Veracruz
No one knows for sure who built this mighty pre-Hispanic city of around 20,000 inhabitants (The Totonacs? The Huastecs?), which is why archaeologists…
Must-see attractions in Veracruz
Xalapa
Attached to spacious gardens, 4km northwest of the center, this remarkable museum contains Mexico’s second-finest archaeological collection. The focus is…
Veracruz
Perched like a mini–Machu Picchu on a plateau beneath a horn-shaped mountain, Quiahuiztlán is a pre-Hispanic Totonac town and necropolis. Enjoying a…
Veracruz City
Any exploration of Veracruz has to begin with its zócalo (also called the Plaza de Armas and Plaza Lerdo), the city’s unofficial outdoor ‘stage’ where…
Veracruz
Only discovered in the early 1990s, this beautiful site dates back to AD 600–900 and was once home to peoples unknown. It consists of temples, platforms…
Veracruz
The remains of a major Totonac settlement of around 30,000 people date back to around AD 1200 and sit on the outskirts of modern-day Zempoala, reachable…
Veracruz
El Tajín’s most emblematic structure, the beautifully proportioned Pyramid of the Niches, is just off the Plaza Menor. The six lower levels, each…
Veracruz
For a fab excursion, ride this cable car that glides smoothly from its riverside site across from the Palacio Municipal up to the top of the Cerro del…
Veracruz
Twelve kilometers southeast of San Andrés, in the eponymous village, a 250-step staircase leads down to the absolutely spectacular Salto de Eyipantla, a…
Veracruz
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel's ‘Iron Palace’ is Orizaba’s fanciful art nouveau landmark. The palace’s interior has been converted into several small museums …
Veracruz
From Xico, it's a pleasant, signposted 3km walk (or short drive along a potholed road) to the spectacular, plunging, 80m Cascada de Texolo. From the…
Veracruz City
Occupying a former naval academy, this high-tech museum offers a titanic lesson in Mexico’s maritime heritage, with plenty of interactive displays and an…
Veracruz
If you want to learn a bit more about the history of coffee in the region, visit this excellent museum, which displays antique coffee-making tools…
Veracruz
The ground floor of the city's cultural center have been transformed into this well-designed museum on Córdoba's prime product: coffee. Most explanation…
Veracruz
Reachable only on foot and covering 8 sq km, the remains of this pre-Hispanic settlement have been only partially excavated. It shows Olmec, Huastec,…
Veracruz
This is probably the single best beach in the whole state, but it's not an easy one to access. Turn off the main road onto a dirt road just before…
Museo de Sitio de Tres Zapotes
Veracruz
This museum, 21km west of Santiago Tuxtla, showcases important findings from the archaeological site of the same name, inhabited by the mysterious Olmec…
Veracruz
El Tajín Chico was the government area of the ancient city and would have been home to the ruling classes. Many of the buildings at El Tajín Chico have…
Veracruz City
The city's colonial fortress is almost hidden amid the container ships and cranes across the harbor. The central part of the fortress was a prison, and a…
Xalapa
Xalapa's central main square doubles as a terrace, with its south side overlooking the valley below and, in clear weather, the snowcapped cone of Pico de…
Veracruz
This small museum on Santiago Tuxtla's main plaza focuses on the pre-Columbian peoples that inhabited this region from 1600 BC to around AD 1200, with a…
Veracruz City
Allegedly the best of its kind in Latin America, this aquarium does a good job of showcasing the denizens of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as fishy oddities…
Xalapa
Almost as old as New Spain itself, this former posada was initiated in 1525 by Juan Lencero, a soldier loyal to Hernán Cortés, and served as a resting…
Veracruz
Some 17 ball courts have been found at El Tajín. The Juego de Pelota Sur dates from about 1150 and is the most famous of the courts, owing to the six…
Veracruz
Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily…
Museo de la Ciudad Teodoro Cano
Veracruz
This small and immensely satisfying museum displays the fine paintings of celebrated local artist Teodoro Cano (b 1932). His monochromatic and super…
Veracruz
The bustling heart of Papantla, there always seems to be something going on in or around this zócalo terraced into the hillside – head here on Friday…
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
Veracruz
Overlooking the zócalo from its high platform, this cathedral is notable for its large cedar doors and quartet of indoor canvases by a Jalisco artist…
Veracruz
Dating from 1944, this palatial-style building set in manicured grounds about 2km east of central Orizaba was once an asylum. It now houses several…
Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
Veracruz
Dating from 1688, the pale blue baroque cathedral has an elaborate facade flanked by twin bell towers. The ornate interior has gold-leaf detailing and…
Xalapa
A worthy day trip from Xalapa, Naolinco is a 33km drive north of the city. Apart from its Parroquía San Mateo, it has a viewpoint overlooking the…
Veracruz
Tucked at the base of Volcán San Martín, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas (M$450) and offers…
Xalapa
A mélange of neo-Gothic and baroque, Xalapa’s cathedral lacks a second tower but still impresses with its scale and grandiosity. The architecture makes…
Veracruz
The State Art Museum is housed in a gorgeously restored colonial building attached to the side of the elaborate La Concordia church dating from 1679. The…
Veracruz
The small fishing village of La Barra, with its pleasant beach overlooking the Laguna Sontecomapan, can be reached by a lancha from Sontecomapan (M$650…
Veracruz City
Facing the waterfront on the malecón, this early 20th century building holds a lighthouse and navy offices guarded by a large statue of Venustiano…
Veracruz
Beyond the Plaza del Arroyo in the south of the site, flanked by pyramids on four sides, is the Plaza Menor (Lesser Plaza), part of El Tajín’s main…
Veracruz
This excellent, colorful museum is devoted to the centuries-old history of Xico's costumed dances that take pride of place during the town's celebrations…
Veracruz
Some 39km from Catemaco, this village has several palapas offering grilled fish and seafood, along with fresh coconut water, and there's a beach here with…
Veracruz
All that's keeping up much of the ruined walls of this 16th-century stone building is a lattice of tree roots. Cortés is said to have stayed here and for…
