Veracruz, Veracruz

In 1518, amid much political scheming and intrigue, Diego Velazquez, Governor General of Cuba, sent Hernán Cortés as Capitan General of a new voyage of exploration and conquest. In 1519 Cortés reached Tobasco and began his explorations. Among the coral reefs, near the mouth of the Cotaxtla river, he found what he felt would be a defensable, ideal port. So was founded La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, The Rich City of the True Cross.

The first incarnation of the city was just up-river from the eventual location and is now known as La Antigua.

This, the oldest European city on the North American mainland, has seen other invasions since the Spanish landed, including one by France and two by the United States. Today, Vera Cruz is not only Mexico's busiest port, but also arguably its most diverse city.

The citizens of Vera Cruz have origens as diverse as France, Germany, various portions of Africa, as well as Spain and the indigenous peoples of Mexico.

The coral surrounding Vera Cruz is comparable to the tongue and groove reefs off the Yucatan. Trans-oceanic commerce over the past five centuries has engendered numerous unfortunate contacts between the coral reefs and shipping, which has created a system of artificial reefs to complement the natural coral systems. The beaches are similar to South Padre. But for some reason, most of the visitors to Vera Cruz are Europeans or folks from other parts of Mexico. Travelers from the United States and Canada just haven't realized the unique paradise they have been flying over to get to their more traditional vacation locations.

Walking about Los Portales at night, the most distinctive music to great your happy ears will be done to a marimba beat. And should you be lucky enough to hear it during the incredible Veracruz Carnival, the beat will sweep you all over town.

Beaches • Playas

• Playa de Hornos is right in town, located near where Av. Echevirria meets Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho. Urban beach setting.
  
• Playa Villa del MarA little further down Mlvd. Manuel Acila Camacho, near the intersection with Av. Bolivar.
  
• Isla de los Sacrificios Guess what the Spaniard witnessed the Indians doing here, to give it such a name? Accessible by water taxi.
• Playa Costa de Oro de Mocambo Near the intersection of Camacho and Ejército Mexicano. One of the best beaches in town. You can rent boats, snorkeling gear, and waterskis here.
  
• Playas de Boca del RioBest food in the galaxy can be found in the palapas on these beaches. Veracruz-style cooking was invented here.

Hotels • Hoteles

• Hotel Avenida. Esq. Diaz Miron at Uribe. A bit off the beaten path but a definite bargain.
  

  
  

• Hotel Acapulco. Esq. Diaz Miron at Uribe. Across from the Hotel Avenida and similar in its limited amenities. Cheap but clean.
  

     
  

  Budget • Económico

  • Monaco (229) 932-7254. Allende No. 2421. 26 rooms. *
  • Santillana (229) 932-3116. Landera y Coss #209. 42 rooms.**
  • San Martin (229)-937-3501. Simon Bólivar No. 70. 63 rooms. **
  • Amparo(229)932-2738. www.hotelamparo.com.mx. Cable TV. Two blocks from zocalo & Malecon. Five minutes from Aquarium. 10 minutes from main bus station. Aquiles Serdán No. 482. 63 rooms.**
  • DeportivoAcross from the ecosports park. This is the absolute bottom-dollar. A night is cheaper than two hours.
    

    
    

  • San Angel (229) 931-0201. Flores Magon No. 851. 52 rooms. ***
  • Ziami(229) 932-1802. 10 de Mayo No. 1592. 42 rooms. ***
  • Central(229) 935-0999. Diaz Miron No. 1612. 130 rooms. ***
  • Hacienda Don Pedro (229) 935-0999. Mar Ariatico No. 76. 28 rooms. ***
  • Real del Mar (229) 937-3634. Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho No. 2702. 50 rooms. ***
  • Fiesta Veracruz (229)939-1460. Icazo No. 1377. 50 rooms. ***
  • Hostal Noels (229) 932-9143. Urano 13 & 14 esq. Calle 7. 22 room. ****
  • El Faro (229) 931-7676. 16 de Septiembre No. 223. 28 rooms. ***
  • La Sirena 229-931-4986. Gomez Farias No. 45. 59 rooms. ***
  • Concha Dorada Miguel Lerdo No. 75. Near Los Portales. Historic. Restaurant, laundry, room service, TV, AC. 50 rooms. ***
  • Posada del Carmen (229) 932-2019. Victimas de 25 de Junio No. 165. Pool, internet connections, business center, restaurant, cable TV, AC. 80 rooms.
  • Suites Medeterraneo (229) 986-0340. Blvd. Miguel Avila Camacho s/n at Playa Los Arcos. Pool, restaurant, laundry, kids' activities, kitchenette, breakfast nook, cable TV. 55 rooms and 85 suites. ***

Moderate • Módico
• Oriente (229) 931-2490. Miguel Lerdo No. 20. 57 rooms. ***
• Colonial de Veracruz(229) 932-0913. Miguel Lerdo No. 117. In the Los Portales area. Pool, kids pool, restaurant, cable TV, AC, balconies overlooking the zoczlo, dataports, meeting rooms, solarium. 158 rooms, 21 suites. ***
• Villa del Mar(229) 989-6500. Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho s/n, on Villa del Mar Beach near the Aquarium. Restaurant, bar, pool with slide, tennis, kids' games, meeting rooms, business center, AC. 88 rooms, three Jr. Suites, one master suite. ****
  

  
  

• Baluarte (229) 932-6042. Francisco Canal No. 265, near the famous fort "Baluarte de Santiago". 105 rooms. ***
• Caribe Francisco Canal No. 611. 16 rooms. *** Mar y Tierra (229)931-3866. Cap. de Fregata Pedro Sainz de Baranda s/n. Pool, restaurant. 176 rooms. ***
  

  
  

• Delfines (229) 931-7676. Av. 16 de Septiembre No. 1863. 60 rooms. ***
• Ruiz Milan (229)932-6707. Paseo del Malecon No. 432. Downtown by the pier near the zocalo. Pool, gym, laundry, meeting rooms, AC, cable TV. ****
  

   
  

• Suites Embajada(229)937-3690. Altamirano No. 11. 11 suites. ****
• Veracruz Plaza(229) 989-7100. FAX (229) 989-7121. Av. Salvador Diaz Miron No. 776. Restaurant, bar, gym, laundry service, satelite TV, AC, internet ports. 84 rooms. ****
• Meson del Mar(229)932-5043. Esteban Morales No. 543. Restaurant, bar, cable TV, internet, AC. 21 rooms. ***
• Calinda Veracruz (229)989-3800. Independencia esq. Lerdo. In front of Los Portales and the zocalo. Solarium, pool, Sanborn's Restaurant and store, convention facilities. Satelite TV, minibar, hair dryer, laundry service. 114 rooms including junior suites, two penthouses. *****

• Expensive • Caro
  
  
  • Suites Invernadero, (229)922-9585. Aveneda Invernadero No. 283. A reasonably priced suites hotel. Cable TV, telephone, wireless internet, monitored parking. Use of the Britania Club. http://www.suitesinvernadero.com ****
  • Vera Suites. (229) 932-0741. Victimas del 25 de Junio No. 214. 12 rooms. ***
  • Imperial (229) 932-2222. Miguel Lerdo No. 153. In the Los Portales - Zocalo area. Pool, gym, restaurant. Satelite TV, AC. 80 rooms. ****
  • HawaiiInsurgentes Veracruzanos No. 458. 32 rooms. ****
  • Holiday Inn Veracruz Centro Historico(229)932-4550. Av Morales No. 225. Restaurant, babysitting, business center, pool, restaurant, gym, business center. AC, satelite TV. 41 rooms, four suites. ****
  • Howard Johnson Veracruz(229)931-0011. Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho No. 1263. Three blocks from the aquarium. Restaurant, pool, solarium, laundry service, business center. Ocean view, AC, cable TV. 116 rooms, four suites. ****
    

     
    

  • Angeles Suites(229) 931-5555. 1o. de Mayo No. 887. 45 rooms. ****
  • Acuario (229) 937-4432. Valencia No. 225. 121 rooms. ***
  • Emporio Veracruz(229)932-0020. Insurgentes Veracruzanos No. 210. Restaurant, bar, three pools (one covered), gym with sauna, kids club, pingpong, billiards, meeting rooms. AC, cable TV, 50 rooms with jacuzzi and minibar, most with balcony and ocean view. 203 rooms. *****
    

    

    
    

• Very expensive • Caro
  • Hostal de Cortez (229)923-1200. FAX: (229)923-1209. Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho s/n. In front of the Villa del Mar beach and 300 m from the aquarium. Restaurant, coffee shop, pool, kids pool, meeting rooms, business center. Two double beds, AC, cable TV, dataports. 103 rooms. ****
  • Novo Mar(229) 923-6066 . Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho No. 707. Restaurant, bar, pool, business center, laundry service, room service, meeting rooms. Ocean view, cable TVAC, terrace, dataports. 208 rooms, nine suites. *****
    

    
    

  • Fiesta Inn MaleconGeneral Figueroa No. 68. Restaurant, pool, bar, gym, kids' activities. Satelite TV, dataports, balconies, AC. 92 rooms. ****
  • Gran Hotel Diligencias(229)923-0280. Av. Independecia No. 1115. Located in front of the zocalo and Palacio Municipal. Restaurant, bar, pool, gym with sauna, meeting rooms. 117 rooms, four suites. *****

  Other accomodations are available in near-by Boca del Rio.

Restaurants • Restaurantes

• Café a la Parroquia Founded in 1810 and now with two locations in the Los Portales/Zocalo area, this restaurant is most famous for its fantastic coffee, known locally as Éun lechero. As the patrons clink their spoons on their cups for service, the waitstaff brings steaming kettles of strong coffee and hot milk, mixing them in your cup with a unique flourish. You might also try their Tortilla Española, a potato omelet served in dark turkey broth. They're on a bit of an expansion bender right now, with a new location going in near the World Center, across the line in Boca del Rio. Good news for those in town on business...
  

  

  
  

• The Gran Cafe del Portal at Av. Independencia 1187 is the direct competition for Cafe a la Parroquia, serving a similar menu and equally good coffee.
  

• El Gaucho is the place for Argentine style beef, though pasta and seafood dishes also appear on the menu.
• Papaloapan,in the hotel Emporio, serves great seafood and regional dishes along with a view of the harbour.
• Minos Barios Espaldas serves Brazillian style, with swordsfull of meat.
• Nautique Cafe is located in the student district downtown, at 499 Avenida Flores Magon. Click here to see some pictures and read some descriptions.
• Villa Rica Top-knotch seafood.
• Viva Veracruz superb paella.
• Gran Cafe de Portal in the original building occupied by La Porroquia in Los Portales.
• When it comes to lunch - maybe breakfast, too - the freshest ingredients come from el mercado. And in the center of Mercado Viejo, just off Parque Zamora, is a group of luncharias with some of the best cooking in the known universe.
  

     
  

     
  

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Help keep this information current. Email john@johnzap.com with updates.

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Scuba Diving • Buceo

• Veracruz Adventures (229)931.5358. Manuel Ávila Camacho No. 681-A, next to Hotel Novomar. TUSA, Technosub, Aqualung dealers. SSI certifications. Commercial dive training offered.Night dives, reef dives, wreck dives, deep dives.Nitrox available. Rafting, Kayakking, and Expeditions are also offered..
• Tridente(229)931-7924. Blvd. Avila Camacho No. 165-A. In front of the Yacht Club. Said to be the oldest dive shop in Veracruz.
• Dorado Divers (229)932-4305; 932-6066. Blvd. Avila Camacho No. 865.
• Scubaver(229) 932 3994. Hernández y Hernández 563, Col. Faros.
• Mundo Submarino(229) 980 6374. Blvd. M.Avila Camacho 3549, Veracruz, Ver.
• Rogelio Rodríguez is a special friend of the website. Rogelio works out of three locations. If you're looking for a dive trip, he organizes excursions out of the Crowne Plaza Torremar Veracruz, Blvd. A Ruiz Cortinas No. 4300 in Boca del Río, (229) 989-2100 or 01-800-009-9900. He also teaches Scuba out of the Cetro Deportivo Veracruzano A.C., (229) 937-3256, Av. España No. 449 Fracc. Reforma in Vera Cruz; and the Centro de Buceos "Leyes de Reforma", which is part of the Instituto Veracruzano del Deportes and is located at Paseo de las Flores s/n in Boca del Río. I worked with some of his family members in Huatulco and recommend Rogelio without reservation. As well as running the "AquaClub" Water Activities & Subaquatic Services Organization at the hotel, he also teaches English to the staff. aquaclub_ver@hotmail.com

Sport Fishing, Boat Tours • Pesca, Excursiones en Barco

Throughout the Mexican littoral, the pride in Mexico's aquatic patrimony is abundantly clear. All along the coasts, many communities have their Escuela Secondario de Piscadores. Ownership of a lancha or larger fishing vessal is a worthy aspiration and the words Soy un pescador, "I am a fisherman", are spoken with obvious pride. Hiring a fisherman for a charter gives him the chance to prove his skills. In Veracruz, the easiest place to line up a first class fishing trip is at the Yacht Club. But there will be oportunities to charter a panga near the muelle and right off the beach. Please give us some assistance. When you go fishing, share the name and contact information for your captain and tell us how the trip goes.


 

Transportation • Transportación

• Las Bajadas Airport, also known as Veracruz International Airport, is located on the Veracruz-Xalapa Federal Highway. The International Airport Code is VER.There's a 6,065 square meter terminal servicing six airlines and 610,000 passangers in 2004. Direct service from Houston Intercontinental (IAH) is offered by Continental and by Delta.
• Aero Californis, Mexicana, and Aero Mexico all offer daily flights from Mexico City (MEX), with connections from most major US international carriers.
• Holliday Autos Brit company with an office not only at the Veracruz airport but also at the Hotel Continental and Fiesta Inn.
• Veracruz Car Hire(++1) 786 866 2865,Fax: (++1) 786 866 2866. Affiliated with Alamo Car Rental.
• The main bus station, called Centro Camioneras, is between Prol. Miguel Aleman and D Mirón, just off Bolivar. ADO, UNO, and AU all service Veracruz. Ticketbus.com lets you check schedules and make reservations for intercity busses.
  

• Local busses provide a viable alternative for getting around the Veracruz- Boca del Rio megaplex. Most tourist attractions are within a few blocks of the beach. The main Boca del Rio busline runs from near the zocalo in Boca; past the hotel zone near the Boca-Veracruz line; all along the waterfront, passing the in-town beaches and the aquarium; past the yacht club and the Los Portales area; and on to Parque Zamora, by the old mercado, before turning around and heading back south.
  

     
  

• Car rentals are available from, among others, Dollar Rent-A-Car, which has offices at Avenida Simon Bolivar #501-B, as well as a booth at the airport. Their telephone number in Veracruz is 229-935-8808.
• Taxis are ubiquitous and cheap. Tipping is not expected. Bargaining can be done BEFORE you take off but not after you've accepted the services. Many drivers, though not all, speak some English.

Help keep this information current. Email tom@johnzap.com with updates.

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Tour Operators, Outfitters • Operadores Turísticos, Proveedores

• Among the more than forty rivers in the State of Veracruz are a number of great streams for whitewater rafting. The Río FIlobobos, for example, offers not only rapids ranging from Class II to Class V, but also passes through the ruins at El Cuajilote and Vega de la Peqa. The run on the Río Actopan starts at El Descabezadero, or the guillotine, and does an immediate 11 kms. of non-stop Class II and III rapids. Nearly every major hotel in Veracruz offers whitewater trips. If you go, let us know the name and contact number of your outfitter and tell us how they served you.

Shopping • Compras

The shopping is absolutely unbelievable. A friend of mine, a native New Yorker, gives as one of his reasons for living in Veracruz the ability to find absolutely anything he seeks to find - just like in New York. The ability to also walk four blocks from his apartment to swim from the beach year-round help make it a better place to live than NYC!
• Plaza Las Americas, located near the Port of Veracruz-Boca Del Rio line on Av Adolfo Ruiz Cortinas, the main drag through town. This is a world-class high-end shopping mall. You'll find the same stores you'd find in the nicest mall in your home city augmented by major European retailers. There are also major Sanborn's and VIP franchises in the mall. Freestanding stores in the immidiate vicinity of Plaza Las Americas house several favorite U.S. players, such as Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, Office Depot, and other places of which you should've gotten your fill before you left on vacation. There's even a Home Depot just up the street. Sure is a handy area for the ex-pats...
• Down by the Yacht Club, a couple of blocks off the beach, a visitor can find him- or her-self in the Mercado de Artisanas, or handicrafts market. This is the spot for those last- minute souveniers to take back home to rub a little salt in the non-vacationing wounds of your loved ones and colleagues; memiorbilia to clutter your knick-knack racks.
• A few blocks over, near Parque Zamora, you'll find Mercado Viejo, the "real" market. From fresh foods to herbs and spices to tools to clothes to toys, this is where Mexico's working class goes to shop. The invading 16th century Spanish were amazed to find huge markets in all the Mexican cities; the phenomina are not likely to disappear.
  

     
  

• Starting off near Parque Zamora, Av Salvador Diaz Miron goes through the middle of the city, roughly pararel to the coastline. In the center of the wide boulevard is a spacious pedestrian mall.
  

     
  

  Periodically, canvass is erected to form shops along the pedestrian mall.
  

     
  

  These are just a few of the shopping oportunities you'll find throughout the city. There are plenty of free-standing stores and botiques in every neighborhood.
  

  
  

Nearby Points of Interest • Puntos Interesantes Cercanos

Hey, the Veracruz-Boca del Rio megaplex may be the perfect home base for your exploration of the whole state. You can day-trip to every part of the state thanks to some well-designed if highly-priced toll roads.

• Fifteen minutes from downtown, just past the first toll booth on the Veracruz-Xalapa toll road, lies the original European settlement in North America, La Antigua. You'll see the oldest continual-use Chritian church in the western hemisphere as well as the home of Hernan Cortez, so thoroughly enterlaced with the roots of a gigantic tree as to be impossible to restore. There are also superb restaurants next to the river, very popular with local diners. Water taxis are also available.
  

   
  

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  Zempoala was at one point the largest city on the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, that point preceded European contact with the coast. Most of the ceremonial buildings on the site date from the 14th and 15th centuries, the Late Post-Classic Period of Pre-colombian architecture. During the mid-15th century, the Totonacs of Zempoala were conquered by the Aztecs, but stayed none to happy about that state of affairs. So much so that they became the first allies of Cortéz. There are plenty of ruins and a good musem on site. It's only about 50 km from Vera Cruz; take you about an hour.

• It's only about a one-hour trip up the turnpike to the state capitol, Xalapa, with its marvelous museum of anthropology, parks, cultural attrahctions, and ten- to fifteen- degree temperature drop.
• Up the other turnpike, an hour gets you to Cordoba and two hours will put you in Orizaba. Mountains, springs, brilliant colonial architecture - these and so much more make my Orizaba one of my favorite Mexican cities.
• An hour out of Boca del Rio to the south will land you in Alvarado. This is home to Mexico's largest shrimping and fishing fleets; the restarants feature the freshest seafood imaginable.
• Some 80 km. south of Veracruz on Highway 180 lies Tlacotalpan, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. UNESCO stated that it was chosen because of its significant merging of Spanish Colonial and Carribean cultures. Just an hour to an hour-and-a-half from the city.
• Two hours out of Veracruz will put you at the start of the Costa Tuxtlas, one of the least known coastal areas as well as best-blessed with natural beauty and recreational oportunities. It's a stretch of coast worthy of a lot of investigation. But the infrastructue makes staying there an experience of the "roughing it" genre; staying in the city will be necessary for those insisting on luxury in their accomodations.
• If you don't turn off Hiway 180 in El Tropico, to go to the Costa Tuxtlas, the same two hours out of the city will put you in Santiago Tuxtla, with its fascinating regional museum and tidy little market.
  

   
  

• Another fifteen minutes past Santiago Tuxtla puts you in San Andres Tuxtla, the municipal administrative center for the Las Tuxtlas area. This is paradise for cigar afficionados, where arguably the world's best cigars outside of Cuba are produced. Buy a box of "Te Amo" cigars and don't tell your friends where they're from!
• Towns of interest are pretty thick south of Veracruz. Ten minutes past San Andres Tuxtla puts you in Catemaco. A daytrip here gives you a chance to get a mudbath; visit a famous herbalist or mysticist; take a ride to Monkey Island; or visit a jungle preserve.

More about Vera Cruz • Más de Vera Cruz

• Visitors' Comments on Vera Cruz
• Fort of San Juan de Ulua , a fort out in the harbor built by Cortéz to protect his port. Not only was the wealth of New Spain shipped from Vera Cruz, but also the wealth of the Spanish Orient. Treasure fleets from the Phillipines sailed to Acapulco with their wealth then shipped overland to Vera Cruz for convoy to Europe. The pirates drooled over this wealth.
• Aquarium of Veracruz, located on a pier jutting out into the Gulf near the Plaza de las Americas, is one of the best in Latin America.
• City Museum of Vera Cruzat Zaragoza No. 397, is only about five blocks from the Palacio Municipal.
• Museo Histórico Naval, on Calle Arista between Landero y Coss and Gómez Farías. In the old naval academy building; foundations of the old city wall can be seen among exhibits of a military nature.
• Veracruz Tourist Bureau is located in the Palacio Municipal on the zocalo. | Top of page | Main index | Search | What's new |

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  The Gulf Coast of Mexico www.johnzap.com John Williams:  john@johnzap.com