La Barra

Top choice in Veracruz


Wiggle your toes in the sand and dig into fish so fresh it may have just jumped onto your plate from the ocean in front of you. Whether grilled, or cooked al mojo de ajo (with garlic), and served with homemade salsa, fried plantain, rice and an ice-cold beer, it's as close as it gets to perfection.

The fare at the several palapas is comparable in quality, but we particularly like the palapa at the very end of the road because of the estuary views.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Veracruz attractions

1. La Barra

0.08 MILES

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…

2. Playa Escondida

4.94 MILES

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…

3. Montepío

9.18 MILES

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…

4. Ruíz Cortines

9.83 MILES

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…

5. Basílica del Carmen

12.32 MILES

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…

6. Laguna Encantada

14.71 MILES

The ‘Enchanted Lagoon’ occupies a small volcanic crater 3.5km northeast of San Andrés in jungle-like terrain. A dirt road goes there, but no buses do…

7. Cerro de Venado

14.94 MILES

This 23-hectare reserve, which was created in 2009 with the planting of thousands of trees, is 2.5km from Laguna Encantada on the road to Ruíz Cortines…

8. Santa Clara Cigar Factory

16.6 MILES

Watch as the torcedores (cigarmakers) speedily hand roll and finish puros at this cigar factory, on the highway, a block or so from the bus station…