Veracruz
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Located on the humid coastline near the southwest coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Veracruz was founded by Hernando Cortés in 1519, and is one of the oldest port cities in the Americas. Accompanied by the jaunty tunes of the marimba, sailors and tourists sip café con leche (coffee with milk) by day and dance at the discos and clubs of Boca de Río by night. The ancient ruins of El Tajín beckon tourists towards the north, and for the past decade, the state has developed a robust reputation for eco-and-adventure tourism, especially white-water rafting. If you chose to raft, make sure the outfit you go with is certified with qualified instructors, protective gear, and clear safety procedures.

The warm hospitality and humor of the jarochos (as locals are called) delight many a traveler, and Veracruz is a welcoming, safe place to visit. Nevertheless, it is very “foreign” for those travelers with little or no Spanish. Mealtimes (from 3 to 6pm) and all cultural phenomena are wholly Mexican, and residents have no interest in adopting a lower-key lifestyle. The jarocho ways could seem very chaotic and haphazard, and even stressful, to some visitors.

The food in Veracruz is among the tastiest in the country—rich seafood in succulent sauces—but the heat and unfamiliar bacteria mean foreigners need to watch for food reactions and stomach infections. The local drink of rum and fruit or peanut (cacahuate) punch, called a torito, is delicious, but quickly inebriating and can cause disorientating headaches in the midday sun.

The heat and humidity in the port can be overwhelming for senior visitors and children, and we advise copying the locals and taking a two-hour (or more!) siesta when the sun is at its peak. There’s time to wander out late at night when temperatures are more hospitable. This is why visitors will often see both adults and children in the squares and around the fountains until past midnight.

Sadly, of all the polluted beaches in Mexico, Veracruz has the worst. Therefore, while surf and undertow present few problems, visitors who want to swim or freshen up are advised to keep to their hotel pools. Monthly beach water monitoring for 2005 and the first semester of 2006 shows several offenders. Penacho del Indio, Playa José Marti, Iguanas Centro, Regata, and Villa del Mar lead the way with readings showing consistently contaminated waters.

Other beaches with four or fewer offenses in this period are:

*For further information on beach water pollution, see Mexico Beach Water Advisory.