Veracruz
Mexico's oldest port: the San Juan de Ulúa fortress, the malecón, café lechero, danzón in the square and Gulf seafood.
EASTERN Mexico
Coffee, vanilla, cacao and Olmec culture
The Gulf of Mexico holds some of the country's best-kept secrets. This is where the Olmec culture flourished, the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica; where vanilla and chocolate were born; and where El Tajín, the city of niches, and Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's highest mountain, rise. Veracruz is son jarocho, danzón, coffee and seafood; Tabasco is rainforest, rivers and the cacao route.
Accolades
- UNESCO World Heritage: El Tajín archaeological site · Historic monuments zone of Tlacotalpan.
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: the Ritual ceremony of the Voladores.
Destinations
Villahermosa
The capital of Tabasco, with the La Venta Park Museum and its colossal Olmec heads, and the gateway to the cacao route.
El Tajín and Papantla
The pre-Hispanic city of niches, a World Heritage Site, and Papantla, birthplace of vanilla and the Voladores.
Tlacotalpan
A World Heritage Pueblo Mágico of colorful arcaded houses on the banks of the Papaloapan River.
Xalapa and Coatepec
Xalapa and its Museum of Anthropology, with outstanding Olmec pieces; Coatepec, a Pueblo Mágico among high-altitude coffee farms.
Los Tuxtlas
Rainforest, waterfalls and the Catemaco lagoon, in the volcanic highlands of southern Veracruz.
What to experience
- El Tajín and the Voladores de Papantla.
- The cacao route in Tabasco: cacao haciendas and chocolate workshops.
- High-altitude coffee farms in Coatepec.
- Rafting in Jalcomulco.
- Danzón and son jarocho in the port of Veracruz.
- An expedition to Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's highest mountain.
- The Catemaco lagoon and the Los Tuxtlas rainforest.
Ideal for
- FIT
- Groupscultural, culinary and adventure travelers
Best time to visit
From October to April, less heat and humidity. From June to October there is more rain and it is hurricane season in the Gulf. In winter, "nortes" may arrive, cold winds that cool the coast.
Events in the region
Public holiday
November 1 – 2, 2026
Day of the Dead
Nationwide
Celebrated throughout Mexico on November 1 and 2, with offerings in homes and visits to cemeteries; it is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Religious
December 12, 2026
Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Mexico City · Nationwide
Every December 12, millions of pilgrims arrive at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City to commemorate the apparition of the Virgin. The celebration includes the midnight Mañanitas on the 11th, masses and Concheros dances in the atrium.
ReligiousFeatured
February 2027 · date to be confirmed
Candelaria Festivities and Jaraneros Gathering
Tlacotalpan
Festivities for the Virgin of Candelaria in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, with the National Gathering of Jaraneros and Decimistas, son jarocho fandangos, horseback processions and the Virgin's river procession on February 2.
Cultural festivalFeatured
February 2027 · date to be confirmed
Veracruz Carnival
Veracruz
Carnival in the port of Veracruz with parades, comparsas and concerts. It closes with the burial of Juan Carnaval.
Cultural festivalFeatured
March 2027 · date to be confirmed
Cumbre Tajín
Papantla
A festival of Totonac identity held every year around the spring equinox at the El Tajín Archaeological Zone and Takilhsukut park, in Papantla, Veracruz, with the Voladores de Papantla, workshops and concerts.
ReligiousFeatured
March 21 – 28, 2027
Holy Week
Nationwide
The Catholic celebration from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with processions and reenactments throughout Mexico.