 General
information about Veracruz
The city stands on a low, sandy plain surrounded by dunes and
swamps, some of which have been reclaimed and are very fertile.
In 1519 the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés landed
near the site later chosen (1599) for the present city.
The
highlights of the city encompass the cultural originality and
ancestral ties of the Spanish. Some of the major sights include
the Plaza de la Republica (Republic Plaza), where the scenery
is said to be the best in the area. Museo de la Ciudad (City Museum)
was built in 1852 as the Instituto Veracruzano, and in 1970 became
the primary cultural and historical museum of the city. Another
museum is Baluarte de Santiago, Santiago's Bastion, which was
a portion of the wall that originally surrounded and protected
the city. There are many churches, museums and historic sights
within Veracruz.
Food
and drink can be found almost anywhere in Veracruz. To name a
few of the better places to eat, try the local cuisine at Cafeteria
Colonial, Chicote, La Merced, or Gran Cafe la Parroquia. Other
choices could include El Pescador, Las Brisas del Mar, Tano, La
Quinta or Villa Rica. Believe it or not, there are pizza places
that offer a variety of toppings; most notably is Pizza Palace
that has four restaurants in the city. For spirits, cadets can
take their pick of the literally hundreds of options. Beaches
include Playa Marti, Mocambo and Playon de Hornos. Diving and
water sports are available at Tridente and Curazao. Fishing club
members should find Club de Yates Veracruz. Bicycle rentals are
available at nearby Bicicentro Lezama. Plenty of activities are
available, and are certainly not difficult to find. Shopping
centers of Veracruz for local crafts, gifts and souvenirs abound.
The crafts are almost all domestically made, as are souvenirs
(nothing from Taiwan or Korea). Curiosidades, Plaza de las Artesanias
(for local crafts), Plaza Crystal Veracruz and Mercado are but
a few of the choices for gifts and souvenirs. Clubs
and nightlife abound in the "jarochos." Music is primarily
Spanish, although some clubs have Rock and Jazz. Some of the places
to visit are Caprichos, Climax, La Ballesta, Parthenon, Moruchos
and El Mirador. Cadets have a tendency to have absolutely no difficulty
finding fun during the evening at most any port. (written by Rick
Nash)
Check
our hotel offer in Boca Del Rio
The city of Veracruz and Boco del Rio are close to each other
and have actually grown together over the years. They are connected
by a Camacho boulevard that runs pretty well parallel along the
gulf. Boca del Rio is characterized in Veracruz and Mexico because
of its beautiful beaches and delicious coastal cuisine
Check
our hotel offer in Catemaco
While witchcraft has had a home here since the Olmecs (Mesoamerica's
oldest civilization) ruled the land 3,000 years ago, recent years
have sparked new interest. Today, Catemaco is known as the City
of Witches. Tourism officials promote the local occult, especially
the "Annual Convention of Wizards" on the first Friday
of March, when thousands of visitors pay $20 to $500 to be rid
of evil spirits or plain bad luck. Tourists stroll the streets
looking for someone to lead them to a witch doctor. It is easy
even for a visitor to see that witchcraft has influenced the local
business community. Many businesses use the word brujo (meaning
witch) in their names. There is the wooden-hut restaurant called
Seven Brujos and the Brujo Inn. There is even a Brujo coffee house.
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