Mexico Guide
Veracruz
The central Gulf coast is among the least-visited yet most distinct areas of Mexico. From Mexico City, you descend through the southern fringes of the Sierra Madre Oriental, past the country's highest peaks, to a broad, hot and wet coastal plain. In this fertile tropical zone the earliest Mexican civilizations developed: Olmec culture dominated the southern half of the state from 1200 BC, while the civilization known as Classic Veracruz flourished 250 to 900 AD in centres such as El Tajín. Today, Huastec and Totonac culture remains strong in the north. Cortés began his march on the Aztec capital from Veracruz, and the city remains, as it was throughout colonial history, one of the busiest ports in the country. Rich in agriculture – coffee, vanilla, tropical fruits and flowers grow everywhere – the Gulf coast is also endowed with large deposits of oil and natural gas.
Highlights
1 Xalapa Enjoy the café culture in this university town surrounded by coffee plantations. The Museum of Anthropology here is second only to Mexico City's.
2 Veracruz Show your fiery side and salsa with divas wearing outrageous costumes at the city's exuberant Carnaval. Afterwards, relax with an ice-cold mint julep and soak up the sounds of marimba in the zócalo, one of Mexico's most vibrant plazas.
3 El Tajín Explore the unique pyramids and ruins at this magnificent remnant of Classic Veracruz civilization.
4 Papantla Witness the spectacular Voladores flying through the air at this centre of Totonac culture.
5 Catemaco Take a boat trip across this enchanting lake, surrounded by one of the last remaining tracts of jungle in Mexico, followed by a relaxing temazcal, a traditional sauna.