Orizaba

Introducing Orizaba

More industrial than urbane, Orizaba does a heck of a job making you forget that you’re in the middle of gorgeous mountain country. Another strike is that the zócalo, Palacio Municipal, and cathedral are scattered about rather than bordering a unifying plaza. Thus, hotels and activity are unfortunately migrating to Av 6 Ote, a thru-way for traffic. But the city does have some worthwhile highlights: the fantastic art museum, interesting architecture, and strolls through Alameda Park and along the river.

The city was founded by the Spanish to guard the Veracruz−Mexico City road. An industrial center in the late 19th century, its factories were early centers of the unrest that led to the unseating of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Today it has a big brewery and is home to ­cement, textile and chemical industries.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009