Veracruz Travel Guide

 
by Flety
 
  •   Veracruz
    by Flety
  •   Veracruz
    by Flety
  •   Veracruz
    by Flety
  • El Puerto de Veracruz 2009
      El Puerto de Veracruz 2009
    by gdilieto
  • Los Portales in the Main Square
      Los Portales in the Main Square
    by gdilieto
 

Pro

IceBear7 profile photo

  Atmosphere!!!! 


Con

shdw100 profile photo

  NONE 


In a nutshell

corygkb1 profile photo

  Great place and I would love to live there. 

 

Explore Veracruz

Things to Do  

Best way to get to San Juan de Ulua

Best way to get to San Juan de Ulua, Veracruz

 alza Says:  TAKE A TAXI from Veracruz Centro, for USD5, to San Juan de Ulua Visitors Centre. Entrance fee USD3. Juice and snacks vendors at the entrance, plus cabs that wait there until closing time, 5 p.m.There used to be a bus to the Fortress but nowadays, the bus leaves you on the... 

San Juan de Ulua

San Juan de Ulua, Veracruz

 alza Says:  San Juan de Ulua is a great old Spanish fortress in Veracruz, just across the water facing the Port. This place transports you back in time somewhat. The film Romancing the Stone was shot here. At time of writing, I am in Panama City where everyone raves about the Old... 

Hotels  

Holiday Inn Veracruz-Boca Del Rio

 1 Review and 36 Opinions  I stayed here for a night to be near the airport after visiting a company elsewhere in Mexico. It is... 

Holiday Inn Centro Historico

 2 Reviews and 29 Opinions  Holiday Inn Centro Historico certainly looks nice, built in an old colonial mansion. Unfortunately,... 

Restaurants  

El Porton: Excellent restaurant right by the Zocalo!

El Porton: Excellent restaurant right by the Zocalo!, Veracruz

 dahipster1 Says:  The food here is pretty good, but what I liked the most was the service! Service was best I had ever had in my life! very attentive, they bring corn chips and tortillas while you wait for food and make sure your satisfied! Its a little more than some places in Mexico, but I... 

Nicte-haa, antojitos yucatecos: Yucatan cooking

Nicte-haa, antojitos yucatecos: Yucatan cooking, Veracruz

 alza Says:  A Comida Corrida (economic menu) in the Centro, where I ate very well today. In any place offering Comida Corrida, expect to pay 30-35 Pesos for a soup, a main course, fresh warm tortillas, a small dessert and as much fruit licuado (water and juice, often of tamarindo fruit)... 

Mary's Comida Corrida: My daily bread

Mary's Comida Corrida: My daily bread, Veracruz

 alza Says:  Mary's Cocina is a good eatery manned by women, or womenned by women, in the heart of Centro Veracruz. Porteños go there daily for a lunch that's just like at home. The menu is fixed and includes a soup, an appetizer, the main dish and a small dessert. Licuado de melon or... 

Dawson's Bar & Rockhouse: Best American grill & rock n' roll music in town!

Dawson's Bar & Rockhouse: Best American grill & rock n' roll music in town!, Veracruz

 jana710 Says:  Dawson's Bar & Rock House at Blvd. Avila Camacho #2805 is a great casual restaurant & bar resembling an old western (U.S.) saloon, swinging saloon doors & all! The atmosphere is fun and the food & music are great. The entrance walkway from the street has open air restaurant... 

Transportation  

Getting there and around

Getting there and around, Veracruz

 darthmilmo Says:  Veracruz is one of Mexico's largest sea ports. As such, there are tons of options available here. There are buses going to most of the larger cities in Mexico and to several of the small ones as well. Just ask around at the main bus station. I took an overnight bus to Oaxaca... 

The Slowest Bus in Mexico

The Slowest Bus in Mexico, Veracruz

 IceBear7 Says:  Fort of San Juan de Ulua is a few miles outside Veracruz center. One of the few sights but nothing spectacular ( I did not see the inside...). Sharing a taxi is more comfortable but a bus is much much more exciting. Reason: the buses are a little old, once they go faster... 

Shopping  

Centro Histórico everywhere: Vanilla, coffee and fans

Centro Histórico everywhere: Vanilla, coffee and fans, Veracruz

 alza Says:  Not about *a* shop. The whole Historic Centre is full of shops selling typical Veracruzan wear or handicrafts. Steps from the Zocalo, towards the sea, there is a whole block of outside vendors. Across the street from them, a huge inside market called Mercado de Alimentos y... 

N/A: Trashy souvenirs

N/A: Trashy souvenirs, Veracruz

 elgarbo Says:  The markets in Veracruz are absolutely mediocre. Having come from Mexico City and then later exploring Merida, it's fairly clear that she shopping experience in Veracruz is entirely sub-optimal.However, if you're not looking for any authentic handicrafts, you can pick up... 

Local Customs  

Jarocha!

Jarocha!, Veracruz

 alza Says:  in Veracruz, everything is Jarocho and Jarocha. It's the culture of this port city and encompasses the mix of ethnic groups, the Caribbean feel, the customs, the cuisine, and more than anything, the music and dance. El son jarocho, el danzon jarocho.There was a show in... 

Men in Veracruz

Men in Veracruz, Veracruz

 Ames24 Says:  You have heard of the term "gringo / gringa", and maybe others. In Veracruz the term used to refer to someone white is "güero / güera". When you walk down the street and pass by a man or group of men of whatever age, you will either be tossed some kind of comment with that... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Big holes in the sidewalks

Big holes in the sidewalks, Veracruz

 alza Says:  Everywhere in Veracruz City, including in the Historic Centre, the sidewalks have huge, deep holes. They are obviously made for the purpose of evacuating torrential rains or waves blowing over the Malecon. I fell in a smallish but deep hole today and hurt a leg. This... 

Avoid the Beaches

Avoid the Beaches, Veracruz

 elgarbo Says:  It might be a major domestic tourist hub, and it may also be a sunny seaside village, but a word of advice: don't come here expecting to laze on pristine Gulf of Mexico beaches.Veracruz is also a major shipping port, and with all the shipping traffic, comes heavy pollution.... 

Tourist Traps  

Artisan Market ???

Artisan Market ???, Veracruz

 canplat Says:  Downtown Veracruz didn't have that much to offer in my opinion. Lots of t-shirts, paper and plastic fans with "Veracruz" printed on them, and other "made in China" items. I was looking for pottery, copper items, tapestry, etc made by local artisans, so when I heard about the... 

Cancun sito

Cancun sito, Veracruz

 smallcaps Says:  Near the aquarium (which is quite nice) there is a beach & a row of boats (& very energetic boat-operators) offering trips ot ¨Cancun sito¨ (beach, swimming with sharks, etc)Cost is $ 8 each and the gist of the trip is paddling in a sandbar in the middle of the sea for an... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Cruise ships don't dock in Veracruz

Cruise ships don't dock in Veracruz, Veracruz

 alza Says:  Veracruz is a merchandise port so cruise ships pass by in the distance, heading for Cancun. But while I was living there, Hurricane Wilma prevented cruise ships from docking at Cancun and the City Authorities welcomed a few ships in Veracruz Puerto.Since the city doesn't get... 

Maritime Museum

Maritime Museum, Veracruz

 IceBear7 Says:  I was surprised how big and interesting this museum was. Telling a lot about seafaring history with little landscapes and boats from all parts of the world and all different cultures, also giving a lot of information on Mexican history, Christopher Columbus and all that. I... 

Favorites  

Long-term stays

Long-term stays, Veracruz

 alza Says:  There is no Youth Hostel in Veracruz City but there are many inexpensive hotels or lodgings known as Casa de Huespedes (guest houses).Last year I started my 7-month bus trip from Montreal to Argentina by staying in Veracruz about a month and a half, to learn some Spanish and... 

Mexico City to Veracruz - Road Trip

Mexico City to Veracruz - Road Trip, Veracruz

 canplat Says:  This is a GREAT drive! I would highly recommend renting a vehicle and driving if you feel comfortable in foreign countries. We rented a suburban and took the autopista (toll road) via Puebla and Orizaba to Veracruz. It was about 6 hrs, and a beautiful drive through the... 

 
Explore Deeper into Veracruz

The Place

Plan a Veracruz vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Veracruz locals

Experience Veracruz
  •   71 Tips and Reviews
  •  118 Photos
  •  3 Videos
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Map of Veracruz
 

The People

20 Members Live Here
 
Advice from the Locals
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 BackPaCkin' in VeracRuz - The people that surrounds you invite you to drink with them! Go and enjoy the Mexican History at 4 or 5 locations more than 400 years old. It's also a nightclubbin' city, you can go to either of these... 

20 members live in Veracruz

 

Questions and Answers

gecor profile photo

Q:  I'm staying for 4 nights 5 days in veracruz, those days, at a hotel in Boca del Río. Do you recommend to rent a car to move... 

gomexico profile photo

A: Boca del Rio is connected to Veracruz city by an excellent urban bus system, as well as by taxi's - and I don't think renting a car is a wise thing to do. 

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Top Veracruz Writers

1

Veracruz Puerto

alza profile photo

 Just changing the pic here for a more general one of Veracruz, now that I've returned to it a year after this Intro was written. And gradually continuing to build this page. I stayed in Veracruz in...... 

2

On the coast...

ahoerner profile photo

 Veracruz was a nice surprise to me... I took a day trip (about 3 hours driving) from Puebla to the coastal and harbor city of Veracruz together with a friend of mine, Ricardo Sanchez, a very funny... 

3

Veracruz

darthmilmo profile photo

 Veracruz has seen it's face in many a movie. The historic first Spanish fortress in Mexico, the Fort of San Juan de Ulua, makes the trip to the humid city of Veracruz worthwhile. If you think it looks... 

4

Day 9 to 11of my trip

IceBear7 profile photo

 Veracruz is not the typical stop on your Mexico trip but I enjoyed my stay a lot! The harbour with BIG ships is only minutes away from the city center, in the evenings there is a lot going on around... 

5

Relaxing party town

mocca profile photo

 Vera Cruz is the nicest town I have seen in Mexico. I have been there now twice, but for sure I will be back there again. 

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