Veracruz Travel Guide
The Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajin, Veracruz. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Veracruz is Mexico's Gulf face: the port where Cortes landed in 1519, the Afro-Caribbean music of son jarocho, and the vanilla and coffee country around Xalapa. The coast is working rather than resorty, which is part of its appeal.
El Tajin, the great Classic city of the Pyramid of the Niches, is the archaeological anchor. Papantla is the home of the voladores flyers and vanilla. The port city of Veracruz has the San Juan de Ulua fortress and a famous cafe culture, while Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's highest peak at 5,636 metres, rises on the Puebla border.
Destinations in Veracruz
El TajinThe Pyramid of the Niches and the great ball courts of the Classic Gulf city. UNESCO-listed.
Papantla and the voladoresHome of the voladores de Papantla flyers and of Mexican vanilla.
Pico de OrizabaMexico's highest peak at 5,636 m, a serious mountaineering objective on the Puebla border.
XalapaThe misty university capital with the superb Museum of Anthropology (MAX).
Veracruz malecon and San Juan de UluaThe port's seafront promenade and the island fortress that guarded it for centuries.
Catemaco and Los TuxtlasThe lake of the brujos (healers) in the volcanic Tuxtla mountains.
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Top Cities & towns in Veracruz
Regional food
- Huachinango a la veracruzana: red snapper in tomato, olive and caper sauce
- Cafe de olla and lechero coffee in the port's Gran Cafe de la Parroquia
- Picadas and zacahuil (the giant Huasteca tamale) in the north
Getting there
Veracruz International (VER) takes flights from Mexico City, the US and Houston. ADO buses run the coast highway; Xalapa is about 2 hours inland from the port, El Tajin about 3 hours north.