Xico

%228 / Pop 18,652 / Elev 1297m

Quiet and hilly Xico is a small, beguiling town; in 2011 it joined the ranks of Mexico’s government-sanctioned pueblos mágicos. Just 8km from Coatepec, Xico attracts devotees of mole and handicrafts rather than coffee, while its cobbled streets and varied colonial architecture make it an increasingly popular weekend retreat. Exuberant masked and costumed dances are a vital part of Xico’s many fiestas, and within Mexico the town is best known for its annual Fiesta de Santa Magdalena, held each July and famous for a running of the bulls à la Pamplona in Spain.

1Sights

The tourist office might be able to organize a coffee-farm tour.

oCascada de TexoloWATERFALL

(off Camino a la Cascada; h24hr) F

From Xico, it’s a pleasant, signposted 3km walk (or short drive along a potholed road) past an ex-hacienda to the spectacular, plunging, 80m Cascada de Texolo. From the viewpoint, cross the bridge. A five-minute walk leads to the Cascada de la Monja, featured in the film Romancing the Stone (1984); the said ‘stone’ was hidden behind it. The main trail continues up to a viewpoint restaurant; take the steep Sendero de Ocelot (M$10) down for an up-close look at Cascada de Texolo.

Though some locals swim in the Cascada de la Monja, à la Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, the current is strong, so you take your safety into your own hands.

Museo del Danzante XiqueñoMUSEUM

(%228-129-66-97; Av Hidalgo 76, Casa de Cultura; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri) F

Inside the Casa de Cultura, this excellent, colorful museum takes you through the centuries-old history of Xico’s costumed dances that take pride of place during the town’s celebrations dedicated to its patron saint. The mask-carving tradition is also explained, as is the role of each masked character – the bull, the clown, the negro separado – in each dance.

Café Gourmet PepePLANTATION

(%228-855-09-70; Carretera Xico-Coatepec Km 1; tour M$60; h10am-5pm) S

This plantation produces almost-organic, shade-grown coffee. It also offers tours (call ahead) and sells delicious coffee and liquors. Get off at the first bus stop in Xico and walk back 150m to where you’ll see signs on the right.

Casa Museo TotomoxtleMUSEUM

(cnr Aldama & Juárez; h4-7pm) F

A small museum highlighting the town’s peculiar artisanal pastime of making intricate and detailed figures from hojas de maiz (maize leaves). Only in Xico! Opening hours can be flexible.

zFestivals & Events

oFiesta de Santa MagdalenaRELIGIOUS

(hJul 15-24)

The mother of all festivals, involving exuberant costumed dances, processions and more. The Magdalena statue in the Parroquia de Santa María Magdalena (located at the end of Avenida Hidalgo) is clothed in a different elaborate dress each day for 30 days around the fiesta. A running of the bulls takes place through the streets on July 22.

Gigantic floral arches are raised, and streets are artistically decorated with carpets of colored sawdust in preparation for the saint’s procession.

4Sleeping & Eating

Hotel Paraje CoyopolanHOTEL$

(%228-813-12-66; www.coyopolan.com; Venustiano Carranza Sur s/n; s/d incl breakfast from M$550/685; pnW)

It’s all about bright colors and lively Mexican design at this OK place right on the river just outside the town. The hotel arranges hiking, canyoning and rappelling in the surrounding mountains and canyons, making it a great base for outdoor activities. Some rooms are windowless but open out onto balconies.

Posada los NaranjosHOTEL$

(%228-153-54-54; Av Hidalgo 193; r from M$400; pW)

With just nine rooms and right in the center of town, this no-frills place is a will-do-for-a-night budget option. Rooms have high ceilings and, though clean, are windowless and musty. It’s a short amble down Xico’s main street from the church. The dawn chorus of the church bells is either a boon or a bane, depending on your outlook.

oLas MagdalenasBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

(%228-813-03-14; www.lasmagdalenas.com.mx; Hidalgo 123; r incl breakfast from M$1590; pW)

This gorgeous colonial house has been impressively transformed into an outstanding boutique hotel. It boasts a fabulous garden full of flowers, common areas with gilded mirrors, and split-level rooms that are surprisingly light and modern for such an old-world setting. The on-site restaurant is atmospheric, but the food is only so-so.

Los Portales TexoloMEXICAN$

(%228-129-81-43; Av Hidalgo 109; mains M$60-120; h9am-8pm Tue-Sun)

Some way down Avenida Hidalgo from the church, you’ll arrive at a small square that is popular with ecstatic birds at sunset. Here you’ll find this friendly local place, where delicious xiqueño specialties such as chiles en nogada and mole are served outside, amid Xico’s colonial splendor.

oRestaurante Mesón XiqueñoMEXICAN$$

(%228-813-07-81; Av Hidalgo 148; mains M$55-350; h9am-9pm)

Near the corner with Calle Carranza is Xico’s best known restaurant. Dine inside the lovely courtyard and sample the famous local mole (a complex mix of chocolate, almonds sucrose and numerous secret ingredients), served in a number of different ways, as well as stuffed xalapeños, soup with the fragrant xonequi herb and more.

7Shopping

Casa DoriaARTS & CRAFTS

(%228-044-22-81; Av Hidalgo 193; h11am-7pm)

A good place for local handicrafts, including the distinctive, painted wooden masks worn by dancers during the town’s many festivals.

La Casa de LiluFOOD

(Av Hidalgo 150; h9am-7pm)

Xico’s trademark mole can be procured at this friendly shop. Also sells organic coffee.

8Information

A Tourist office (%228-813-16-18; Av Hidalgo 76; h9am-6pm) Inside the Casa de la Cultura; a good source of local info.

8Getting There & Away

From the bus terminal (%228-813-03-91; Nava s/n), frequent buses run to Xalapa’s Los Sauces terminal (M$18) and to Coatepec (M$12).

Jalcomulco

%279 / Pop 4690 / Elev 350m

Sitting in a lush valley just 30km southeast of Xalapa, tiny Jalcomulco hugs the Río Antigua (this stretch known as the Río Pescados) and is surrounded by jungle-covered hills. The area is rich with caves and luscious swimming spots, but it’s most famous for its rapids – some of Mexico’s best white water – which accommodate white-water enthusiasts from the beginner through to the more advanced.

Numerous operators offer multiday rafting packages and typically include other adventure activities, such as rappeling, horseback riding, mountain biking, canyoning and trekking.

While on weekends the place comes to life with numerous adventurers descending on it, the rest of the time Jalcomulco remains a soporific village amid mango plantations and sugarcane fields.

2Activities

oJalco ExpedicionesRAFTING

(%279-832-36-87; www.jalcoexpediciones.com.mx; Calle 20 de Noviembre 17; day package M$780; h9am-6pm)

Very professional rafting company with excellent equipment. It offers rafting/rappelling/zip-lining packages, with the bonus of wood-fired pizza waiting for customers upon return. Day packages and multiday adventures available.

oExpediciones México VerdeTOUR

(%800-362-88-00; www.mexicoverde.com; Carretera Tuzamapan-Jalcomulco Km 6; 5hr rafting trip M$790, kayaking M$890; h9am-5pm)

The list of white-knuckle, wet and wild adrenaline activities offered by this professional establishment will get the heart of even the most reckless racing. This is one of the longest-standing operators in Jalcomulco, with luxurious accommodations in the form of spacious safari tents scattered in jungly grounds, its own restaurant, spa and temascal (herbal steam room). Located around 6km north of town.

Armonía RaftingTOUR

(%279-832-35-80; www.armoniarafting.com; Zaragoza 56; rafting day trip M$850; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat, to 1pm Sun)

One of the top rafting operators in Jalcomulco, with three-day, two-night packages that include accommodations (camping/hostel/hotel M$2390/2590/2790 per person), two rafting outings, rappelling, zip-lining, meals, transportation, guide and a steaming session in a temascal (traditional herbal steam room). Day activities also available.

4Sleeping & Eating

Posada del RíoHOTEL$

(%279-832-35-27; cnr Zaragoza & Madero; r M$680; aWs)

Centrally located, this small, ochre-colored hotel has just 14 compact rooms, clustered around a courtyard filled with greenery and a pool. There’s a rustic mansion vibe to the place, the on-site restaurant prepares delicious local dishes, and the service is helpful and friendly.

Aldea EcoturismoTENTED CAMP$$

(%279-832-37-51; www.aldeajalcomulco.com.mx; Carretera Tuzamapan-Jalcomulco Km 3; tent per person M$555, s/d bungalow from M$647/1200; W)

Around 3km out of town, this leafy property allows you to live out your jungle fantasies by camping amid the tangled vines or sleeping in tree-house bungalows (there are terrestrial ones as well). Rafting, rappeling and other adrenaline-packed activities are on the menu, and you can steam your aching muscles afterward in a traditional temascal.

oRodaventa NaturalRESORT$$$

(%279-822-35-97; www.rodaventonatural.com; Constitución s/n; 3-/4-person bungalow M$1638/1810, safari tent M$2155; aWs)

Just south of the river, adorable, snug thatch-roofed bamboo bungalows (with extra loft beds) and luxurious, spacious safari tents surround a pool and a palapa-style restaurant that sit amid lush grounds. The decor inside the lodgings is vibrant, with bold splashes of color, and there also a luxury spa and traditional temascal to chill out in.

The resort specializes in multiday packages that include rafting, rappelling, white-water kayaking, canyoning, zip-lining and more.

oRestaurante NachitaSEAFOOD$$

(%228-832-35-19; Madero 4; mains M$95-320; h8am-9pm; W)

Sit on the deck overlooking the river and order one of the restaurant’s specialties: manuelitos (locally caught crawfish) in salsa verde or chipotle sauce, a hearty torta be mariscos (seafood pie) or seafood cazuela (casserole), served with amazing homemade salsas and washed down with cups of agua de jamaica (hibiscus iced tea) the size of goldfish bowls. Popular with groups.

8Getting There & Away

Buses to Xalapa’s Azteca terminal (M$40, 1½ hours, six daily) and to Coatepec (M$30, 45 minutes, hourly) leave from the main square. Adventure tour operators from Veracruz City and elsewhere offer transfers to Jalcomulco as part of their rafting packages.

Tlapacoyan

%225 / Pop 35,338

At the mouth of the Río Filobobos (known as Río Bobos and famous for its rapids), head 60km inland from Nautla on Hwy 129 and you’ll hit Tlapacoyan, where a handful of rafting companies are based, and where the waterfall Cascada de Encanto provides a gorgeous swimming spot. Tlapacoyan itself is fairly unexciting agricultural town, surrounded by banana plantations and citrus fruit groves, but it’s worth an overnight stopover, if only to visit the two exciting and recently discovered archaeological sites nearby, Caujilote and Vega de la Peña, collectively referred to as Filobobos.

1Sights

oEl CuajiloteARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

(M$55; h9am-5pm)

This beautiful site consists of temples, platforms and shrines, partially reclaimed from the jungle, around a long, rectangular plaza, and dates back to AD 600–900 and was once home to peoples unknown. It’s worth visiting for the beauty of the surroundings alone; you are likely to have the serene place to yourself.

Follow the ‘Filobobos’ signs south from Tlapacoyan along a paved road; the last 1km is unpaved and very bumpy. Rancho Grande–bound taxis can drop you at the 1km turnoff.

As you enter the site, the first two buildings on your right are a ball court. Directly opposite is the excavated Templo Mayor, an impressive multi-tiered pyramid. Along the two sides of the plaza you can make out the shapes of other platforms and temples beneath the lush vegetation. A brook separates the Templo Mayor from the remains of shrines in the middle of the plaza. The archaeological project is ongoing and the origins of El Cuajilote’s residents are yet to be determined. Over 1500 phallic fertility figures were found at Shrine A4, suggesting the influence of a Huastec fertility cult, whereas the earliest buildings at the site (possibly dating back to BC 1000) seem to be Olmec in appearance and stone sculptures found here appear to be similar to Totonac in style. Archaeologists believe that it is also possible that the two sites that make up Filobobos were, in fact, settled by a hitherto unknown Mesoamerican civilization.

Vega de la PeñaARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

(M$55; h9am-5pm)

Reachable only on foot and covering 8 sq km, Vega de la Peña is a seldom-visited, recently discovered site of a pre-Hispanic settlement that’s been only partially excavated. It shows Olmec, Huastec, Totonac and Toltec influences and its history spans more than 1500 years, from BC 100 to AD 1500, though its heyday seems to have been between AD 1200 and 1500. It’s 2.5km away from the El Cuajilote site, where you can get directions.

It’s not as visually impressive as its sister Filolobos site, El Cuajilote; there’s a small ball court and some residential buildings, but the underlying idea is mindblowing. It is possible that the yet to be excavated ruins are considerably more extensive than currently believed, and that the complex civilization that flourished here played a considerably more prominent role in terms of Mesoamerican trade and influence than previously believed.

2Activities

oAventurecRAFTING

(%225-315-43-00; www.aventurec.com; off Hwy 129, El Encanto; day rafting packages from M$800)

Highly regarded operator who runs three types of rafting trips on Río Filobobos, including one that combines wet and wild river adventure with stopping by the two archaeological sites on the way. Multiday packages that include kayaking, zip-lining and other adrenaline-packed activities come highly recommended. Choose between camping or staying in dorms or cabins.

4Sleeping & Eating

Hotel Posada OliverHISTORIC HOTEL$

(%225-315-42-12; Av Cuauhtemoc 400; r M$500; aW)

The pick of Tlapacoyan’s hotels (not that it’s much of a horse race), Posada Oliver is just off the main square, with stone arches and greenery-filled courtyard adding much-needed character. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with cable TV and air-con.

Las AcamallasMEXICAN$

(%225-315-02-91; Heroes de Tlapacoyan s/n; mains M$60-130; h8am-10pm)

Just off the main square, two-tiered Las Acamallas is a sure bet for some enchiladas, chicken cooked a dozen ways and cups of horchata (rice milk drink) as big as your head.

8Getting There & Away

From the bus terminal (Zaragoza s/n) there are ADO services to Mexico City (M$395, 5½ hours, nine daily), Puebla (M$250, 3½ hours, seven daily) and Xalapa (M$134, 2½ hours, 10 daily). For connecting services to Veracruz or Papantla, you need to take a 2nd-class bus to Martínez de la Torre, 22km east, and change there.

Córdoba

%271 / Pop 142,500 / Elev 817m

Not to be confused with its famous namesakes in Spain and Argentina, Córdoba has an illustrious history and a justifiable sense of civic pride; the contract that sealed Mexico’s independence was signed here in 1821. The city itself was originally founded in 1618 as a staging post between Mexico City and the coast, with the purpose of protecting the Spanish crown’s interests from the local slave rebellion, led by Gaspar Yanga, which was strong in the area.

As an overnight stop, Córdoba is less lovely than nearby Orizaba but more lively, on the sheer strength of its main plaza. It’s a 24-hour live ‘show,’ where theater-goers in high heels dodge hungry pigeons and grandpas moonlight as marimba players. Watching over it all is an impressive baroque cathedral, easily the most resplendent in the state.

1Sights

Most of Córdoba’s sights ring its main plaza, Parque de 21 de Mayo, which is a sight in itself.

Catedral de la Inmaculada ConcepciónCATHEDRAL

(Parque de 21 de Mayo; hhours vary)

Dating from 1688, this blue baroque cathedral has an elaborate facade flanked by twin bell towers. The interior is surprisingly ornate for Mexico, with gold-leaf detailing and marble floors. The chapel features candlelit statues with altars, such as a gruesome Jesus on the cross and an eerily despairing Virgen de la Soledad. The mixture of glitz and gore is a visual metaphor for a disturbing historical dichotomy: the richness of the conquistadors and the misery that the indigenous people endured.

Ex-Hotel ZevallosHISTORIC BUILDING

(Parque de 21 de Mayo)

Built in 1687, this is the former home of the condes (counts) of Zevallos. It’s on the northeast side of Parque de 21 de Mayo, behind the portales. Plaques in the courtyard record that Juan O’Donojú and Agustín de Iturbide met here on August 24, 1821, and agreed on the terms for Mexico’s independence. They also concurred that a Mexican, not a European, should be head of state. The building is now full of restaurants and cafes.

Parque de 21 de MayoPLAZA

You don’t come to Córdoba’s main plaza to tick off a list of ‘sights.’ You come here to live life. The square vies with Veracruz city’s as the region’s most jazzy and vibrant. It’s far larger than the port city’s plaza, though a seemingly unending line of musicians makes up for any lack of intimacy. Opposite the cathedral on the square’s west side is the splendiferous Palacio Municipal, replete with a memorable Diego Rivera interior mural.

Parque Ecológico Paso CoyolPARK

(cnr Calle 6 & Av 19, Bella Vista; M$10; h7am-6pm) S

Formerly a 4-hectare abandoned lot overrun by ‘delinquents,’ this eco-conscious park is now patronized by cordobeses, who run and walk trails that snake around gardens punctuated with exercise stations. Your meager entrance fee pays for both campesinos (country people) and biologists alike to maintain the place. Follow Calle 3 south from the plaza for 1.5km. The street changes name, weaves through a suburb and bottoms out at the park.

Museo de la CiudadMUSEUM

(%271-712-09-67; Calle 3 btwn Avs 3 & 5; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri) F

This museum, which is a part of the city university, has a modest but interesting collection of artifacts including a fine Aztec ball-court marker and some Olmec figurines. There’s also a replica of the magnificent statue of El señor de las Limas that resides in Xalapa’s Museo de Antropología. You’ll find it just off the main square, opposite the Centro Cultural Municipal.

TTours

Cecila RábagoCULTURAL

(%271-120-20-30; cecirabago@hotmail.com; Fortín de las Flores; 1-4 people per day from M$1400)

A well-established, bilingual tour guide in the area, Cecila is an expert on history and sites in the Fortín–Córdoba–Orizaba area. A firecracker of a woman, she can offer tours of the city and organic coffee plantations, take you on all-day hiking excursions off the tourist track, and many other things in between. Contact her in advance.

zFestivals & Events

Good FridayRELIGIOUS

On the evening of Good Friday, Córdoba marks Jesus’ crucifixion with a procession of silence, in which thousands of residents walk through the streets behind an altar of the Virgin. Everyone holds a lit candle, no one utters a word and the church bells are strangely quiet.

4Sleeping

Hotel Los ReyesHOTEL$

(%271-712-25-38; www.losreyeshotel.com; cnr Calle 3 & Av 2; s/d M$250/299; nW)

Just half a block from the main square, this excellent cheapie distinguishes itself with friendly service and its attention to detail, with good beds and quality bed linens (embroidered with the hotel name) in the fan-cooled rooms. Half the rooms face indoors; of the outdoor-facing ones, rooms 203 to 206 are the best, as they face the quieter Calle 3.

Hotel BelloHOTEL$

(%271-712-81-22; www.hotelbello.com/cordoba; cnr Av 2 & Calle 5; s/d/tr M$635/696/720; paiW)

Brightly painted in yellow and thus hard to miss, this modern hotel is spotless and well located just moments from the main square. The rooms are fresh, with balconies, and some have great views toward Pico de Orizaba. The staff are affable. Go for the top-floor balcony rooms. It’s on a busy street, so gets noisy.

Hotel LayferHOTEL$$

(%271-714-05-05; www.hoteleslayfer.com; Av 5 No 908; s/d M$810/1000; paWs)

Definitely Córdoba’s fanciest hotel (if not necessarily its best value), the Layfer has modern, but not wildly exciting, rooms arranged around a central swimming pool. Mileage is added with a wide array of extras, including complimentary body-care products, a bar, gym, restaurant and games room.

Hotel MansurHOTEL$$$

(%271-712-60-00; www.hotelmansur.com.mx; Av 1 No 301; r M$1642-2552; paW)

Claiming five stories of prime viewing space above Córdoba’s main plaza, the venerable Mansur, with its vast balconies equipped with thick wooden chairs, makes you feel as if you’re part of the ‘show’ going on below. The hotel has undergone a complete face-lift, exchanging old-world glamour for contemporary art. The rooms are suitably luxurious, and some have private terraces.

There’s no price hike for rooms at the front, so request one of these if you relish a view, and one at the back if all you desire is peace and relative quiet.

5Eating

Córdoba has a lively eating scene with plenty of choice. Numerous restaurants are found on, or within a couple of blocks of, the main square, and there’s a cluster of upmarket eateries where Avenida 9 intersects with Calles 22 and 20.

El Patio de la AbuelaMEXICAN$

(%271-712-06-06; Calle 1 No 208; mains M$35-120; h8am-midnight; W)

This friendly, informal eatery serves a variety of tacos, picaditas (thick tortillas with different toppings) and tamales, as well as hearty pozole (spiced hominy and pork stew), mondongo (cow tripe soup – a hangover cure!) and gut-busting helpings of grilled meats. Just like abuela used to make.

Calufe CaféCAFE$

(Calle 3 No 212; coffee from M$25; h8am-9pm Sun-Wed, to midnight Thu-Sat; W)

If only all cafes could be like this. Calufe occupies the interior of an agreeably peeling colonial mansion with eclectic nooks arranged around a dimly lit plant-filled courtyard. Guitar and vocal duos provide a melancholy musical backdrop in the evenings. Calufe sells its own blend of coffee, along with melt-in-the-mouth coffee cake and other diet-busting snacks.

Roof Garden RestaurantFUSION$$

(%271-716-41-42; Av 9 Bis btwn Calles 26 & 28; mains M$75-240; h9:30am-11pm)

Offering creatively crafted and presented contemporary Mexican cooking with flashes of inspiration from a sun-soaked Mediterranean, this plant-filled and cheery little restaurant out in the western reaches of the city is one of the best places to eat in Córdoba. Alongside modern takes on Mexican classics there’s a range of carpaccios, pastas, multi-layer burgers, and good coffee and homemade lemonade.

El Balcón del ZevallosMEXICAN$$$

(%271-714-66-99; Av 1 No 101; mains M$130-420; h5pm-1am Mon-Thu, from 2pm Fri-Sun; W)

The upper floor of the beautiful former Hotel Zevallos claims the prize for Córdoba’s most famous restaurant. It has a wonderful setting – a balcony overlooking the plaza – an extensive wine list (including some decent Mexican reds) and good (though overpriced) meat and seafood dishes cooked a la parrilla (on the barbecue) at your table. Service is not overly officious.

6Drinking & Nightlife

oHêrmann Thômas Coffee MastersCOFFEE

(%271-712-50-71; http://hermann-thomas.com; Calle 2 104, btwn Avs 1 & 3; h7:45am-10pm; W)

Its sleek interior decked out with books on art, design and history, the region’s loveliest coffee shop carefully sources its beans from select fincas (farms) in Mexico’s coffee regions. Have your coffee in a variety of ways, including iced Vietnamese style, and get a bag of gourmet beans to go. Teas and fruit juice mixes also available.

8Information

Banks around the Plaza de Armas have 24-hour ATMs.

A Hospital Covadonga (%271-714-55-20; www.corporativodehospitales.com.mx; Av 7 No 1610; h24hr) Urgent medical care at all hours.

A Tourist Office (%271-712-43-44; Centro Cultural Municipal, cnr Av 3 & Calle 3; h8:30am-4pm & 6-7:30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun) Helpful staff offer maps and information. Volunteers sometimes give tours of the city.

8Getting There & Away

BUS

Córdoba’s bus station (Blvd Augin Millan), which has deluxe, 1st-class and 2nd-class services, is 2.5km southeast of the plaza. To get to the town center from the station, take a local bus marked ‘Centro’ or buy a taxi ticket (M$40). To Orizaba, it’s more convenient to take a local bus from the corner of Avenida 11 and Calle 3 than to go out to the Córdoba bus station.

BUSES FROM CóRDOBA

Deluxe and 1st-class buses from Córdoba include the following:

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Fortín	20	½	frequent
Mexico City (TAPO)	434	5½	frequent
Oaxaca	278-400	5¼-7	4
Orizaba	40	¾-1	frequent
Puebla	169	3¼	frequent
Veracruz	70-164	1¾-2¼	frequent
Xalapa	108-242	3	11

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Córdoba, Fortín de las Flores and Orizaba are linked by toll Hwy 150D, the route that most buses take, and by the much slower Hwy 150. A scenic back road goes through the hills from Fortín, via Huatusco, to Xalapa.

Orizaba

%272 / Pop 124,000 / Elev 1219m

Orizaba manages to surprise you. At first sight it’s a workaday medium-sized Mexican town, but it quickly turns out to be one of the more appealing towns in Veracruz and is home to a number of idiosyncratic sights, a pleasant old colonial center, some lovely parks and a gorgeous riverside walk. It’s also within easy reach of Mexico’s highest mountain, the magnificent Pico de Orizaba (5611m), and a vertigo-inducing cable car has made viewing this dormant volcano easier than ever before. The most striking sight in the town itself is Gustave Eiffel’s unique art nouveau Palacio de Hierro (Iron Palace), while the most revealing is the excellent art museum, home to the second-largest Diego Rivera collection in Mexico. Add to that a varied dining scene and the smell of roasted beans wafting from numerous coffee shops, and you may find yourself lingering longer than expected.

1Sights

oTeleférico de OrizabaCABLE CAR

(%278-114-72-82; Sur 4 btwn Calles Poniente 3 & Poniente 5; M$50; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 7pm Sat, Sun & holidays)

This cable car rattles and sways visitors from its riverside site across from the Palacio Municipal right up to the top of the Cerro del Borrego hill (1240m) for incredible views over the city and easy access to hiking routes. It takes just five minutes to travel nearly 1km and climb some 320m. Vertigo sufferers will probably just have to ask people to describe the view to them!

It’s a fab excursion, and once you reach the top of the Cerro del Borrego, you’ll find signed walking trails and an ‘eco-park,’ which has picnic areas, a small military museum, playgrounds and, between 1pm and 6pm on weekends, a re-creation of a military battle that took place here in the late 19th century.

oPalacio de HierroMUSEUM

(%272-728-91-36; Parque Castillo; h9am-7pm) F

The ‘Iron Palace’ is Orizaba’s fanciful art nouveau landmark. The palace’s interior has been converted into half a dozen small museums. Most notable are the Museo de la Cerveza, tracking Orizaba’s beer industry; the Museo de Fútbol (soccer); the Museo de Presidentes y Banderas, with info on every Mexican president as well as a whole load of flags; and the Museo Interactivo, with a small planetarium and some science exhibits, including a bed of nails you can lie on.

Also on site are the Museo de Geográfico de Orizaba (geography of the Orizaba area) and Museo de las Raíces de Orizaba (archaeological artifacts).

Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, a master of metallurgy who gave his name to the Eiffel Tower and engineered the Statue of Liberty’s framework, designed this pavilion, which was built in Paris. Orizaba’s mayor, eager to acquire an impressive European-style Palacio Municipal, bought it in 1892. Piece by piece it was shipped, then reassembled in Orizaba.

Museo de Arte del EstadoMUSEUM

(State Art Museum; %272-724-32-00; cnr Av Oriente 4 & Sur 25; M$20; h10am-7pm Tue-Sun)

Orizaba’s wonderful Museo de Arte del Estado is housed in a gorgeously restored colonial building dating from 1776 and attached to the side of a church. The museum is divided into rooms that include Mexico’s second-most-important permanent Diego Rivera collection, with 33 of his original works. There are also contemporary works by regional artists. Guides give complimentary tours in Spanish. The museum is 2km east of Parque Castillo.

Parque AlamedaPARK

(Av Poniente 2 & Sur 10; h24hr; c)

About 1km west of the center, Parque Alameda is either a very large plaza or a very small park, depending on your expectations. What it doesn’t lack is activity. Aside from the obligatory statues of dead heroes, you’ll find an outdoor gym, a bandstand, food carts, shoe-shiners and a playground for kids, including a huge jungle of bouncy castles and air-filled slides. Practically the whole city rolls in at weekends after Sunday Mass.

Parque CastilloPLAZA

(Av Colón Oriente; h24hr)

Smaller than your average Mexican city plaza, Parque Castillo is bereft of the normally standard Palacio Municipal (town hall), which sits several blocks away on Avenida Colón Poniente. Instead, it is watched over by the eclectic Palacio de Hierro and a 17th-century parish church, the Catedral de San Miguel Arcángel. On the south side is the neoclassical and still-functioning Teatro Ignacio de la Llave (1875), which hosts opera, ballet and classical-music concerts.

2Activities

Paseo del RíoWALKING

This excellent 3km-long riverside walk, bordering Orizaba’s clean eponymous river, has murals and abstract sculpture toward its southern end, beyond the cable car. There are 13 bridges along the way, including a suspension bridge and the arched Puente La Borda, dating from 1776. A good starting point is Avenida Poniente 8, about 600m northwest of the Palacio de Hierro.

From Avenida Poniente 8 you can head north to the Puente Tlachichilico or toward the southern end of the walk that culminates in a miniature Eiffel Tower, just beyond the railway bridge. If, as you walk you hear a deep growl that sounds suspiciously like a tiger, don’t run away. There’s a collection of animal enclosures along the walkway containing monkeys, parrots, crocodiles, lamas and, yes, even a tiger. All of the animals were born in captivity and cannot be released into the wild.

TTours

Alberto GochicoaOUTDOORS

(%cell 272-1037344)

A recommended guide who can help organize various outdoor activities in nearby hills, mountains and canyons, including climbs partway up Pico de Orizaba. Highlights of the area include the gorgeous Cañón de la Carbonera near Nogales and the Cascada de Popócatl near Tequila.

Erick CarreraOUTDOORS

(%cell 272-1345571)

A recommended guide to the Orizaba environs.

4Sleeping

Orizaba has something to suit all budgets, from higher-end options on the Avenida Oriente 6 traffic strip and near Parque Alameda to lower-end choices in or near the center.

Hotel del RíoHOTEL$

(%272-726-66-25; http://hoteldelrio.tripod.com; Av Poniente 8 No 315; s/d from M$360/380; paW)

A pleasant place for an exceptional price make this a surefire winner. It has an attractive location right by the Río Orizaba, simple modern rooms with tacky ‘art’ in an old building, and a congenial, bilingual owner. It might not be as flowery and fancy as some hotels in Veracruz state, but it’s certainly among the best value.

Hotel Plaza PalacioHOTEL$

(%272-725-99-23; Av Poniente 2 2-Bis; s/d/tr M$305/390/450; W)

You can’t get more central than this place; the windows look directly onto the Palacio de Hierro. It’s nothing special architecturally, and the rooms are clean but not particularly characterful. But you do get cable TV and a fan, as well as the town right on your doorstep.

Orizaba InnHOTEL$$

(%272-725-06-26; www.hotelorizabainn.com.mx; Av Oriente 2 No 117; r/ste from M$690/890; naW)

A fresh and funky hotel with turquoise accents in the bright, whitewashed rooms, thoroughly modern bathrooms and mod cons. Some rooms come with balconies; have a look at a few if you can. Friendly staff and a decent breakfast up this hotel’s game.

Hotel Mision OrizabaBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$

(%272-106-92-94; www.hotelesmision.com.mx; Av Oriente 6 No 64; s/d from M$1008/1313; paWs)

Officially the smartest place in town, this revamped place has comfortable if surprisingly plain rooms set around a courtyard and a tiny swimming pool. There are some thoughtful touches to the rooms such as fresh flowers, writing desks and coffee machines. Plus the staff are very helpful.

oHotel Tres79BOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

(%272-725-23-79; http://tres79hotelboutique.com; Av Colón Poniente 379; r from M$1918; pnaW)

This immaculate hotel punches way above Veracruz’s weight. Each of its 14 rooms is individually styled to represent a Mexican writer, musician or artist (we particularly like the Agustín Lara room), with bold furnishings and great attention to creature comforts (hypoallergenic bedding, rain showers). The courtyard incorporates a vertical garden and tiled fountain, and the international restaurant is excellent.

5Eating

In sedate Orizaba many restaurants close early, though the dining scene is excellent and incorporates fusion, steak and seafood restaurants, as well as atmospheric cafes. Head to the plaza for noteworthy Orizaban snacks including garnachas (open tortillas with chicken, onion and tomato salsa) or scour Avenida Oriente 4 in search of the best tacos.

Taco TSTREET FOOD$

(%272-106-10-49; Av Oriente 4 1247; tacos from M$10; h1pm-midnight)

Join the locals in the bustling dining hall of the most popular taquería of the many strung along Avenida Oriente 4, and watch the cooks expertly slice off sizzling hunks of meat from the rotating skewers. Or get your tacos to go and enjoy them in the tranquility of the leafy plaza across the street.

MetlapilliMEXICAN$

(%272-705-24-82; Madero 350; dishes from M$10; h8am-2pm Tue-Sun; v)

Run by a friendly mother-daughter team, this tiny eatery comprises exactly four tables that fill up come breakfast or lunch with customers clamoring for tacos filled with flor de calabaza (squash blossom) or mushrooms, and picaditas with assorted toppings. Most dishes are vegetarian. Wash them down with a fresh juice or licuado (milkshake).

oEl CebicheroSEAFOOD$$

(%272-106-33-22; Av Oriente 4 No 855; mains M$65-250; h11am-10pm Mon-Sat; W)

Spot this tiny cevichería by the puffer fish dangling outside and the fishing nets strung along the ceiling. Young chef Toni Serrano (who studied English in Bournemouth, UK) prepares such delights as scallop ceviche with tabaquero and habanero chili. He also grills steaks, since the place is a parrilla as well. Write a message on an M$20 note before you leave.

oMarrón Cocina GaleríaFUSION$$

(%272-724-01-39; www.facebook.com/marroncocinagaleria; Av Oriente 4 No 1265; mains M$80-169; h2-11pm Tue-Thu & Sun, to midnight Fri & Sat; W)

With buckets for lampshades, sunflowers on the tables and mildly distressed furniture, this cool and very good fusion restaurant has an easy, informal and convivial atmosphere. Some of the best items on the menu are Italian-Mexican fusion, such as wonderful, spicy lasagna de mi suegra (my mother-in-law’s lasagna). The crunchy, thin pizzas are another treat.

6Drinking & Nightlife

oGran Café de OrizabaCAFE

(%272-724-44-75; www.grancafedeorizaba.com; cnr Av Poniente 2 & Madero, Palacio de Hierro; snacks M$40-80; h8am-10:30pm; W)

How often in Mexico can you sit back and enjoy a coffee and cake on the balcony of a regal cafe, inside an iron palace designed by Gustave Eiffel? Exactly – but this is your chance. The delightful decor, smart staff and selection of sandwiches, crepes and cake make this an obvious place to break up your exploration of Orizaba.

CafinoCOFFEE

(%272-100-57-36; www.facebook.com/cafino.orizaba; Oriente 4 No 327; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat)

A thimble-sized cafe that accommodates around 2½ people comfortably. Worth popping in for a brew, since it uses only high-quality, high-altitude arabica from Mexico’s coffee region.

El InteriorCOFFEE

(%272-726-45-31; cnr Av Oriente 4 & Sur 9; h9am-8:30pm; W)

Books, coffee and art. This small literary cafe connected to a book and craft store is just what we wish all bookstores were like! El Interior is handily located between Parque Castillo and the Museo Arte del Estado.

8Information

Banks with ATMs are on Avenida Oriente 2, a block south of the plaza.

A Hospital Covadonga (%272-725-50-19; www.corporativodehospitales.com.mx; Sur 5 No 398)

A Orizaba Pueblo Mágico It’s well worth downloading this app, a comprehensive guide to the town’s attractions.

A Tourist Office (%272-728-91-36; www.orizaba.travel; Palacio de Hierro; h9am-7pm) Has enthusiastic staff and plenty of brochures.

8Getting There & Away

BUS

Local buses from Fortín and Córdoba (cnr Av Oriente 9 & Norte 14) stop four blocks north and six blocks east of the town center, while the AU 2nd-class bus station (Poniente 8 No 425) is northwest of the center.

The modern 1st-class bus station (%222-107-22-55; cnr Av Oriente 6 & Sur 13) handles all ADO, ADO GL and deluxe UNO services.

BUSES FROM ORIZABA

Daily 1st-class buses include the following:

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Córdoba	40	¾	frequent
Fortín de las Flores	34	½	frequent
Mexico City (TAPO)	364	4½	frequent
Mexico City (Terminal Norte)	366-414	4½-5½	4
Oaxaca	374	5¼-6	6
Puebla	212-250	2¼	frequent
Veracruz	176	2-3¼	frequent
Xalapa	260	3¼-4	12

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Toll Hwy 150D, which bypasses central Orizaba, goes east to Córdoba and west, via a spectacular ascent, to Puebla (160km). Toll-free Hwy 150 runs east to Córdoba and Veracruz (150km) and southwest to Tehuacán, 65km away over the hair-raising Cumbres de Acultzingo.

Pico de Orizaba

Rising high above the region, the snow-capped tip of this mighty volcano throws down a gauntlet to those who cannot resist the siren call of a peak not conquered.

2Activities

oPico de OrizabaTREKKING

At a cloud-scraping and breathless 5611m, the snowcapped Pico de Orizaba is Mexico’s tallest mountain (and the third tallest in North America after USA’s Mt Denali and Canada’s Mt Logan) and it dominates the horizons for miles around. Climbing it is a serious, six-day undertaking, suitable only for experienced high-altitude trekkers prepared for extreme cold and possible altitude sickness.

Called Citlaltépetl (Star Mountain) in the Náhuatl language, the views from the summit of this massive dormant volcano take in the mountains of Popocatépetl, Iztaccíhuatl and La Malinche to the west and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. You might imagine then that thoughts of scaling this monster would tempt tourists from far and wide, but it gets relatively few takers, because you need a couple of weeks to spare and must be prepared to take a short technical course on traversing ice fields, as the last section of the ascent is particularly demanding.

Anyone climbing the mountain should be well equipped, and all but the most experienced will need a guide. There are a number of recommended guide companies from the US, but the only local one is Servimont, a climber-owned outfit passed down through the Reyes family. Do not attempt to rush up this mountain because altitude sickness, which at these heights can be deadly, is a very real concern. If you experience any kind of symptoms, descend immediately.

The best climbing period is October to March, with the most popular time being December and January.

oServimontTREKKING

(%245-451-50-19, cell 222-6275406; www.servimont.com.mx; Ortega 1A, Tlachichuca)

Servimont is a climber-owned outfit passed down through the Reyes family since the 1930s. As the longest-running operation in the area, it also acts as a Red Cross rescue facility. It’s based in the small town of Tlachichuca (2600m), which is a common starting point for expeditions. It is the only Mexican operator to offer Pico de Orizaba ascents.

Book your expedition with Servimont two to four months in advance and allow four to seven days to acclimatize, summit and return. Shorter and less demanding ascents on offer are those of Iztaccihuatl, Malinche and Nevado de Toluca volcanoes.

8Getting There & Away

Autobuses Valles (Av Hidalgo 13A) runs 2nd-class buses to Ciudad Serdán (M$20, one hour), where you can change to another bus to Orizaba (M$60, two hours).

Northern Veracruz

The northern half of Veracruz state, between the coast and southern fringes of the Sierra Madre Oriental, mainly consists of lush rolling pastureland. Laguna de Tamiahua is the region’s largest wetland, while the Gulf’s Costa Esmeralda has some fine isolated (though sometimes polluted) beaches, which are popular with local holidaymakers. The major attraction is El Tajín archaeological site; it’s reachable from the historic town of Papantla and is refreshingly untouristed compared to some of Mexico’s more renowned archaeological sites. Just north of Papantla is busy, unattractive Poza Rica, which can be a useful pit stop. Tecolutla is a quintessential Mexican beach resort with black sand and some very good seafood, while Tuxpan is a worthwhile stopover if you’re heading north to Tampico and beyond.

Tuxpan

%783 / Pop 89,800

Tuxpan (sometimes spelled Túxpam), 300km north of Veracruz and 190km south of Tampico, is a steamy fishing town and minor oil port. If you pass through, you can enjoy excellent seafood, take a trip across the broad Río Tuxpan to visit a little museum devoted to Cuban-Mexican friendship, or join vacationing Mexicans on Playa Norte, the beach 12km to the east. The town itself is no great beauty, but is well set up for overnighting travelers passing through en route to Tampico.

1Sights

Museo de la Amistad México-CubaMUSEUM

(Mexican-Cuban Friendship Museum; Obregón s/n; h9am-5pm) F

Commemorating the colonial histories of Mexico and Cuba and their significance to Fidel Castro’s ill-fated uprising of 1956, this museum is filled with pictures of Che Guevara and Castro, a model of the revolutionary yacht, Granma, and more. To get here, take a boat (M$5) across the river from the quay near the ADO bus station, walk several blocks south to Obregón, then turn right. The museum is at the western end of Obregón, on the river.

On November 25, 1956, the errant lawyer-turned-revolutionary, Fidel Castro, set sail from the Río Tuxpan with 82 poorly equipped soldiers to start an uprising in Cuba. The sailing was made possible thanks to an encounter in Mexico City between Castro and Antonio del Conde Pontones (aka ‘El Cuate’). On meeting Castro for the first time, Pontones, a legal arms dealer, was immediately taken by the Cuban’s strong personality and agreed to help him obtain guns and a boat. To smooth the process, he bought a house on the south side of the Río Tuxpan, where he moored the boat and allowed Fidel to meet in secret. Today that house is the Museo de la Amistad México-Cuba.

TTours

Paseos Turísticos NegrettiBOAT TOUR, DIVING

(%783-835-45-64; Recreo s/n)

A local tour operator that organizes diving (M$2500 per eight-person group, not including equipment), fishing (M$450 per boat per hour), boat trips to the nearby mangroves (M$600 for two hours), kayaking (M$120 per person) and water-skiing (M$320 for 30 minutes). It has an office located on the south side of the Río Tuxpan where the cross-river ferry docks.

4Sleeping & Eating

Hotel ReformaHOTEL$$

(%783-834-11-46; http://hotel-reforma.com.mx; Av Juárez 25; s/d/ste M$835/950/1200; paW)

The grand exterior of the Reforma leads into a smart atrium lobby with a small waterfall and some 98 comfortable if rather functional rooms. They include flat-screen TVs and relentless brown carpeting. There’s a smart restaurant downstairs.

oTaquería Los Nuevos 4 VientosSTREET FOOD$

(%783-134-48-76; Morelos s/n; tacos M$10; h9:30am-midnight)

One of four taquerías (taco stands) in a row, this one wins our praise and loyalty with its extensive collection of fresh salsas, which complement the six types of meat (asado, tripe, pastór etc) that are deftly fried and scooped into tacos. Perpetually packed with locals at mealtimes, it clearly gets their vote, too.

Restaurante MoraSEAFOOD$$

(%783-837-09-93; Ribera del Pescador s/n; mains M$100-160; hnoon-9pm)

The first of a long row of simple seafood restaurants along the Laguna de Tampamachoco, Mora serves up stuffed crabs, camarones enchipotlados (chipotle shrimp), oysters on the half shell, and the fresh catch of the day, which is grilled, fried, stuffed with shrimp or a la diabla (hot!).

8Information

A Tourist Booth (%783-110-28-11; http://tuxpan.com.mx; Juárez 25, Palacio Municipal; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) Staff at this booth have vast reserves of enthusiasm: you’ll go away overloaded with maps and brochures.

8Getting There & Away

Most 1st-class buses leaving Tuxpan are de paso (passing through). Booking a seat in advance might be a good idea. There are several bus terminals, but the 1st-class ADO bus station (%783-834-01-02; cnr Rodríguez & Av Juárez) is the most convenient from the center.

There is a M$5 ferry service across the river at various points between Guerrero and Parque Reforma.

BUSES FROM TUXPAN

First-class departures from the ADO station include the following.

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Mexico City (Terminal Norte)	396	4¼	13
Papantla	92	2	12
Tampico	294	3¼	frequent
Veracruz	394	6	11
Villahermosa	771	13	4
Xalapa	398	6½	9

Papantla

%784 / Pop 53,546 / Elev 180m

Spread across a succession of wooded hills, the solidly indigenous city of Papantla has a history, look and feel that stares firmly back in time to a pre-Hispanic or, more precisely, Totonac period of grandeur. Predating the Spanish conquest, the city was founded around AD 1230. Traditionally a launching pad for people visiting the nearby ruins of El Tajín, Papantla has carved its own niche in recent years, stressing its indigenous heritage and promoting its central position in the world’s best vanilla-growing region. You’ll see Totonacs wearing traditional clothing here – the men in loose white shirts and trousers, and the women in embroidered blouses and quechquémitls (traditional capes). Meanwhile voladores ‘fly’ and local artisans peddle handicrafts in the attractive main square.

1Sights

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la AsunciónCHURCH

(Zócalo; h8am-7pm)

Overlooking the zócalo from its high platform, this church is notable for its large cedar doors and quartet of indoor canvases by a Jalisco artist. Begun in 1570 by the Franciscans, it was added to in stages over the subsequent centuries; the bell tower wasn’t completed until 1875.

Outside stands a 30m-high voladores pole. Ritualistic performances normally take place every two hours between 11am and 7pm Monday to Saturday. During low season (October to April), performances can be seen at 9am, noon, 4pm and 7pm Friday to Sunday.

ZócaloPLAZA

Officially called Parque Téllez, Papantla’s zócalo is terraced into the hillside below the Iglesia de la Asunción. Wedged beneath the cathedral and facing the square is a symbolic 50m-long bas relief mural. Depicting Totonac and Veracruz history, it was designed by Papantla artist Teodoro Cano in 1979. A serpent stretches along the mural, bizarrely linking a pre-Hispanic stone carver, El Tajín’s Pirámide de los Nichos, and an oil rig.

Museo de la Ciudad Teodoro CanoMUSEUM

(%784-842-47-51; Curti 101; M$50; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) S

Legendary Paplanta artist Teodoro Cano (b 1932) was once a student of Mexican art giant Diego Rivera. This small museum displays a handful of Cano’s fine paintings, an alluring combination of both dark and ebullient scenes that are drawn almost exclusively from Totonac culture. The Totonac theme extends to the museum’s other artifacts, including photos and traditional clothing displays. It’s small, but immensely satisfying. A modern on-site auditorium hosts regular cultural events.

Volador MonumentMONUMENT

(Callejón Centenario s/n)

At the top of the hill towers Papantla’s volador monument, a 1988 statue by Teodoro Cano portraying a musician playing his pipe and preparing for the four fliers to launch. To reach the monument, take Calle Centenario heading uphill from the southwest corner of the cathedral yard, before turning left into steep Callejón Centenario. Good city views from the top.

DON’T MISS

PAPANTLA’S VOLADORES: BUNGEE-JUMPING PIONEERS

The idea of launching yourself head first from a great height with only a rope tied around your ankles for support is popularly thought to have been conceived by bungee jumping New Zealanders in the 1980s. But in truth, Papantla’s Totonac voladores (fliers) have been flinging themselves off 30m-high wooden poles (with zero safety equipment) for centuries. Indeed, so old is this rather bizarre yet mystic tradition, no one is quite sure how or when it started.

The rite begins with five men in elaborate ceremonial clothing climbing to the top of the pole. Four of them sit on the edges of a small frame at the top and rotate the frame to twist the ropes around the pole. The fifth man dances on the platform above them while playing a chirimía, a small drum with a flute attached. When he stops playing, the others fall backward. Arms outstretched, they revolve gracefully around the pole and descend to the ground, upside down, as their ropes unwind.

One interpretation of the ceremony is that it’s a fertility rite and the fliers make invocations to the four corners of the universe. It’s also noted that each flier circles the pole 13 times, giving a total of 52 revolutions. The number 52 is not only the number of weeks in the modern year but also was an important number in pre-Hispanic Mexico, which had two calendars: one corresponding to the 365-day solar year, the other to a ritual year of 260 days. The calendars coincided every 52 solar years.

Voladores ceremonies are best observed at El Tajín, outside Papantla’s cathedral, and occasionally at Zempoala.

TTours

Gaudencio SimbrónWALKING

(%783-842-01-21, 784-121-96-54; per day M$450)

Guide Gaudencio Simbrón is more commonly known as el de la ropa típica (the guy who wears traditional clothes) because he sports Totonac costume. He works through Hotel Tajín and can guide you through El Tajín, Papantla and its environs.

zFestivals & Events

Feria de Corpus ChristiCULTURAL

(hlate May-early Jun)

The fantastic Feria de Corpus Christi is the big annual event in Papantla. As well as the bullfights, parades and charreadas (Mexican rodeos) that are usual in Mexico, Papantla celebrates its Totonac cultural heritage with spectacular indigenous dances. The main procession is on the first Sunday when voladores fly in elaborate ceremonies several times a day.

Festival de VainillaFOOD & DRINK

(hJun 18)

A major celebration in Papantla, the Vanilla Festival features indigenous dancers, gastronomic delights sold in street stalls, and all manner of vanilla products.

4Sleeping

Papantla has a decidedly small and uninspiring selection of budget and midrange places to stay. However, prices are low and rooms are more or less clean.

Hotel TajínHOTEL$

(%784-842-01-21; http://hoteltajin.mx; Núñez y Domínguez 104; s/d/tr M$690/770/940, ste from M$1200; paWs)

So what if the interior is a little dated and worn? The Tajín is an intrinsic part of the Papantla experience with a prime edge-of-zócalo location and a stone-arch-fringed pool and on-site restaurant. It’s not a fancy hotel by any means, but the whole place oozes character, even if its 62 rooms range from the cozy to the ho-hum. It’s just off the zócalo; if you’re facing the chuch, follow the road beneath it to the left.

Hotel Hostal del MoncayoGUESTHOUSE$$

(%784-842-04-98; http://hotelpapantla.webcindario.com; Zaragoza 108; s/d from M$595/797; paW)

This quiet, family-run place has pleasant, airy rooms upstairs, though no amount of cheery tilework on walls can make up for the smell of mildew in the downstairs room. There’s limited parking on site.

5Eating

Papantla’s zócalo is home to a good selection of local restaurants and cafes. Mercado Juárez, at the southwest corner of the plaza opposite the cathedral, has stalls that sell cheap, fresh regional food and there are two excellent restaurants worth seeking out away from the town center.

Café CatedralBAKERY, CAFE$

(%784-842-53-17; cnr Núñez y Domínguez & Curato; cakes from M$30; h8am-8pm)

The town’s best coffeehouse (ask any local) doubles as a bakery. Grab a cake, muffin or pan dulce (sweet bread) from one of the display cases, sit at a cheap cafe table and wait for the chief señora to come round with an old-fashioned tin jug to fill up your cup. Everyone seems to know everyone else here, and local gossip bounces off the walls.

Naku Restaurante PapantecoMEXICAN$$

(%784-842-31-12; www.kinkachikin.com; Colegio Militar s/n; mains M$70-200; h8am-8pm; W)

This restaurant, a couple of kilometers northeast of town, has traditionally dressed waitstaff serving supposedly authentic Totonac cuisine (though we suspect/hope they’ve removed some of the less savory items that people probably ate back then…). The garden setting is nice, the food very tasty and the bread is baked in a big mud-clay oven.

Plaza PardoMEXICAN$$

(%784-842-00-59; www.facebook.com/RestaurantePlazaPardo; Enríquez 105, 1st fl; mains M$85-170; h7:30am-11:30pm; W)

There’s no place better to absorb the atmosphere of Papantla than the Plaza Pardo’s delightful balcony overlooking the zócalo. While the interior is perfectly pleasant, it’s a big step down in romance and views. The menu offers a large range of antojitos, fish and meats, all cooked in pleasant but unmemorable ways.

Restaurante la ParroquiaINTERNATIONAL$$

(%784-842-01-21; http://hoteltajin.mx/restaurantes; Núñez y Domínguez 104, Hotel Tajín; mains M$75-140; h8am-10pm; aW)

With its exposed stone arches, this hotel bar-restaurant has plenty of atmosphere (particularly on the poolside terrace) and an extensive international menu that runs the gamut from antojitos and enchiladas to burgers. It also serves cocktails made with locally produced vanilla extract.

oÁgora Alta CocinaFUSION$$$

(%784-842-75-64; www.facebook.com/agorapapantla; Libertad 301, 3rd fl; mains M$295-1250; aW)

An unexpected surprise in a quiet residential part of town, Ágora Alta Cocina is indeed high – both in terms of location and the sky-high aspirations. The food? Nicely executed fusion, from smoked salmon with pear, goat’s cheese and asparagus to delicate, herb-filled Asian-style shrimp and noodle soup and seared steak. Attentive young service and good desserts, too.

7Shopping

Here in Mexico’s leading vanilla-growing center, you’ll find quality vanilla extract, vanilla pods and figuras (pods woven into the shapes of flowers, insects or crucifixes). There’s a good artisan store on the southwest corner of the zócalo. You’ll also encounter traditional Totonac clothing and handmade baskets.

8Information

A Tourist office (Reforma 100; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri) A kiosk inside the Ayuntamiento building, off the zócalo. It offers helpful maps of the town center and the surrounding region.

8Getting There & Away

A few long-distance buses leave from Papantla’s Terminal ADO (%784-101-35-01; cnr Juárez & Venustiano Carranza), a short, steep walk from the center. Taxis from the ADO to the center are M$25. You can make bus reservations online (www.ado.com.mx) or at the ticket counter (Juan Enríquez s/n; h9am-5pm) just east of the plaza. At the Terminal Transportes Papantla (cnr Av 20 de Noviembre & Olivo), just off the plaza by the Pemex station, Transportes Papantla (TP) serves the coastal towns to the south and has slightly less expensive buses to Poza Rica and Tuxpan.

BUSES FROM PAPANTLA

First-class ADO services include the following:

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Mexico City (Terminal Norte)	200-296	4-5	7
Tuxpan	92	2	8
Veracruz	224	4¼	4
Xalapa	314	4¼	7

El Tajín

This evocative and under-visited ancient city was ‘rediscovered’ accidentally by an officious Spaniard looking for illegal tobacco plantations in 1785. Today, one of the best-preserved and important pre-Hispanic cities in Mesoamerica, El Tajín’s pyramids and temples burst off a plain surrounded by low, verdant hills 7km west of Papantla. These extensive ruins are the most impressive reminder of Classic Veracruz civilization. Try to come and visit as late in the day as possible in order to catch the reddening sky, bubbling clouds and reflective calm of the site shortly before closing.

Among El Tajín’s special features are rows of square niches on the sides of buildings, numerous ball courts, and sculptures depicting human sacrifice connected with the ball game. Archaeologist José García Payón believed that El Tajín’s niches and stone mosaics symbolized day and night, light and dark, and life and death in a universe composed of dualities.

History

It was originally thought that El Tajín (the name is Totonac for ‘thunder,’ ‘lightning’ or ‘hurricane’) was settled in three phases between BC 100 and AD 1200, but the most recent research suggests that it reached its zenith as a city and ceremonial center between AD 800 and 900. Around 1200 the site was abandoned, possibly after a fire and attacks by Chichimecs. Quickly engulfed by the jungle, it lay unknown to the Spanish until 1785.

1Sights

The El Tajín site (off Hwy 127; M$70; h9am-5pm) stretches across 10 sq km. To see everything, you’ll walk a few kilometers over a couple of hours. There’s little shade and it can get blazingly hot, so come early or late. Most buildings and carvings have some sort of labeling in English and Spanish, but a guide would greatly aid your understanding of the ruins.

oPirámide de los NichosARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

El Tajín’s most emblematic structure, the beautifully proportioned Pyramid of the Niches, is just off the Plaza Menor. The six lower levels, each surrounded by rows of small square niches, climb to 18m. Archaeologists believe that there were originally 365 niches, suggesting that the building may have been used as a kind of calendar. In its heyday, it was painted red with black niches.

Museo El TajínMUSEUM

(h9am-5pm)

Do drop in to the on-site museum at entrance to the El Tajín site (included in your ticket price) to see an excellent model of the site. It also displays a collection of statuary, pottery, delicate bas reliefs and part of a burial site from the ruins.

Juego de Pelota de Las PinturasARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

The Juego de Pelota de las Pinturas (Ball Court of the Paintings), to one side of the Pirámide de los Nichos, is so called as it has two very impressively preserved red and blue geometric friezes on its north-facing side.

El Tajín ChicoARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

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 geometric stone mosaic patterns known as ‘Greco’ (Greek).

The path north toward Plaza El Tajín Chico passes the Juego de Pelota Norte (Northern Ball Court), which is smaller and older than the southern court and has fainter carvings on its sides.

The raised boardwalk gives an excellent view of the lower site.

Edificio I, probably once a palace, has some terrific carvings and beautifully preserved, blue, yellow and red paintwork. Edificio C, on the east side, with three levels and a staircase facing the plaza, was initially painted blue and sports some unusual whorled decorations. Edificio A, on the plaza’s north side, has an arch construction known as a corbeled arch, with two sides jutting closer to each other until they are joined at the top by a single slab, which is typical of Maya architecture. Its presence here is yet another oddity in the jigsaw puzzle of pre-Hispanic cultures.

Northwest of Plaza El Tajín Chico is the unreconstructed Plaza de las Columnas (Plaza of the Columns), one of the site’s most important structures. It originally housed a large open patio and adjoining buildings stretching over the hillside. Some wonderful reassembled carved columns are displayed in the museum.

Juego de Pelota SurARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

(Southern Ball Court)

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 relief carvings on its walls that depict various aspects of the ball-game ritual.

The panel on the northeast corner is the easiest to make out: in the center, three ball-players perform a ritual post-game sacrifice with one player ready to plunge a knife into the chest of another, whose arms are held by the third player. Death gods and a presiding figure look on. The other panels depict various scenes of ceremonial drinking of pulque (a milky, low-alcohol brew made from the maguey plant).

Plaza MenorPLAZA

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 ceremonial center and possible marketplace, with a low platform in the middle. All of the structures around this plaza were probably topped by small temples, with some decorated with red or blue paint, traces of which remain.

zFestivals & Events

oVoladores PerformancesCULTURAL

A 30m-high voladores pole stands outside the entrance to the ruins. Totonacs perform the voladores rite (which was traditionally carried out only once a year) three times per day beside the visitor center. Before they start, a performer in Totonac regalia requests donations (around M$20 per person should suffice) from the audience.

8Information

The visitor center (off Hwy 127; h9am-5pm) has a left-luggage room and information desk. Those seeking more information should look for the book Tajín: Mystery and Beauty, by Leonardo Zaleta, sometimes available in several languages in the souvenir shops.

A multilingual guide service is available for M$300 per hour for one to six people.

8Getting There & Away

Frequent buses come from Poza Rica. From Papantla, buses (M$20) marked ‘Pirámides Tajín’ leave every 20 minutes or so from Calle 16 de Septiembre, directly behind Hotel Tajín. The site is 300m from the highway – buses drop you off near the market, before the entrance to Tajín. Taxis to/from Papantla cost M$80. There are usually one or two waiting outside the ruins.

Tecolutla

%766 / Pop 4591

This lazy seaside town, with a reasonable strip of sand and a slew of seafood restaurants and cheap hotels nearby, passes for one of Veracruz’ more pleasant beachfronts. Cancún this most definitely isn’t. Instead, the place is as dead as a doornail midweek, though on weekends, in high summer and during Semana Santa it’s a different story. There are banks and ATMs on the plaza.

1Sights & Activities

Playa TecolutlaBEACH

Stretching for miles, this black-sand beach is extremely popular with Mexican holidaymakers. On weekends and holidays it’s packed with families picnicking on plastic chairs by the water, buying snacks from wandering vendors, riding giant inflatable bananas and splashing in the waves. On weekdays, expect to have the place largely to yourself.

oGrupo Ecologista Vida MilenariaVOLUNTEERING

(%766-846-04-67; www.vidamilenaria.org.mx; Niños Héroes 1; donation required; h7am-9pm May-Nov) S

This small turtle conservation place (at the beach end of Niños Héroes) is run by Fernando Manzano Cervantes, known locally as ‘Papá Tortuga.’ In addition to educating the public, he has been effectively protecting and releasing green and Kemp’s ridley turtles here for over 35 years. Visitors gather in droves to watch baby-turtle releases most mornings in season.

If you stop by, think about buying a souvenir because this is a privately funded show. Volunteers are especially needed here in April and May, when patrolling the beaches (35km worth) and collecting the turtle eggs is imperative (when possible the eggs are left in their original nest site but at others time they’re reburied in a safer area). Most of the patrolling is done at night between 10pm and 6am. Camping and the use of kitchen and bathroom facilities is free to volunteers.

The highest number of turtles are released in June, but in late October you can join hundreds of locals in celebrating the release of the baby turtles in the Festival de Las Tortugas.

TTours

Boat TripsBOATING

(off Ribera del Río; per group M$400-500)

Walk toward the Río Tecolutla on Emilio Carranza and you’ll hit the embarcadero (pier), where boats will take you fishing or through dense mangrove forests rich with wildlife, including pelicans.

4Sleeping & Eating

Budget and midrange hotels abound in this tourist-reliant town. Smarter options are outside the town itself, but there are plenty of cheap hotels near the plaza, and nicer ones toward the ocean.

Aqua Inn HotelHOTEL$

(%766-846-03-58; www.tecolutla.com.mx/aquainn; cnr Aldama & Av Obregón; r from M$700; paWs)

This modern place in the middle of town and a short walk from the water has clean, functional rooms, all with cable TV. It has a small rooftop pool and a cool cafe and restaurant. Prices drop steeply outside high season, making it a bargain during off-peak times.

oHotel AzúcarDESIGN HOTEL$$$

(%232-321-06-78; www.hotelazucar.com; Carretera Federal Nautla-Poza Rica Km 83.5; r incl breakfast from US$283; paWs)

Some 45km south of Tecolutla, this impressive beachside design hotel goes for the minimalist Zen look. The rooms are scorching white with rustic-chic decor, gorgeous whitewashed public areas topped in thatch, a sumptuous pool, an impressive spa and a sublimely laid-back restaurant.

oEl Camarón DesveladoSEAFOOD$

(%766-846-02-35; Aldama s/n; mains M$50-120; h8am-9pm)

The Sleepless Shrimp is the busiest of the seafood restaurants in town, briskly serving platters of arroz a la tumbada (seafood rice with a tomato base), garlic shrimp, octopus in its own ink and fish stuffed with seafood, among other ocean goodies.

Taquería Los JairosSTREET FOOD$

(cnr Obregón & Hidalgo; tacos M$60; h9am-10pm)

Perch at one of the plastic tables at this bustling taco joint, order a plate of tacos pastór (with shawarma-like pork), cabeza (with cow head meat) or suadero (cut of beef between the belly and the leg), slather some salsa on it and wash it down with a michelada (beer with lime juice, spices and salt on the rim). Perfect.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Porteño CaféCOFFEE

(cnr Aldama & Av Obregón; h8am-10pm)

This handy town center cafe serves a full range of lecheros (coffee with milk), espressos, lattes and cappucinos, as well as frappés and iced coffees for those hot days at the beach. Coffee’s the draw here, but there’s also a supporting cast of bocadillos (sandwiches).

8Getting There & Away

Tecolutla is 41km east of Papantla. There are regular 2nd-class Transportes Papantla buses between Tecolutla and Papantla (M$50) that arrive and depart from outside the church on Avenida Obregón, one block west of the main plaza. There is also a small but swanky 1st-class ADO bus station (cnr Abasolo & Ahumada) a few blocks from the main plaza. Many buses to and from Tecolutla have to transfer through Gutiérrez Zamora. ADO offers services to some major cities including Mexico City’s Terminal Norte (M$404, 5¼ hours, seven daily), as well as services to Papantla (M$68, one hour, eight daily).

Southern Veracruz

Southeast Veracruz is arguably the most beautiful part of the state, and yet tourism is still on a very modest scale. Here you’ll find languorous wetlands, volcano-dappled rainforest, breathtaking lakes, some beautiful beaches along the little-visited Costa de Oro, and the superb Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas, a well-run biosphere reserve that will appeal to anyone wanting to get off the beaten track. The wilder, volcanic portion of the reserve is accessed via San Andrés Tuxtla, whereas the Laguna Catemaco portion is renowned for bird-watching and is closer to the eponymous town. As part of the former heartland of ancient Olmec culture, the area is laden with archaeological sites, not to mention Tlacotalpan, a Unesco World Heritage site that will enchant anyone lucky enough to head this way. If you’re heading south into Tabasco, the unpretty commercial center of Acayucan is a passable stopover.

Tlacotalpan

%288 / Pop 7600

Once an important river port, this Uneco World Heritage town has changed little since the 1820s. The color palette is extraordinary here; the lucid sunsets over the adjacent Río Papaloapan add subtle oranges and yellows to the rainbow of single-story colonial houses, bringing to mind a more soporific Havana.

In September 2010, Tlacotalpan was hit by devastating floods, which inundated 500 historic buildings and prompted the evacuation of 8500 people. The recovery has been remarkable, with only a high watermark drawn onto a wall on Calle Alegre to show how disastrous the flooding was.

Its smattering of ho-hum museums aside, this is the kind of town where the greatest pleasure is found in walking the streets and taking in the atmosphere. Tlacotalpan has two appealing plazas, Parque Hidalgo and Plaza Zaragoza, directly adjacent to each other. Be sure to take a stroll by the riverside and down Cházaro.

1Sights

Capilla de la CandelariaCHURCH

(Parque Hidalgo; h8am-6pm)

Looking a little worn from the outside, the salmon-colored Capilla de la Candelaria dates from 1779 and is furnished with local coral stone.

Parroquía San CristobalCHURCH

(Plaza Zaragoza; h8am-6pm)

This neoclassical church, begun in 1812, is gorgeously painted in blue and white and is the star of Plaza Zaragoza.

Villin MontalioGALLERY

(Av 5 de Mayo 53; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat)

Tlacotalpan is well known for its locally made cedar furniture, including rocking chairs. Drop by this office/workshop to see it being made, and to see some of the finished products on display as well.

Casa Cultural de Agustín LaraMUSEUM

(cnr Carranza & Noel; M$10; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat)

This museum features old photos of Tlacotalpan, and those of tlacotalpeño Agustín Lara (1900–70) – a legendary musician, composer and Casanova – as well as a Frankenstein-lookalike mannequin of the man seated by a piano. Its appeal is perhaps greater to Mexicans than it is to foreign tourists.

Museo Salvador FerrandoMUSEUM

(Alegre 6; M$20; h11am-6pm Tue-Sat, 12:30-7pm Sun)

The Ferrando, named for a Tlacotalpan artist, is the best of Tlacotalpan’s handful of mini-museums. It displays a motley bunch of old cannons, vintage Singer sewing machines, old muskets and paintings of local notables within a charming old colonial mansion.

2Activities

Bici CletandoCYCLING

(%288-100-46-86; Parque Hidalgo; per 30min/1hr/2hr M$25/40/70; h9am-6pm)

Wonderfully flat, Tlacotalpan is a perfect spot for bike riding. You can arrange bike hire through Bici Cletando, which rents out bikes from a stand outside the Capilla de La Candelaria on Plaza Zaragoza.

TTours

Boat RidesBOATING

(1hr M$350)

If you walk the malecón near the restaurants, you’re bound to run into a lanchero (boatman) offering to whisk you down the scenic river for an hour-long boat ride to see a nearby lagoon. It’s not the Amazon, but it’s a lovely way to spend a late afternoon.

zFestivals & Events

Día de la CandelariaRELIGIOUS

(hJan & Feb)

In late January and early February, Tlacotalpan’s huge Candelaria festival features bull-running in the streets. An image of the Virgin is also floated down the river, followed by a flotilla of small boats.

4Sleeping

There’s a smattering of mostly midrange guesthouses inside beautiful colonial buildings. Prices triple or quadruple during the Candelaria holiday, during which reservations, made weeks ahead of time, are essential.

oHotel Doña JuanaGUESTHOUSE$

(%288-884-34-80; http://hoteldonajuana.com; Juan Enríquez 32; r M$600-730; aW)

This is a modern multi-layered building that has small, but very well-kept rooms. The ample use of terracotta colors and statement art make it stand out from many similarly priced places, as do the helpful, smiling staff. Avoid the single dark room with a partial view of the inner courtyard.

Hostal El PatioGUESTHOUSE$

(%288-884-31-97; www.hostalelpatio.com.mx; Alvarado 52; r M$550-650; piW)

This guesthouse combines a warm color scheme with spacious, well-appointed rooms (with rain showers) and a leafy courtyard. The resident miniature schnauzer provides canine love.

Hotel Posada Doña LalaHISTORIC HOTEL$

(%288-884-24-55; http://hoteldonalala.mx; Av Carranza 11; s/d/ste M$650/750/1000; pnaWs)

With its sun-bleached pink facade looking toward the river, Doña Lala is a gorgeous colonial-style hotel with spacious, elegant rooms with high ceilings. For great views try to get a room overlooking the square; half the rooms are dark and face the inner courtyard. It has an excellent restaurant downstairs and even a pool to enjoy.

Hotel Casa del RíoHOTEL$$

(%288-884-29-47; www.casadelrio.com.mx; Cházaro 39; r/ste M$850/1100; naW)

Creating modern, stylish, minimalist rooms in a colonial mansion is definitely a challenge, but the Hotel Casa del Río does a good job of it with its nine spacious offerings. Its best feature is definitely the terrace overlooking the river. Oh, and the breakfast. We liked that a lot! Wi-fi in the lobby only.

5Eating & Drinking

The riverside is lined with fish restaurants that operate from lunchtime to sunset each day, serving up the catch of the day. See which one looks busiest and join the locals. There are several dining options on and around Plaza Zaragoza as well.

Restaurant Doña LalaMEXICAN$$

(Av Carranza 11; mains M$80-180; h7am-10pm; W)

The smartest eating option in town, this place inside the hotel of the same name has a friendly staff and is patronized by a crowd of local eccentrics who vie for the best seats on its terrace. The wide-ranging selection of Mexican dishes won’t disappoint and the locally caught seafood is very good.

RokalaMEXICAN$$

(%288-884-22-92; Plaza Zaragoza; mains M$100-190; h6pm-midnight; W)

With its unbeatable position under the colonial arches on the Plaza Zaragoza, this friendly place with alfresco dining buzzes year-round. Mains range from fresh fish and prawns plucked from the river to meat grills and typical antojitos (snacks). For atmosphere alone it’s a clear winner, but the food itself is only average. Mosquito repellent is a boon in the evenings.

El K-FecitoCAFE

(www.facebook.com/elkfe; Plaza Zaragoza; h5pm-2am)

On the joining point of the two main plazas and serving great coffee, cakes and various simple snacks, El K-Fecito seems to have it all, and becomes packed in the late evening. Bring mosquito repellent.

3Entertainment

Teatro NetzahualcoyotlTHEATER

(Av Carranza; hhours vary)

The gorgeous French-style Teatro Netzahualcoyotl, built in 1891, hosts highbrow events.

8Information

A Tourist Office (%288-884-33-05; www.tlacotalpan-turismo.gob.mx/turismo.html; Plaza Zaragoza, Ayuntamiento; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri) Right on Plaza Zaragoza, with helpful maps and info.

8Getting There & Away

Hwy 175 runs from Tlacotalpan up the Papaloapan valley to Tuxtepec, then twists and turns over the mountains to Oaxaca (320km). The riverside ADO station (%288-884-21-25; Cházaro 37) is situated outside the Mercado Municipal, three blocks east of the center.

BUSES FROM TLACOTALPAN

DESTINATION	COST (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Mexico City (TAPO)	676	8½-11	2
Puebla	285	6½	10pm
San Andrés Tuxtla	108	2	4
Xalapa	292	3	6:20am

DON’T MISS

TRES ZAPOTES

One of Veracruz’s most important archaeological sites, the late-Olmec settlement of Tres Zapotes, lies around 21km west of Santiago Tuxtla. The site was an Olmec settlement for over 2000 years, from around 1200 BC to AD 1000, and was probably first inhabited while the great Olmec center of La Venta (Tabasco) still flourished. After the destruction of La Venta (about 400 BC), the city carried on in what archaeologists call an ‘epi-Olmec’ phase – the period during which the Olmec culture dwindled, as other civilizations (notably Izapa and Maya) came to the fore.

Tres Zapotes is now just a series of mounds in cornfields, but the eponymous archaeological museum (%294-947-01-96; www.inah.gob.mx/es/red-de-museos/226-museo-de-sitio-de-tres-zapotes; Estela Nuñez, Tres Zapotes; M$40; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun) showcases important finds from the site. The biggest piece, Stela A, depicts three human figures in the mouth of a jaguar. Other pieces include a sculpture of what may have been a captive with hands tied behind his back, and the upturned face of a woman carved into a throne or altar. The Olmecs preceded Mexico’s other major civilizations, and are notable for sculpting giant human heads, a 1.5m example of which, dating from 100 BC, takes pride of place in the museum. The museum attendant is happy to answer questions in Spanish or give a tour (tipping is appreciated).

From Santiago Tuxtla, take a 2nd-class bus (M$35) or taxi (M$40/140 colectivo/private). If driving, the road to Tres Zapotes goes southwest from Santiago Tuxtla; a ‘Zona Arqueológica’ sign points the way from Hwy 180. Eight kilometers down this road, you fork right onto a paved stretch for the last 13km to Tres Zapotes. It comes out at a T-junction, from where you go left then left again to reach the museum.

Santiago Tuxtla

%294 / Pop 15,500 / Elev 300m

Santiago Tuxtla centers on a lovely, verdant main plaza – one of the state’s prettiest and all atweet with Mexican grackles – and is surrounded by the rolling green foothills of the volcanic Sierra de los Tuxtlas. It’s far more laid-back and considerably more charming than its built-up neighbor San Andrés, with its plaza strewn with women arm-in-arm, couples lip-to-lip and shoes getting vigorously shined. Its museum and its giant Olmec head alone make it worth a visit.

1Sights

Olmec HeadMONUMENT

(Plaza Olmeca)

Dominating the main plaza, this stone monolith is known as the ‘Cobata Head,’ after the estate where it was found. Thought to be a very late Olmec production, it’s the biggest known Olmec head, weighing in at 40 tonnes, and is unique in that its eyes are closed.

Museo TuxtecoMUSEUM

(%294-947-10-76; Plaza Olmeca; M$50; h9am-5pm Tue-Sun)

This 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 particular emphasis on the Olmecs, Mexico’s first known major civilization. Artifacts include a Totonac effigy of a woman who died in childbirth, ceramic plates used in human-sacrifice ceremonies on the Isla de Sacrificios, Olmec stone carvings (including a colossal head), a monkey-faced hacha (ax) with obsidian eyes, and a Tres Zapotes altar replica.

4Sleeping & Eating

oMesón de SantiagoHOTEL$

(%294-947-16-70; Calle 5 de Mayo No 8; d M$760; paWs)

With a well-preserved colonial exterior and enormous, creeper-covered trees in the peaceful courtyard, this fantastic place right on the main plaza is unexpected in such a quiet and little-visited place. Rooms are tastefully decorated, with deeply burnished wood furniture, beautifully tiled bathrooms and domed staircases. The small pool was looking a little neglected when we visited.

La JoyaMEXICAN$

(%294-947-01-77; cnr Juárez & Comonfort; mains M$50-80; h7am-11pm)

The plastic tablecloths, alfresco-only chairs and rustic open-to-view kitchen scream ‘Moctezuma’s revenge,’ but fear not: La Joya delivers where it matters – good, tasty Mexican food. It’s on a corner of the main plaza, to one side of the Olmec head.

8Getting There & Away

Most buses arrive and depart from the bus station near the junction of Morelos and the highway. ADO buses stop on the highway, at the corner with Guerrero. To get to the center, continue down Morelos, then turn right into Ayuntamiento, which leads to the main plaza, a few blocks away.

All local and regional buses and colectivos taxis to San Andrés Tuxtla are frequent and stop at the junction of Morales and Hwy 180. A private taxi between the towns is M$80. Frequent 2nd-class buses also go to Catemaco, Veracruz, Acayucan and Tlacotalpan.

Taxis to Tres Zapotes (Zaragoza) leave from the Sitio Puente Real, on the far side of the pedestrian bridge at the foot of Zaragoza (the street going downhill beside the Santiago Tuxtla museum).

BUSES FROM SANTIAGO TUXTLA

First-class bus services include the following:

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Córdoba	304	4hr	3
Mexico City	334-744	9½hr	6
Puebla	438-588	6¾-7½hr	4
San Andrés Tuxtla	52	20min	18
Tlacotalpan	90	1½hr	3
Veracruz	93-192	2¾hr	9
Villahermosa	322	5¾hr	8:50pm
Xalapa	234	4¾hr	3

San Andrés Tuxtla

%294 / Pop 63,800 / Elev 360m

Like a lot of modern towns, San Andrés puts function before beauty. The busy service center of the Las Tuxtlas region is best used for bus connections and link-ups to its more enticing peripheral sights, including a volcano and a giant waterfall. Cigar aficionados will definitely want to visit, as San Andrés is Mexico’s cigar capital. The center of town is orderly, with a soaring orange and yellow tiled church on the main plaza.

1Sights

oSalto de EyipantlaWATERFALL

(Salto de Eyipantla; M$10; h8am-6pm)

Twelve kilometers southeast of San Andrés, in the eponymous village, a 250-step staircase leads down to the absolutely spectacular Salto de Eyipantla, a 50m-high, 40m-wide waterfall. To avoid the steps (and a soaking), you can also enjoy it from a mirador (lookout). Follow Hwy 180 east for 4km to Sihuapan, then turn right to Eyipantla. Frequent TLT buses (M$15) and shared taxis (M$30) run from San Andrés, leaving from the corner of Cabada and 5 de Mayo, near the market. Part of Mel Gibson’s movie Apocalypto was filmed here.

4Sleeping & Eating

Hotel Posada San MartínHOTEL$

(%294-942-10-36; Av Juárez 304; s/d/tr M$490/575/660; paWs)

Midway between the main road and the main plaza, this hacienda-style posada is a good deal and a very unexpected find. It has a pool set in a peaceful garden and antiques scattered about its public areas. The rooms are spacious and clean and all have charmingly tiled sinks.

oMr Taco SegoviaSTREET FOOD$

(www.facebook.com/Mr.TacoSegovia; cnr Madero & Allende; tacos M$8; h6pm-2am)

Satisfying late-night munchies for over 20 years, this taco stand is a study in nose-to-tail eating, Mexico-style. Watch the guys fry up the tortillas and top them with suadero (cut of beef from between the belly and the leg), tripita (tripe), seso (brain) and more, and add some spice with homemade salsa.

8Information

A Tourist Office (Madero 1; h8:30am-3:30pm) The tiny office inside the Palacio Municipal has up-to-date info on the Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas.

8Getting There & Away

San Andrés is the transportation center for Los Tuxtlas, with fairly good bus services in every direction. First-class buses with ADO and 2nd-class with AU depart from their respective stations (%294-942-08-71; cnr Juárez & Blvd 5 de Febrero) on Juárez just off the Santiago Tuxtla– Catemaco highway, and about a 10-minute walk from the center.

Frequent colectivo taxis (5 de Mayo s/n) to Catemaco and Santiago leave from the market – they’re the fastest way of getting to local destinations but cost a fraction more than the rickety 2nd-class TLT buses that also leave from a block north of the market and skirt down the north side of town on Blvd 5 de Febrero (Hwy 180).

BUSES FROM SAN ANDRéS TUXTLA

The services listed run from ADO.

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Córdoba	314	4½	3
Mexico City (TAPO)	642-744	9½-10½	5
Puebla	414-596	7½-8¼	4
Santiago Tuxtla	52	½	17
Tlacotalpan	108	2	3
Veracruz	196	3	15
Xalapa	317	5	6

Catemaco

%294 / Pop 29,000 / Elev 340m

The sleepy town of Catemaco is an unlikely traveler hot spot, and yet it’s the obvious base for exploring Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas. Small and a little scruffy, it’s reminiscent of a dusty backpacker destination from the 1980s, but without a significant number of backpackers. With a long tradition of witchcraft – including shamans who will exorcise your nasty spirits – a gorgeous lakeside setting, proximity to great bird-watching opportunities, swimming holes and pristine, isolated beaches, Catemaco makes a good base for exploring the area.

Catemaco

1Sights

1Basílica del CarmenB2

4Sleeping

2Hotel AcuarioB2

3Hotel Los ArcosB2

5Eating

4Il FiorentinoC3

5La Casa de Los TesorosB3

6La OlaB3

1Sights

Basílica del CarmenCHURCH

(map Google map Zócalo; h8am-6pm)

Catemaco’s main church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily to its position as a pilgrimage site for the Virgen del Carmen. It’s said she appeared to a fisherman in a cave by Laguna Catemaco in 1664, in conjunction with a volcanic eruption. A statue of the virgin resides in the church and is venerated on her feast day every July 16.

The intricate interior and haunting stained glass of the church belie its modernity; the current building only dates from 1953, though it looks at least a century older.

THE WITCHING HOUR

On the first Friday in March each year, hundreds of brujos (shamans), witches and healers from all over Mexico descend on Catemaco to perform a mass cleansing ceremony on Cerro Mono Blanco, a little way north of the town. The event is designed to rid them of the previous year’s negative energies, though in recent years the whole occasion has become more commercial than supernatural. Floods of Mexicans also head into town at this time to grab a shamanic consultation or limpia (cleansing), and eat, drink and be merry in a bizarre mix of otherworldly fervor and hedonistic indulgence.

Witchcraft traditions in this part of Veracruz go back centuries, mixing ancient indigenous beliefs, Spanish medieval traditions and voodoo practices from West Africa. Many of these brujos multitask as medicine men or women (using both traditional herbs and modern pharmaceuticals) and shrinks, or black magicians who cast evil spells on enemies of their clients. Catemaco is known for its brotherhood of 13 prominent brujos (Los Hermanos), who are seen as the high priests of their profession. If you want to arrange a consultation, it’s best to take advice from locals, to find out what services are provided during the rituals and how much you’re likely to be paying, and also to avoid scammers.

4Sleeping & Eating

oPosada BugambileaGUESTHOUSE$

(%294-110-01-80; 20 de Octobre 5; s/d M$300/450)

On the edge of town and drowning in bougainvillea blossoms, with kittens playing on the patio, this yellow guesthouse is run by the loveliest proprietress in town, who’ll shower you with advice and attention. Rooms are spacious and airy and benefit from the quiet you won’t find in the town center. Hammocks on the upstairs terrace catch the breeze.

Hotel Los ArcosHOTEL$

(map Google map %294-943-00-03; www.arcoshotel.com.mx; Madero 7; r/q from M$720/766; paWs)

This one of the better options in the town itself. Centrally located, it’s a friendly, well-run place with small rooms and reasonably stable wi-fi. Each room has its own semi-private outdoor space and seating area. There’s even a (very) small pool. Sound carries, though, so you may feel as if you’re in bed with your neighbors.

Hotel AcuarioHOTEL$

(map Google map %294-943-04-18; cnr Boettinger & Carranza; r/tr from M$593/759; pW)

This friendly budget accommodations option has 25 clean rooms that are located just off the zócalo. It is well kept, though plain and fan-cooled. Some of the rooms have balconies and views – try to book one of these, as rooms situated at the back of the hotel lack natural light. Cable TV is a bonus.

La Casa de Los TesorosCAFE$

(map Google map %294-943-29-10; Aldama 4; mains M$50-120; h10am-10pm Mon-Thu, 9am-10pm Fri-Sun; W)

This very popular hippie-styled place is part cafe-restaurant, part used bookstore (spot some vintage LP guides here), part gallery and part arty gift shop, selling locally produced handicrafts. It’s renowned among locals for its breakfasts (build-your-own omelettes) in particular, but there are also burgers, root-beer floats and more. There’s also a good range of herbal teas.

La OlaSEAFOOD$$

(map Google map Paseo del Malecón s/n; mains M$80-175; h11am-9pm; W)

A vast waterfront restaurant on the malecón, serving all the seafood you could want, including reasonable pargo (red snapper), barbecued shrimp and more.

Il FiorentinoITALIAN$$

(map Google map %294-943-27-97; Paseo del Malecón 11; mains M$100-160; h6:30-11pm; W)

Smarter than your average Italian-abroad restaurant, Il Fiorentino serves handmade pasta, Piedmontese wine, cappuccinos and great cake. It’s on the malecón and run by an Italian – of course.

8Getting There & Away

ADO and AU buses operate from a lakeside bus terminal (cnr Paseo del Malecón & Revolución). Local 2nd-class TLT buses (Hwy 180) run from a bus station 700m west of the plaza by the highway junction and are a bit cheaper and more frequent than the 1st-class buses. Colectivo taxis arrive and depart from El Cerrito (Carranza s/n), a small hill about 400m to the west of the plaza on Carranza.

To arrive at communities surrounding the lake and toward the coast, take inexpensive piratas (colectivo pickups). They leave from a stop five blocks north of the bus station, on the corner of Lerdo de Tejada and Revolución.

BUSES FROM CATEMACO

ADO’s 1st-class bus services include the following:

DESTINATION	FARE (M$)	DURATION (HR)	FREQUENCY (DAILY)
Mexico City	342-463	10-11	6
Puebla	330-468	8-8¾	4
San Andrés Tuxtla	38	½	16
Santiago Tuxtla	52	1	14
Veracruz	92-204	3½-4	11
Xalapa	198	5½	4

Reserva de la Biosfera Los Tuxtlas

The various nature reserves around San Andrés Tuxtla and Catemaco were conglomerated in 2006 into this biosphere reserve under Unesco protection. This unique volcanic region, rising 1680m above the coastal plains of southern Veracruz, lies 160km east of the Cordillera Neovolcánica, making it something of an ecological anomaly. Its complex vegetation is considered the northernmost limit of rainforest in the Americas. The nature reserve spans the Laguna Catemaco and its surrounds, and its heart is the Volcán San Martín, at the bottom of which sits the village of Ruíz Cortines. Despite its many charms, the region receives few international visitors and has little tourism infrastructure. This all makes it a wonderful area to explore for those with a love of nature and the offbeat. Get the latest update on Ruíz Cortines at the San Andrés tourist office, and take a local guide with you, as locals are wary of strangers.

1Sights

Laguna EncantadaLAKE

(off Valencia)

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. Some locals advise not walking by the lake alone as muggings have occurred in the past; check with the guides at the nearby Yambigapan homestay for updates.

Cerro de VenadoNATURE RESERVE

(off Valencia; M$10; h8am-6pm) S

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. There are 500 steps up to a 650m hill with fabulous views of San Andrés Tuxtla, lake and mountains.

2Activities

Ruíz CortinesHIKING

(%cell 294-1005035; Ejido Ruíz Cortines; campsites/cabañas M$70/450) S

Tucked at the base of a volcano, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas and offers horseback riding, and hikes to caves. Its highlight is the breathtaking all-day hike up Volcán San Martín (1748m). A taxi from San Andrés Tuxtla costs M$120, while a pirata (pickup truck) costs M$30.

4Sleeping & Eating

Yambigapan Estancia RuralCAMPGROUND$

(%294-115-76-34; www.facebook.com/Restaurant Yambigapan; Camino a Arroyo Seco Km 3.5; camping per person M$35, s/d M$350/450; p) S

Three kilometers or so from San Andrés Tuxtla, this family-run rural homestay has two very rustic cabañas with spectacular views. Not to be missed are the cooking classes from the doña of the house, Amelia, who will teach you traditional Mexican cooking and its history (in Spanish) in her homey kitchen for M$250. Taxi (around M$45) is the easiest way to arrive.

There’s a great restaurant on the premises; swimming in the nearby river, Arroyo Seco; and guided hikes. An all-day summit of Volcán San Martín can also be arranged. If you’re counting your pesos, ask a pirata (pickup truck) going to Ruíz Cortines to leave you at the turnoff and follow the signs for Yambigapan that eventually lead you up a long dirt driveway. It should cost about M$10.

YambigapanMEXICAN$

(%294-115-76-34; www.facebook.com/Restaurant Yambigapan; Camino a Arroyo Seco Km 3.5; mains M$70-100; h9am-5pm Sat & Sun; W)

This small cozy restaurant (open weekends only), serving exceptionally tasty and interesting local dishes whipped up by the talented doña Amelia, is found at the campground of the same name situated on the banks of the Laguna Encantada, located just 3km from San Andrés.

8Getting There & Away

From San Andrés Tuxtla, there are piratas (pickup trucks) and colectivo taxis to Ruíz Cortines; these pass by Laguna Encantada. From Catemaco, piratas and colectivo taxis ply the lakeshore road along the Laguna Catemaco.

Costa de Oro

%294

From Catemaco, a mostly paved, 92km-long road runs toward the coast, passing through what’s known as ‘the Switzerland of Mexico’ (presumably because of the green hills and cows) before it reaches the lagoon-side town of Sontecomapan, known for its boat trips through the mangroves. Further north along the coast, it passes by the idyllic fishing villages or La Barra and Montepío, renowned for their seafood, and several beautiful, pristine beaches, including those at the appropriately named villages of Playa Hermosa and Costo de Oro, before turning inland again and rejoining Hwy 180, some 22km north of Santiago Tuxtla. Take a day or two to slowly explore some of least-visited and most beautiful parts of the Veracruz coast.

1Sights

Playa EscondidaBEACH

Traveling north, turn right off the main road onto a dirt road just before Balzapote village. Follow a gorgeous wreck of a road for 10 minutes to a moldering relic of a hotel. From there, you’ll find a path leading to a long set of crumbling stairs going to Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach), which earns its name: during the work week in the low season, you’ll probably have the gorgeous blond sands and turquoise waters to yourself.

This used to be a nude beach in the ’70s and ’80s. For our money, this is probably the single best beach in the whole state.

La BarraVILLAGE

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 including a tour of the mangroves on the way), or via a bumpy side road going east from La Palma, 8km north of Sontecomapan. Do not miss a lunch of super-fresh catch of the day at one of the seafood-serving palapas.

2Activities

Laguna de SontecomapanBOATING

In the town of Sontecomapan, 15km north of Catemaco, there are some lagoonside eateries where you can hire a boat (for up to six people) for an hour-long jaunt through the beautiful mangroves (M$450) or for a trip to La Barra (M$650 for the whole boat or M$100 per person). From Catemaco you can catch a taxi (M$70) or pirata (M$20) to Sontecomapan.

Pozo de los EnanosSWIMMING

(Sontecomapan)

The idyllic Pozo de los Enanos (Well of the Dwarfs) swimming hole, where local youths launch, Tarzanlike, from ropes into the water, is a five-minute walk from the boat landing in Sontecomapan.

4Sleeping & Eating

oRancho Los AmigosECOLODGE$

(%294-107-46-99, 294-100-78-87; www.losamigos.com.mx; Sontecomapan; incl breakfast dm M$270, cabañas 2 people M$580-900, 6 people M$1200-1700; W) S

Los Amigos is a well-run, peaceful retreat close to where the Laguna Sontecomapan enters the ocean. The fantastic cabañas tucked into the verdant hillside have lovely hammocked balconies with spectacular views of the bay. There are nature trails to a beautiful lookout, and a restaurant serving fresh seafood. The boat ride there from Sontecomapan is about 20 minutes.

Kayaking in the mangroves, yoga and relaxing in a traditional herbal steam room (temascal) are among the get-away-from-it-all attractions.

oLa BarraSEAFOOD$

(mains M$70-120; h10am-9pm)

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.

DON’T MISS

LAGO DE CATEMACO

To explore Laguna Catemaco, there are lancheros along the malecón in Catemaco offering boat trips. Boats can be paid for colectivo (ie per place) or can be hired for up to six people. Expect to pay M$120 for a colectivo (in busy times only) or M$650 for a private lancha for an hour’s boat trip. You can visit several islands on the lake; on the largest, Isla Tenaspi, Olmec sculptures have been discovered. Isla de los Changos (Monkey Island) shelters red-cheeked monkeys, originally from Thailand. They belong to the Universidad Veracruzana, which acquired them for research.

On the northeast shore of the lake, 8km or so from Catemaco, the Reserva Ecológica de Nanciyaga (%294-943-01-99; www.nanciyaga.com; Carretera Catemaco-Coyame; hcabin reservations 9am-2pm & 4-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat; p) S is a kind of reserve within a reserve and pushes an indigenous theme in a small tract of rainforest. The grounds are replete with a temascal (traditional herbal steam room), a ye olde planetarium and Olmec-themed decor. Day visitors are welcome. One night’s lodging (M$1780 for two people with meals) in solar-powered rustic cabins includes a mineral mud bath, a massage, a guided walk and kayak use. Only you can say whether a torchlit walk to the communal bathrooms at night thrills you or repels you, but it’s a fantastic amid-unbridled-nature experience. From Catemaco, arrive by pirata (M$12), taxi (M$90) or boat (around M$60 per person).

Follow the lake’s eastern shore along perhaps the most potholed road in the history of Mexico for another 8km and you can reach the rustic-chic (read: a bit rundown) Prashanti Tebanca (%294-115-88-86; www.prashanti.com.mx; Camino Laguna Catemaco Km 17; r M$750-2000; pas). It’s a bit more plush than Nanciyaga (rooms have their own bathrooms, for example), but since it’s in the middle of nowhere, all meals and activities, such as kayaking and boat rides, are best booked in advance.

8Getting There & Away

Piratas (pickup trucks) run reasonably frequently from Catemaco to Montepío (M$40) via Sontecomapan (M$15). For La Barra, if you don’t have your own wheels, it’s best to take a boat from Sontecomapan. Piratas beyond Montepío are infrequent, so to drive the whole Costa de Oro it’s best to have your own car.

The road is mostly paved, but somewhat potholed, and with one really slow stretch of giant cobblestones near the turnoff for Playa Escondida and Balzapote.