900 the town name was changed to Puerto México. In 1911 it was elevated to city, and in 1936 the name was changed to the current Coatzacoalcos.

On 23 July 1940, Coatzacoalcos welcomed refugees from the Spanish Civil War who sought asylum in Mexico after travelling across the Atlantic aboard the SS Santo Domingo.

Coatzacoalcos became a very important crossroads during the oil boom of the 1970s, connecting the Yucatán Peninsula and oil fields in Campeche to the rest of Mexico and to the port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca on the Pacific coast.

Coatzacoalcos has been a transportation hub for hundreds of years. It is connected via air, water, road, and rail to the surrounding region and the rest of the world.

The Minatitlán/Coatzacoalcos National Airport is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away in Cosoleacaque and has been an international airport since August 2006.

The Port of Coatzacoalcos is an international port of entry that provides transhipment of oil and petrochemicals. After an upgrade to the railway along the Tehuantepec Route was opened in 1907 by Porfirio Díaz the port saw an increase of shipping via the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, particularly from the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. The port saw a decrease in traffic after the opening of the Panama Canal from 1914 on, but traffic has started to build up since the oil boom of the 1970s.

The CG Railway operates train ferries between the Port of Coatzacoalcos and the Port of Mobile in Alabama, USA. Ferrosur also provides rail service in and out of Coatzacoalcos as far southeast as Las Choapas, to the north and west to Veracruz and Mexico City, as well as to the south over the Tehuantepec route now owned by Ferrocarril Transistmico from Medias Aguas to Salina Cruz in the state of Oaxaca.

Mexican Federal Highway 180 follows the southern shore of the Bay of Campeche through Coatzacoalcos to the Yucatán Peninsula. Highway 180 and a rail line to Allende have been carried over the Coatzacoalcos River via the 1910 built Coatza I bridge for more than a century. A second cable stayed bridge known as Coatza II or Antonio Dovalí Jaime was built to the south to carry more road traffic over the river. It was constructed starting in 1979 and was opened by president Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado on 17 October 1984. Coatza II has a center span of 288 metres (945 ft) and an overall length of 698.25 metres (2,290.8 ft). A ferry operates between the city of Coatzcoalcos and Allende, however groundbreaking was held in 2007 to start construction on a 1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi) submerged tunnel to carry four lanes of traffic between them.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700