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 waterfall just south of the village, and its artesanos (craftsmen) are renowned for their leatherwork and for making colorful masks used during various celebrations. Naolinco is also one of the more atmospheric places to see the Día de los Muertos celebrations in Veracruz. Take a 2nd-class bus (M$30, 1¼ hours).
Naolinco
Xalapa
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.1 MILES
Attached to spacious gardens, 4km northwest of the center, this remarkable museum contains Mexico’s second-finest archaeological collection. The focus is…
29.9 MILES
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…
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26.84 MILES
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…
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19.1 MILES
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…
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15.5 MILES
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…
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25.55 MILES
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,…
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9.4 MILES
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…
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12.28 MILES
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…
Nearby Xalapa attractions
1. Parque Ecológico Macuiltépetl
7.96 MILES
Atop a hill north of the city, this 40-hectare park is actually the heavily wooded cap of an extinct volcano. Spiraling to the top, the park’s paths are a…
8.1 MILES
Attached to spacious gardens, 4km northwest of the center, this remarkable museum contains Mexico’s second-finest archaeological collection. The focus is…
3. Galería de Arte Contemporáneo
9.04 MILES
Xalapa has several contemporary art galleries and this one, in a renovated colonial building 1km east of the center, shows an interesting range of…
9.06 MILES
Xalapa's oldest church was founded back in 1535, with the current building completed in 1770. Architecturally, it displays an unusual blend of baroque and…
9.22 MILES
A dense, jungle-like nature park where you’ll forget you’re in the city. It’s 1km from the center on Avenida Ávila Camacho. Joggers and walkers enjoy…
9.32 MILES
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…
9.34 MILES
Veracruz' state government occupies a palatial neoclassical building. On its north and east facades, under the arcades, are superb murals depicting…