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Welcome to Veracruz. Welcome to port city. Veracruz is the arguably the oldest, largest, and most important port on the Gulf side of the country. Here you will find big commerce and rich history.
Country: Mexico
State: Veracruz
Admission Order: 1823
Population 2012: 7,773,408
Airport: Ángel Albino Corzo International Airport
Heroica Veracruz, simply known as Veracruz (True Cross) is a major port city of the Gulf of Mexico coast. Locals call it ‘Puerto‘ so as not to confuse it from the state of Veracruz in which it is situated. Its beautiful location on the coast, with surrounding cloudy forests and mountains make for a unique range of things to do. This buzzing port city with the party loving local jarochos combined with the Caribbean and African music and food influences make this a unique Mexican destination to visit. Veracruz is famous for its long stretches of beaches making it ideal for many aquatic activities aswell. The colonial downtown Plaza de Armas, which is surrounded by the Palacio Municipal and the Cathedral, is the hub of the social nightlife scene. Grab some cheap eats here too at the Zocolo to sample the delicious local food like pollo encacahuatado (chicken in peanut sauce), arroz a la tumbada (rice with seafood) and caldo de mariscos (a seafood soup). The main tourist attraction here is the biggest aquarium in Latin America Acuario de Veracruz, where you can see an array of marine life like manta rays, tiger sharks, sea turtles and a lot more. Also check out the museum at the Fort at San Juan de Ulua, where some scenes of 1980’s film “Romancing the Stone” where filmed. As night falls, take a stroll down the Malecon sea front boardwalk, one of the best free things to do in Veracruz, and grab an ice cream. The Museo de la Ciudad de Veracruz (City Museum) and the Naval Museum provide an excellent insight into the history of the local area. If you crave more colonial architecture, head to Tlacotalpan, a sleepy UNESCO-listed city, and take a stroll through its churches and cafes. Take a day trip to the small town of El Tajin famous for its vanilla pod production and see the Pyramids of the Niches, the main attraction here. Closer still is an archaeological site at Zempoala, once the capital of the indigenous Totonac civilization. Be sure to add Veracruz to your Carnaval list, as this city gets pumping at the end of February to a unique Marimba (Afro-Caribbean) beat. For nature loves, Veracruz has jungles, volcanoes around San Andrés Tuxtla, the Laguna Catemaco and much more to explore.
Welcome to Veracruz. Welcome to port city. Veracruz is the arguably the oldest, largest, and most important port on the Gulf side of the country. Here you will find big commerce and rich history.
Country: Mexico
State: Veracruz
Admission Order: 1823
Population 2012: 7,773,408
Airport: Ángel Albino Corzo International Airport
Heroica Veracruz, simply known as Veracruz (True Cross) is a major port city of the Gulf of Mexico coast. Locals call it ‘Puerto‘ so as not to confuse it from the state of Veracruz in which it is situated. Its beautiful location on the coast, with surrounding cloudy forests and mountains make for a unique range of things to do. This buzzing port city with the party loving local jarochos combined with the Caribbean and African music and food influences make this a unique Mexican destination to visit. Veracruz is famous for its long stretches of beaches making it ideal for many aquatic activities aswell. The colonial downtown Plaza de Armas, which is surrounded by the Palacio Municipal and the Cathedral, is the hub of the social nightlife scene. Grab some cheap eats here too at the Zocolo to sample the delicious local food like pollo encacahuatado (chicken in peanut sauce), arroz a la tumbada (rice with seafood) and caldo de mariscos (a seafood soup). The main tourist attraction here is the biggest aquarium in Latin America Acuario de Veracruz, where you can see an array of marine life like manta rays, tiger sharks, sea turtles and a lot more. Also check out the museum at the Fort at San Juan de Ulua, where some scenes of 1980’s film “Romancing the Stone” where filmed. As night falls, take a stroll down the Malecon sea front boardwalk, one of the best free things to do in Veracruz, and grab an ice cream. The Museo de la Ciudad de Veracruz (City Museum) and the Naval Museum provide an excellent insight into the history of the local area. If you crave more colonial architecture, head to Tlacotalpan, a sleepy UNESCO-listed city, and take a stroll through its churches and cafes. Take a day trip to the small town of El Tajin famous for its vanilla pod production and see the Pyramids of the Niches, the main attraction here. Closer still is an archaeological site at Zempoala, once the capital of the indigenous Totonac civilization. Be sure to add Veracruz to your Carnaval list, as this city gets pumping at the end of February to a unique Marimba (Afro-Caribbean) beat. For nature loves, Veracruz has jungles, volcanoes around San Andrés Tuxtla, the Laguna Catemaco and much more to explore.
- The Aquarium
- Museum of the City
- Agustín Laura Museum
- San Juan de Ulúa Fort
- Lake Catemaco (Volcano Crater)
- Spanish Schools
- Santiago Fortress
Historically, Veracruz was an important trade port for mariners and produce and a launching pad for the Spanish Treasure Fleets. The Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés first landed here in 1519 opening up this region of Mexico and making it one of the first settlements of the Spaniards in their quest to conquer Mexico. Veracruz port remains important for the current Mexican economy. The many natural resources like coffee beans, fruits, sugar, seafood, vanilla pods coupled with the gas and oil deposits in the offshore Gulf of Mexico means Veracruz makes up 75% of all Mexican port activity with cargo and trade ships lining the distant waters.
Veracruz Hotels
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Veracruz Hostels
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