Holidays in Veracruz: sea disappointment. Holidays in Veracruz: sea disappointment Multi-day tours to Veracruz

The state of Veracruz is located on a 700-kilometer-long coastal lowland and the adjacent eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. The coastline in this section of the Gulf of Mexico is poorly dissected.

In the center of Veracruz - stretching from western to east coast countries between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt (Sierra Volcanica Transversal - Transverse Volcanic Sierra) connects to the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. There are two here large volcano: the most high point countries - the active stratovolcano Orizaba, which Veracruz shares with the neighboring state of Puebla, and dormant volcano Cofre de Perote (4282 m).

The state crosses many short rivers, flowing from the Eastern Sierra Ma-dre to. Significant areas are swamped.

Since the relief over a relatively short distance changes from tropical coastal plains to the snow-covered highlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain slopes The state's climate is varied.

Story

Before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors on the lands of the current state, it was inhabited by representatives of mainly four Indian cultures. The Huastecs and Otomi lived in the north, the Totonacs lived in the center, and the Olmecs predominated in the south.

Back in the 2nd millennium BC. e. On the coastal plains, a mysterious culture formed that flourished during the Preclassic period of Mesoamerican history - from approximately 1500 to 400 BC. e. It is conventionally called Olmec, but this is just the name of one of the small tribes that later lived in this territory, whom the Aztecs mistakenly considered to be the authors of ancient structures. This civilization left behind mysterious sculptures, among which two dozen basalt heads stand out. Some of them are 3 m high and weigh up to 40 tons. The period of existence of the Olmec culture is from 1000 to 300 BC. e., she disappeared as mysteriously as she appeared.

From the 1st to the 11th centuries. n. e. there was a Veracruz culture of the classical period of pre-Columbian America, its centers were Remohadas. She left behind many reliefs depicting ritual game into the ball and subsequent human sacrifice.

By the time the Spaniards arrived in 1519, most of what is now Veracruz was occupied by the Totonac people, who lived in 50 cities (the ruins of their capital Cempoalu have been preserved), and were dependent and within the borders of the Aztec Empire, which in the 15th - early 16th centuries. captured the rich coastal territories of the Totonacs, where cotton, cocoa, maize and chile were grown. The Totonacs paid tribute to the Aztecs in the form of textiles, clothing, maize and honey.

The first Spaniard to arrive here was Juan de Grijalva (circa 1489-1527), one of the first conquistadors. In 1518, the expedition he led reached the Papaloapan River and met Totonac fishermen.

In 1519, the Totonacs helped Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, and his men found La William Rica de la Vera Cruz (Rich City of the True Cross), the first city founded by the Spanish in Mexico. It became the main Atlantic port of New Spain and today remains one of the most important commercial and industrial centers of the country.

The Totonacs, who hated the Aztecs, together with the Spaniards defeated the Aztec garrisons. And when the Franciscan monks began missionary activity in 1523, they willingly accepted the Catholic faith.

Unlike them, the Huastecs did not become allies of the Spaniards and began to destroy the conquerors. The Huastec uprisings were brutally suppressed.

The state of Veracruz is made up of three geographical stripes, each of which contributes to its prosperity. The first is the sea coast with oil platforms and terminals. The second is a fertile plain with an excellent climate, where there are numerous plantations. The third is the mountains, where ancient cities are hidden on forested slopes, attracting tourists.

The state is home to indigenous peoples who have carried through the centuries the memory of their ancestors, who left pagan customs and the language they still speak to today’s Indians.

The indigenous peoples of the state are numerous, they have largely preserved their traditions and folklore. The Totonac language, for example, was preserved mainly in places that were of no interest to the Spaniards: in difficult areas and where there was no gold and silver. The Indians of Veracruz themselves remained loyal to the Spaniards and did not rebel. Therefore, most of Totonacapan remained in relative isolation, which contributed to the preservation of many forms of local Totonac culture, in particular dances and songs. Some current Totonac holidays retain outward elements of ancient sacrificial rituals, with most Totonacs being Catholic.

Despite the bloody battles with the Spaniards, the Huastecs survived, largely preserving their traditional culture and language - one of the Mayan dialects. Huastec music and dance have had a significant influence on Mexican folklore.

Favorable climatic conditions allow Veracruz plantations to harvest at least two crops per year. And some crops, for example maize, have four. Which in turn pushed the development of the first agricultural Paleo-Indian cultures and led to the emergence of the Olmec culture in the 3rd millennium BC. e. The state occupies a leading position in the country in growing coffee (in mountain basins with special climatic conditions), sugar cane, corn and rice. IN tropical forests Dye and rubber trees grow. But the greatest income is provided by the extraction and processing of oil and natural gas in the south of the state, including offshore. Of utmost importance is the export of oil and petroleum products through the port of Coatzacoalcos, around which four petrochemical plants are built: this is the largest concentration of such production in the world. The city is home to the head office of the largest Mexican state-owned company, Pemex, which concentrates 85% of all oil refining there. There are also four ocean ports in the state.

Veracruz city - main industrial centre and chief sea ​​port states and countries for export goods to the USA, Latin American countries and Europe. Veracruz accounts for 75% of the turnover of all Mexican ports. It was through him that black slaves were brought into colonial Mexico. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. The rich city more than once became the prey of pirates. To protect against corsairs, a powerful fort of San Juan de Ulua was built in the harbor, which, however, did not save the city from being captured and plundered by the pirates of the Dutchman Laurens de Graff and the Frenchman Michel de Grammont in 1683. The ruins of the fortress can still be seen today, it repeatedly destroyed and restored. The first Spanish city in Mexico, it also became their last frontier when the royalists fled from here to Spain in 1821. In addition to achievements in the field of commerce, the port was also the place where the Mexican danzón dance originated and the portales style of architecture with its characteristic open terraces appeared.

The capital of the state of Xalapa is located at an altitude of 1430 m on the forested slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental. A distinctive feature of the local climate is a fine drizzle called chipi-chipi, which should mean “drip-drip.” The drizzle makes Xalapa cool and foggy, and in the summer it attracts sweltering people from the coast.

Add to list World Heritage UNESCO has listed two sites in Veracruz: the ancient city of El Tajin and the zone historical monuments colonial architecture in the city of Tlacotalpan.

general information

Location : eastern Mexico.
Administrative division: 212 municipalities.
Administrative center : Jalapa-Enriquez - 424,755 people. (2010).
Big cities: Veracruz - 428,323 people, Coatzacoalcos - 305,260 people. (2010), Poza Rica de Hidalgo - 200,119 people. (2015), Minatitlan - 157,840 people, Cordoba - 140,896 people, Orizaba - 120,995 people. (2010).
State formation : 1823
Languages: Spanish (official), indigenous.
Ethnic composition : mestizos, whites, Afro-Mexicans, Totonac Indians, Huastecas, Nahuas, Otomi, Zapotecs.
Religion: Catholicism - 82.3%, other faiths - 10%, Judaism - 0.7%, other religions - 0.1%, outside religion - 1.9%, undecided - 5% (2010).
Currency unit : Mexican Peso.
Rivers: San Juan, Papaloapan.
Lake: Catemaco.
Major airports : International General Heriberto Jara (Veracruz).
Neighboring states and waters : in the north - Tamaulipas, in the east - the Gulf of Mexico, in the southeast - Tabasco, in the south - Chiapas and Oaxaca, in the southwest - Puebla, in the west - Hidalgo and San Luis Potosi.

Numbers

Square: 71,820 km 2 .
Width: from 212 to 36 km, average - 100 km.
Population: 7,643,194 people (2010).
Population density : 106.4 people/km 2 .
Length coastline : 690 km.
Highest point : 5610 m, Orizaba Volcano (Citlaltepetl).

Climate and weather

Tropical, mountainous.
Rain season: June-October.
Average January temperature : coastal lowland +21°C, mountain slopes +15.5°C.
Average annual temperature in July : coastal lowland +27.5°C, mountain slopes +20°C.
Average annual precipitation : coastal lowland - 2250 mm, mountain slopes - 1800 mm.
Average annual relative humidity : 75-80%.

Economy

GRP: US$29.825 billion, per capita - US$3903 (2008).
Minerals : oil, natural gas, gold, silver, iron, coal.
Industry: oil and gas production, oil refining (Coatzacoalcos, Poza Rica and Minatitlan), ferrous metallurgy, light (cotton), food.
Agriculture : crop farming (sugar cane, coffee, oranges, bananas, pineapples, cocoa, vanilla, rice), livestock farming (cattle breeding, pig breeding).
Forestry.
Marine fishing (port of Tuspan).
Services sector: tourism, transport, trade, logistics (Veracruz seaport, 16.1 million tons (2004)).

Attractions

Natural

    National Parks of Pico de Orizabo (1937)

    Cofre de Pirot (1937)

    Canyon del Rio Blanco (1938) and Sistema-Arrecifal-Veracruzano (1992)

    Nansiyaga-Katemakoi Nature Reserve

    Ecoregion Veracruz Dry Forests

    Poza Reina Lagoon

    Texolo and Salto de Heyipantla waterfalls

    Beaches of Tuxpan, Costa Esmeralda, San Antolin and Boca del Rio

Historical

    Ruins of Olmec cities (San Lorenzo and Tres Zapotes, around 1000 BC)

    City of culture Veracruz El Tajin (1st century)

    Totonac cities of Cempoala, Papantla and Xalapa (1200-1300)

    Colonial architecture of the city of Tlacotalpan (XVI century)

    Naval Museum of Latin America "Canonero Guanajuato" (Boca del Rio, ship 1932, museum since 2011)

City of Veracruz

    Fort San Juan de Ulua (1528-1565)

    Municipal Palace (1608)

    Town Hall (1627)

    Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady (XVII century, reconstruction of the XIX century)

    Faces of giants stone heads, created by Olmec craftsmen, differ from each other, they have many details. They have round and flat faces and wide noses, which raise a lot of questions among anthropologists, since they have pronounced features of the Negroid race. The masters gave their faces a generally extremely arrogant expression. This is why it is believed that they depict leaders. These heads, as well as some inscriptions on basalt steles, gave rise to theories extraterrestrial origin either the Olmecs themselves, or those whom they carved in stone.

    Veracruz provides approximately 35% of the capital Mexico City with fresh water.

    During civil wars and revolutions, Veracruz passed either to Mexican generals or to foreign occupiers. In 1815, it was besieged by Spanish colonial troops. In 1838, the port was blocked by a French squadron. In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, the US Navy landed troops in the port. In 1861, Spain, England and France occupied the port in response to Mexico's refusal to pay international debts. A banal port fight between Mexican and American sailors in 1914 served as a reason for US President Woodrow Wilson to land American troops in Veracruz, where they stayed for six months as a “show of force.”

    The city of Papantla, founded in the 13th century. Totonakami, is the birthplace of the ritual dance of this people. In Spanish it is called "voladores de papantla", or "flyers of Papantla". Four dancers climb a 30-meter pole. At its top there is a platform rotating around its axis. Voladores flyers tie themselves to the platform upside down, descend to the sound of a pipe, describing circles around the pillar. The dance is regularly demonstrated in the central square of Papantli.

    The Salt de Heyipantla waterfall is the largest in Veracruz: width - 40 m, height - 50 m. It became the location for filming one of the most impressive scenes of the film "Apocalypse" (2006) about the decline of the Mayan era.

    The name of the city, Coatzacoalcos, translated from the Nahuatl Indian language literally means “the place where the snake hides.”
    According to legend, the main Aztec god Quetzalcoatl sailed in these places on a raft made of snake skin.

    The city of Cordoba played a key role in the history of the country: in 1821, the Treaty of Cordoba was concluded here, officially ending the anti-colonial war for Mexican independence. The agreement was signed by the Spanish governor Juan O Donojo and the hero of the war of independence and the future first ruler of independent Mexico, Agustin Cosme Damian de Iturbide y Aramburu.

    The pyramid of niches at El Tajin consists of seven tiers and 365 square niches carved in boulders. Scientists believe that this coincidence is not accidental: probably the famous structure was something like a giant calendar.

El Tajin is one of the oldest archaeological sites on our planet. Some sources date the creation of El Tajin to the first century AD. The ancient city, lost in the jungle, is a true masterpiece of Mexican and American architecture.

The city was built by the Totonacs, an ancient Indian people in Mexico. El Tajin was their administrative and ceremonial center. IN better times Up to 50,000 people lived in the city. El Tajin was often attacked by hostile tribes, but for six centuries it successfully repelled attacks. The city gave way around the beginning of the 13th century - another attack led to a strong fire and the residents of El Tajin were forced to leave their homes. Since then, El Tajin has fallen into oblivion for several centuries.

Catemaco village

Catemaco is a picturesque corner of Mexico, located on the shore of a lake surrounded by pyramid-like hills.

One of the main events of the village is the annual gathering of shamans and healers, which takes place on the first Friday of March. According to local beliefs, at this time the power of the magician is limitless. Perhaps this is why on this day sorcerers are happy to show their skills to the public: they cast spells, remove curses, predict fate.... Every year, by the way, this event becomes more and more popular among tourists.

Also there you can get acquainted with the creativity of local groups, who, to the sounds of the instruments of their ancestors, will tell the history of their people.

And if you are tired of noise and mysticism, you can have a wonderful break from the whole world in a local park.

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Nansiyaga Park

Nansiyaga - large national park, located along the Gulf of Mexico.

The territory of this park is unique thanks not only to the landscape, which is formed by pyramid-shaped hills, but also to the shamanic village of Catemaco. On the territory of this village, an annual gathering of shamans is held, where for a reasonable fee anyone can improve their health or even cast a spell on their enemy.

The unique landscape of this area arose thanks to the strong volcanic activity in past. And now the landscape attracts not only crowds of tourists, but also famous directors. Many famous Hollywood films (for example, "Apocalypto", "Healer") were filmed on the territory of this reserve. A kind of museum was made from part of the scenery that remained after filming.

The Veracruz Aquarium is considered one of the best aquariums in the whole Latin America– this has been achieved thanks to modern technologies and unique entertainment program. This is very popular place in the region, contributing to the expansion of knowledge about marine fauna, in particular about the inhabitants of the Gulf of Mexico.

The aquarium has an aquarium with 200 aquatic organisms, there is also an aquarium with sharks, manatees and a pool with animals that you can pet. The cave-like gallery is home to turtles, boa constrictors, crocodiles, toucans and other Mexican, African, Asian and South American animals. The salt water tank is home to more than 90 species of fish, including octopus, crabs, squid, shrimp, seahorses from the Gulf of Mexico, Indian and Pacific Oceans, Red Sea.

A huge aquarium with a capacity of 1,250,000 liters with a 22-centimeter tunnel accommodates the entire marine ecosystem. Here you can admire stingrays, turtles and barracudas.

Olmec Archeology Museum

The Olmec Museum of Archeology provides its visitors with the opportunity to get acquainted with the splendor of the Olmec civilization.

The pyramid-shaped museum measuring 50 by 28 meters is located on a busy city street and consists of three levels. The structure includes a seven-meter-high gazebo and a sculpture of Quetzalcoatl. The museum, located inside the pyramid, is equipped with a modern audiovisual system and air conditioning.

The total exhibition area is 180 square meters, which houses more than 900 unique works of Olmec culture - here you can see sculptures of deities, animals, human heads carved from stone. The artifacts are made of clay, granite and jade.

Cordoba City Hall

The City Hall of Cordoba is adjacent to the central park and is its architectural decoration. The building houses a number of government agencies and organizations.

Built in 1905 in a neoclassical style, the building symbolizes the battle of May 21, 1821, which brought the city the title of hero. The two-story palace, made in laconic green and pink colors, includes 21 arches, main entrance with stairs and balcony.

The interior of the municipality is decorated with a fresco in which it is easy to recognize the important figures of the city of Cordoba. There are animal figures on the walls and edges of the windows.

Theodore Cano Garcia Museum

The Theodore Cano Garcia Museum in Papantla de Olarte tells about the life and work of the outstanding Mexican artist, creator of his own school of fresco art and popularizer of Indian traditions.

A small museum located in hometown Teodora Cano in the state of Veracruz. Here you can see a selection of works that clearly illustrate the main trends characteristic of Mexican art in the second half of the 20th century. Cano Garcia, a student of the legendary Diego Rivera, continued the work of his teacher and created his own school of fresco painting, dating back to cultural traditions pre-Columbian America. The artist’s museum houses a collection of paintings and sculptures by Theodore Cano and artists of his circle.

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Monument to Voladores of Papantla

The Voladores of Papantla Monument is an architectural and historical monument that symbolizes the Flying Dance ritual. This ritual was associated with fertility and wealth. The Flying Dance ritual is a religious manifestation of Mesoamerica.

The height of the monument is 20 meters. The celebration of dance and music was accompanied by the use of a "Flying Pole" trunk, where several ropes could be tied to a small wooden base.

The flying dancers symbolize the cardinal directions and cling to a cross placed at the end of each rope. At the top of the “Flying Pole” lies the master, who represents the center of the monument. He plays the drum, coordinating the ritual. In 2009, the ritual was declared a UNESCO cultural intangible heritage.

The most popular attractions in Veracruz with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places to visit famous places of Veracruz on our website.

More attractions of Veracruz

Before the colonization of Mexico, representatives of four tribes lived in the state of Veracruz: Huastec, Otomi, Totonac and Olmec, as evidenced by numerous monuments in the state. Veracruz was the first Spanish city, founded by Cortes - La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz - which meant Rich City of the True Cross. This name was formed due to the golden wealth of the Totonac settlements and the Feast of the True Cross, on the day of which Cortez landed on the shores of Mexico.

The main attraction of the city for many years remains the fortress of San Juan de Ulua, the most impregnable fortress on the coast Caribbean Sea and all of Mexico a hundred years ago. The current appearance was not its original appearance; over the course of 200 years, the fortress was partially destroyed in battles and was restored, undergoing another reconstruction. You feel all the power and inaccessibility of the fortress when you approach the port from the sea. For tourists, Fort San Juan de Ulua is open every day; by purchasing a ticket you can join a group, or you can conduct your own exploration of the fort.

The central square of the city of Sakala is interesting, on which it is located city ​​hall, Municipal Palace, Plaza de Armas Palace and Plaza Lerdo Palace. The square is crowded at any time of the day; the most expensive hotels Veracruz, here are the most luxurious restaurants and nightclubs, it all starts from here sightseeing tours around town.

The Municipal Palace, which opens with openwork arches onto the central square of the city, attracts the attention of tourists. The palace is a magnificent sight when illuminated in the evening and at night.

The most popular a tourist route around the city not only during the day, but also at night - a recently completed embankment, several kilometers long, where along the entire route a whole string of street vendors offers various souvenirs, silver jewelry and handicrafts.

A unique attraction of Veracruz is the recently built Acuario de Veracruz aquarium outside the city, which houses not only the marine life inhabiting the coastal waters of Mexico, but also rare species of fish that may disappear from the face of the earth due to unfavorable environmental conditions water resources Earth. The area adjacent to the aquarium is a park with tropical vegetation inhabited by birds and animals, and with ponds in which flocks of exotic fish live.

Excursions from Veracruz

On the territory of the city itself there are practically no traces of ancient Indian settlements, but very close to Veracruz there is the ancient city of El Tajin, which means “City of Thunder”, which every tourist who comes to relax on the Gulf Coast strives to visit. In 1992, the city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is in danger of destruction and extinction. In the center ancient city there is a palace and temple complex, among the buildings of which stands out the Pyramid of Niches, which is a seven-tier structure 25 m high, decorated with 364 niches carved in solid stone and painted red with relief images of snakes. On the territory of the city, archaeologists found 18 grounds for sports ball games with bas-reliefs depicting fragments of the game, household items, and sculptures.

The La Venta Museum-Reserve is worth a visit, where stone Olmec heads are displayed, which tell a lot about the origins of the indigenous population and provide grounds for research by anthropologists.

A separate trip offers an excursion to the island of Sakrifisios, located in the Gulf of Mexico opposite Veracruz. Isla Sacrificios - Island of Sacrifice - the name has been preserved since pre-colonial times, here the Totonacs made their sacrifices to the gods, as evidenced by the preserved ancient sacrificial altar. During the Spanish colonization, the island was a repair base for ships. There is a lighthouse on the island, which, being an architectural landmark, still warns sailors at night about the proximity of the shore. On the island, sharks are kept in a free lagoon and undergo acclimatization before being delivered to the aquarium. Many tourists are attracted to the island by the exciting spectacle of shark “games”.

At Plaza Acurio Beach, you can buy a place in a canopy boat that offers sightseeing tours of Veracruz Bay, visiting the crystal-clear Caecusito Shoal and the Island of the Victims.

The port city of Veracruz is not only the maritime gateway to Mexico. This is also the funniest city in the country, Mexican Odessa, the capital of mariachi singers. The atmosphere of this city can be fully felt only after sunset, when ordinary Mexicans gather on the streets to have fun from the heart. Experts say that at this time Veracruz resembles the capital of Cuba in the pre-revolutionary period.

In the past, it was a city of brave sailors, reckless adventurers and playmakers. The ferocious pirates did not ignore him either. Its history has seen many wars, uprisings, rebellions and conspiracies. And although everything is a thing of the past, the tireless and restless spirit of the city has been preserved. Now it sounds in the songs with which mariachis fill the evening Veracruz. It is a mistake to think that they perform their songs solely for the entertainment of tourists. This is Mexican entertainment and it is intended for Mexicans. The sounds of their songs are heard everywhere, they overwhelm the city. While some people sit at the tables of street cafes and enjoy them, others sincerely have fun watching the performance of a street clown. Among the latter there are many children who are not going to go to bed when the fun is splashing over the edge all around.

The next morning Veracruz wakes up with great difficulty. Life begins to fill the city no earlier than ten in the morning. Gradually the streets are filled with tourists and become their walking areas. The most important tourist attraction in Veracruz is the once powerful fortress of San Juan de Ulua. At the beginning of the last century, it was one of the most important active defensive structures in Mexico, covering the city from the sea. The fortress was completed and rebuilt for almost two hundred years before it acquired its modern look. It was built in the shape of a regular parallelogram and has four bastions. The building materials were fossilized corals and shell rock, which were mined from the seabed. She has seen a lot in her lifetime. Its walls remember the famous corsairs Drake, Reilly, Grammon and Hawkins. They have all been here.

In 1825, the victorious war of independence ended here, and the last Spanish garrison in Mexico capitulated. And after that, she more than once stood in the way of the enemies of the young state. It was besieged several times by the French, and after them by the Americans. There was a time when it served as a prison, whose prisoners included many famous characters from Mexican history, such as General Benito Juarez, later a national hero of Mexico. Now that the era battleships, naval battles and coastal batteries gone into the past, the fortress was given over to tourists.

Another attraction of Veracruz is the aquarium, recently built on one of the city's former wastelands. Its builders wanted to show people what the coastal waters looked like during the time of Cortez. After all, if you do not care about the ecology of the ocean, then many of its inhabitants may disappear in the near future. The Veracruz Aquarium contains all types of fish that inhabit the world's oceans, including those that are best avoided - stingrays, moray eels and all types of sharks. The city market is also an attraction. Only when you come here do you notice how Veracruz is loved by its residents. Almost all goods on which you can write at least something are decorated with a proud inscription - “Veracruz”. Anyone who takes away a souvenir from here should not forget that he bought it in Veracruz, the most cheerful city in Mexico.

Disappointment. This is what happens sometimes when you go to some city, coveting only its beautiful name. “Veracruz” sounds so nice, doesn’t it? And even on the shore Gulf of Mexico. The imagination immediately draws romantic pictures of sunsets with couples in love on the embankment, sea-sun-sand and much more.

In fact, it turned out that even the sun in this city sets on the wrong side.

Beaches in Veracruz

The sea in Veracruz is very mediocre: the water is grayish in color and the sand is a dirty shade. This is definitely not what you expect from Mexico, look at the photos from Cancun and you will understand what I mean. Plus, the city is a port, which means that the city beach is, in principle, not suitable for swimming. But this is the Gulf of Mexico, the name alone is worth a look))

My verdict is harsh: tourists have nothing to do in the Veracruz region. I’m also surprised where the dozen foreigners we saw in a week came from. Probably, they are just as vain as we are, or they know something that we are no longer destined to know.

However, despite all the disadvantages of Veracruz, Mexicans love it and are happy to come here on vacation, I think, because it is close and inexpensive. How is that Black Sea coast for ours, even the sea and the atmosphere are somewhat similar.

It’s still possible to swim normally, but to do this you need to go to the suburbs, for example, to Boca del Rio(Boca del Rio) to Mocambo beach (Playa Mocambo), as we did. Outwardly, the situation has not changed much, but the water is clearly cleaner and the coastline is more pleasant. Here our sun-fried bodies felt the cool waters of the Gulf of Mexico for the first and last time.

Sights of Veracruz

On Veracruz attractions It’s also not rich in postcard views: one large temple, the central Zocalo square, a couple of forts and museums (which we didn’t even go to for fear of dying of boredom) and that’s all.

In the very center of the city, opposite Cathedral, we found an outlet for ourselves: a cafe with a sonorous name GranCafé delPortal. What we liked most was the coffee, namely Café Lechero. The taste is the most ordinary coffee with milk, even closer to cappuccino, but the whole point is not in this, but in the way it is served. The waiter brings a glass one-third full of black coffee. Then you knock on the glass with a spoon, and louder, because there are usually a lot of people in this place, it’s hard to hear. When someone knocks, a swashbuckler comes running with teapots and adds milk to the coffee, or both the first and the second if the drink has run out. The teapot is raised high above the glass so that everything mixes by itself and an airy foam is obtained. You can tap the glass with a spoon as many times as you like, and coffee is refilled for free. This is the signature drink from the Portal cafe.

People come to this establishment, which, by the way, is over a hundred years old, not only to eat and drink, but also to simply read the newspaper or spend time having a pleasant conversation, of course with a glass of coffee.

Basics entertainment Veracruz, as in any seaside city, there is an embankment. It runs along a major road, on the other side of which there are hotels, cafes, restaurants, shops and other buildings. The main decoration is palm trees and several sculpture monuments. What I liked most about the embankment was that “the wind was blowing from the sea”; although it didn’t last for long, it still brought the desired coolness.

In my opinion, one of the most worthy attractions of the city is Aquarium(Acuario), where Andryusiks and I enjoyed looking at the huge fish, stingrays and the performance of dolphins.

Those who become unbearably bored in the city have the opportunity to unwind by taking a ride to the nearest Sakrifisios island(Isla de Sacrificios) and snorkel, spying on the life of marine inhabitants. We had just planned such a voyage when they announced to us that the weather was deteriorating and the island was closed to visitors for the next two days.

It turned out that there was really nothing to film in the city itself. In the center, everything looks quite gray and dull: shabby, dull facades (the townspeople have clearly skimped on bright colors), and repairs are being made everywhere. Even Puebla looked colorful compared to Veracruz.

The traditional Mexican vibrancy is absent in Veracruz. If you manage to encounter a bright spot, it will most likely be an exception. This is not San Miguel or Guanajuato.

People of Veracruz

Instead of landmarks and beautiful cityscapes, local residents were subjected to photo attack; they are colorful and photogenic in any Mexican city.

Amazed great amount police officers in Veracruz, and not ordinary ones, but in full uniform and with machine guns at the ready. They constantly drive around the city in cars and look for something. I wonder what? The city looks calmer and sleepier than Veracruz. Maybe there are spies?

Hunting for police officers became Andrusiksma's favorite pastime in Veracruz.

Outside the very compact center, Veracruz resembles a village in which life flows smoothly and unnoticed by prying eyes. There is a certain desolation all around, closed shops and cafes everywhere. Perhaps the resort once experienced its heyday, but now, due to the lack of a flow of tourists, much has turned out to be unnecessary. So many commercial space and housing for rent. Judging by the advertisements and appearance, it has been a very long time and not very successful.

The weather in Veracruz was typical for a seaside city: hot, muggy, high humidity. It was a little hard to bear all this. But for tropical vegetation it is a blessing. It was here that for the first time in Mexico we saw the trees, so beloved since our trip to Thailand, strewn with flowers beautiful name“frangipani” (this is the name of the first perfume using the wonderful smell of these flowers). It turned out that they come not only in white, but also in pink and even, according to Google images, scarlet.

On the last day of our stay in the glorious seaside city, a stormy wind arose, literally knocking us off our feet, and the sea turned into a raging abyss. It’s a pity that I didn’t have a camera with me, since the walk to the water riot turned out to be spontaneous. By the way, this turned out to be one of the most vivid impressions. It seems that if it weren’t for the storm, there would be nothing to remember about Veracruz.

 

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