Must-see attractions in Veracruz

  • The Pyramid of the Niches at the EL Tajin archeological site.

    El Tajín

    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…

  • The facade of the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

    Museo de Antropología

    Xalapa

    Attached to spacious gardens, 4km northwest of the center, this remarkable museum contains Mexico’s second-finest archaeological collection. The focus is…

  • Tlaxcalan mausoleum style tombs at Zona Arqueológica Quiahuiztlán, in La Antigua, Veracruz, Mexico.

    Quiahuiztlán

    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…

  • View of the Main Plaza (Zocalo) of the city of Veracruz in Mexico.

    Zócalo

    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…

  • El Cuajilote

    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…

  • Templo de las Chimeneas, a pyramid at the archaeology site of Cempoala.

    Cempoala

    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…

  • The Pyramid of the Niches at the EL Tajin archeological site.

    Pirámide de los Nichos

    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…

  • Teleférico de Orizaba

    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…

  • Eyipantla Falls

    Salto de Eyipantla

    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…

  • Palacio de Hierro

    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 …

  • Cascada de Texolo

    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…

  • Museo Histórico Naval

    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…

  • Museo El Café-tal Apan

    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…

  • Museo del Café Córdoba

    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…

  • Vega de la Peña

    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,…

  • Playa Escondida

    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…

  • El Tajín Chico

    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…

  • San Juan de Ulúa

    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…

  • Parque Juárez

    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…

  • Museo Tuxteco

    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…

  • Acuario de Veracruz

    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…

  • Museo Ex-Hacienda El Lencero

    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…

  • Juego de Pelota Sur

    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…

  • Basílica del Carmen

    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…

  • Parque Israel C Téllez

    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…

  • Poliforum Mier y Pesado

    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…

  • Naolinco

    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…

  • Ruíz Cortines

    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…

  • Catedral Metropolitana

    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…

  • Museo de Arte del Estado

    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…

  • La Barra

    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…

  • Faro Carranza

    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…

  • Plaza Menor

    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…

  • Museo del Danzante Xiqueño

    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…

  • Montepío

    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…

  • Casa de Cortés

    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…