Veracruz

Veracruz is a large city in the state of Veracruz in Central Mexico. The locals call their city "Puerto" (port) to differentiate the city from the state of Veracruz. The Port of Veracruz remains the core of its economy. It is also famous for its nightlife, and its spacious downtown area near the harbor (zocalo) comes alive with music and dancing with a strong Cuban influence. Highlights are the annual carnival celebrations around February when the party atmosphere is particularly raucous and hotel rooms become difficult to find.

Understand


Veracruz has a rich history. It has been the main gate of the country for sea travelers and products since its foundation. In this region, the Spanish first entered Mexico in the 16th century and remained for three centuries, forever changing the region. About 20 km northwest from Puerto Veracruz, in a town known as La Antigua Veracruz, Hernán Cortés first landed in Mexico. Veracruz would be one of the main ports of the Spanish treasure fleets during the colonial era. From its harbor, Mexican silver and the Asian silks, porcelain and spices of the Acapulco-Manila galleon trade were loaded onto galleons for transport to Spain. San Juan de Ulua fortress, located on an island off the city's coast, was built in the 16th century to guard against pirate attacks. It was the scene of the final stand of Spanish colonialism in the New Spain, being occupied by Spanish soldiers for four years after Mexico's War of Independence. Veracruz has witnessed four foreign invasions, earning the city the title 'Cuatro Veces Heroica' "Four times Heroic". Two of these attacks led to full-scale invasions of Mexico which retraced the route of Cortés, by the U.S. in 1847 and France in 1862.

Despite its status as the oldest European settlement on the American mainland, much of the colonial city was destroyed by invasions. The city walls were demolished during the era of Porfirio Diaz. However, there is some significant historic architecture, including two historic fortresses, several museums, and historical buildings in the Malecon.

A few beaches can be found north of Veracruz, but the beaches and water are not very clean; beach lovers might want to go north to Tecolutla or south to Los Tuxtlas.

The local language is Spanish. More than half of the hospitality workers speak English. Local people are known as jarochos. This denomination is not only for the people of the city but for the whole region of the State of Veracruz, known as "Llanuras de Sotavento." The jarochos are friendly people who love to be outdoors. The weather is mild, averaging between 25 and 32°C, but between January and March high winds from the north known as "nortes" can reach up to 120 km/h.

Get in
Veracruz has a small international airport,. The only direct US flights are from Houston, Texas. There are many options from other Mexican cities, including Mexico City. The airport is about 10 km west of downtown.

The ADO bus station is a short distance from the city centre. The bus trip from Mexico City TAPO terminal (located next to the San Lazaro metro station) takes 5½ hours. The bus trip from Puebla takes 3-4 hours.



Veracruz used to be a major railway hub, but passenger services were cancelled in 1995. However the historic railway station, offers the occasional tourist excursion and is a minor tourist sight in itself.

Get around
Arriving at the bus station, you can buy a voucher for a taxi. The station is located on Salvador Diaz Miron Street. The bus station is only about 10 blocks (1 km) from one of the main tourist attractions of the city, Villa del Mar. It is about a 40-minute walk from the Zocalo.

Taxis
Taxis are very inexpensive. A journey costs between US$2.50 and 5.00 according to the your zone destination. Passengers are advised to agree to the cost before entering a taxi.

Walking
The cheaper way to know the city is walking in the downtown and after that walk to the Malecon where several boats, historical buildings as well as tourist facilities and stores are located.

By bus
One very interesting possibility is to take the Bus "Boca del Rio", because it traverses the downtown area of the city to "Boca del Rio", a neighboring municipality with better hotels, modern infrastructure, and nicer beaches. The other public buses are not recommended for tourists, because they are old, in bad condition, and often very crowded and its paths are not easy understandable for new people in the city.

Veracruz often uses brightly painted US school buses for city buses. Fares are M$7.50 (pesos).

See




Eat
Meals depend on where you eat, you can eat great sea food in Boca del Rio and Mandinga and Alvarado (but for this last one you have to travel about 45 minutes). Look for the palapas (huts) and you can have a great meal for little money.

Jarocho cuisine is unique among Mexico's regional cuisines in its pronounced Spanish and Afro-Caribbean influences. The long coastlines make Veracruz a seafood paradise. Seafood dishes include octopus and red snapper (huachinango) prepared a la veracruzana (a tomato-olive based sauce), arroz a la tumbada (tumbled rice) and caldo de mariscos. Baked plantains are a ubiquitous side. Other foods of Afro-Caribbean origin are pollo encacahuatado (chicken in peanut sauce) and mondogo (tripe soup). Veracruz is famous for its café con leche. Visit the city's famous coffee houses, El Gran Cafe de la Parroquia and El Gran Cafe del  Portal.

Budget
In Veracruz, as in most Mexican cities, you won't notice much difference in taste between tacos from a fancy restaurant on the plaza and tacos from a street cart, it all more or less tastes fantastic. If you're on a budget, it's best to stay away from restaurants on the plaza, where you'll pay a premium for location. Street carts are definitely the cheapest option, but if you like to sit down and eat, a good compromise that's still dirt-cheap is any of lunch counters at the Mercado Hidalgo.

All these are in the city center:



Drink
Night clubs are the most expensive places. They will ask you to buy a bottle (whiskey, rum, vodka, whatever) in order to give you a table to seat. If you don't mind standing you can drink single drinks around US$13 for a Cosmopolitan, for example. Men have to pay at the entrance US$5-10, women enter for free.



Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next
The picturesque lakeside town of Catemaco lies nearby. The bus takes around 4 hours and you'll find some nice beaches, water activities and more.

Xalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz with many traditional villages nearby and a world renowned anthropology museum with many Olmec artefacts.