Xalapa & Puerto Veracruz, Mexico Travels

Oct 25, 2020 • By Leonidas K. • 14 min read

Mexico Travel

This was my 3rd time living in Mexico, and it was time to visit some exciting new places that I kept hearing about.

Xalapa & Puerto Veracruz, Mexico

Firstly, Veracruz was where the Spanish empire landed after taking the Caribbean islands, thus beginning their conquest deep into Mexico (which for a while was named New Spain).

But the history didn’t end there, because most slaves would be imported into Veracruz, all attempts at rebellion of the Mexican peoples would be repressed by the Spanish Navy through Veracruz, the French empire would try to conquer Mexico through Veracruz (twice), and even the Americans had their control of Veracruz back in the day.

Nonetheless, in this adventure, I bought a bus ticket from Mexico City to the Capital of the state of Veracruz – Xalapa.

Getting To Xalapa & Puerto Veracruz

To get to Xalapa is very easy. Simply visit the Bus terminal in Mexico City (one of 4 major bus terminals in the city), and Xalapa is a quick 4 hour bus ride from Mexico City.

Going from Mexico City to Xalapa, Veracruz, to Puerto Veracruz

Welcome To Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico

Upon arrival to Xalapa, there are no Ubers (or other variants) as of this writing, so all taxis are owned by the city government and only accept cash. I quickly grabbed a taxi to my hotel to begin my Xalapa adventures.

Xalapa is pronounced “Ha-La-Pa” in English, and the people here are called “Ha-La-Pe-Nios” or Halapeño or Xalapeños.

But you already unknowingly know of this city from the well known “Jalapeños” chilli-pepper. Yes, the jalapeño was originally cultivated here by the indigenous peoples, although I didn’t see much emphasis on this in the city.

A statue of a mexican warrior (possibly Cuauhtémoc) with the symbolic eagle of Mexico

Street vendors are ever-present in all parts of Mexico, selling candy, cigarettes and fried snacks.

Cars in the streets of Xalapa (on the left are the city-owned taxis)

Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz in Downtown Xalapa

Despite Xalapa having a smaller population than Puerto Veracruz, Xalapa acts as the Government capital of the State of Veracruz.

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Xalapa

Inside the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Xalapa

The iconic green taxis of Xalapa fill the streets.

La Parroquia de Veracruz, restaurant and simple shopping

The facades of Xalapa are from the late 19th century.

Church of San Jose (Iglesia del Señor San José) in Xalapa

The callecitos (small streets) of old Xalapa

Symbolic murals on government buildings. Written with the horseman: “Land & Liberty”

Mural representing the hundreds of thousands of African slaves brought to Mexico

Xalapa was built on a hill that moves up towards the mountains. In this photo, we are walking downwards

Graffiti is a main form of expression in Mexico

An iconic Pink restaurant (various restaurants inside) in Xalapa next to the main river

Leonidas and “Los Lagos Del Dique” (Dam Lake)

The main lake in town acts as a running track as well on the perimeter

The streets of Xalapa are built on hilly terrain

At night, the cobble stone streets of Xalapa bring you back to a colonial time

Many homes in Mexico are built generation by generation, floor by floor over time.

The narrow streets of Xalapa can be unnerving to some

Leonidas not scared in the streets of Xalapa at night

Large supermarkets are somehow crammed into the narrow streets of Xalapa

An iconic souvenir market in Xalapa features many trinkets for passing visitors and avid smokers

Lots of fun trinkets to buy in the streets of Xalapa

Russian Matroshka dolls became popular in Mexico during the 2018 FIFA football (soccer) games

Makeshift street food kitchens are ever-present in mexico

“Am i not here, me that I’m your mother?”

The relatively newer residential streets of Xalapa

Because of the Covid Pandemic, this car dealership has not been maintained in months. Overgrowth has quickly kicked in.

A replica of an indigenous statue overlooks the entrance to Macuiltépec Mountain in the center of Xalapa

Black worms move as a group in Macuiltépec

A mountain-top view of Xalapa from Mount Macuiltépec

The entrance to a local gardens of Los Tecajetes Park in Xalapa

A well preserved park in the middle of Xalapa. Los Tecajetes Park

Residential buildings spring up around Los Tecajetes Park

A large Toltec head sits inside Xalapa Bus Station

Xalapa To Puerto Veracruz

From the bus station in Xalapa, it’s a quick 1.5 hour bus ride to the coastal city of Veracruz, also called “Heroica Veracruz” or “Puerto Veracruz”. This is a major port city for importing and exporting from Mexico, but it was also one of the portals of several large invasions into Mexico, as well as the trans-Atlantic African slave trade.

Large rocks act as a barrier to the strong ocean waves in Veracruz

An artistic boat sits along the coast of Veracruz

Leonidas not actually pondering about anything in the sunny warm weather of Veracruz

On this weekend, the winds in Veracruz were extremely strong, and the current extremely powerful

A covid poster in Veracruz, “For my grandchildren”

A statue commemorating the defenders of Veracruz

Locals enjoy the warm sunny weather of Veracruz

A restaurant offering various seafood specialties in Veracruz

Musicians in Veracruz. They weren’t playing at the time, so I’m not sure what genre of music they offer

Souvenirs and clothes available along the boardwalk

A lobster dances to invite you inside to eat his friends

A woman awaits for you to purchase something to take home

A small path towards the beach in Veracruz

A current breaker and lighthouse shoots out into the ocean

Into the Veracruz Center

A bit further away from the beaches of Veracruz is the actual business port. Here is where many historic moments occurred, along with most shops and restaurants.

The statue of Heriberto Jara Corona, a mexican revolutionary and politician

Snacks for sale on the boardwalk of Veracruz. The red is apples coated in Chamoya (a sweet and sour sauce).

Tower of Pemex (Petroleum Mexico) and the home of much corruption in Mexico

A carving depicting Mexican Life, in 1930’s-1950’s style.

The Centinela De La Patria (Sentinel of the Fatherland)

A tug boat used to bring in large cargo ships

More delicious snacks for sale in the port

Monumento a los Marinos del Mundo (monument to the sailors of the world)

The symbolic mexican eagle with the snake in its mouth

Port Administration building in Veracruz

At this point I started to walk along the highway

Walking along the highway, you get to see the more industrial parts of Veracruz

Many remnant buildings lay dormant and falling apart along the port

Import and Export in the port of Veracruz

Night Time Walk Along the Boardwalk

Along almost the entire length of the city of Veracruz is a pedestrian boardwalk you can walk, run, and skate along. Although it was windy, it was also quite warm, even at night in October.

The shimmering coast of Veracruz during sunset

Many construction projects in Veracruz have been abandoned

A supposed beach according to the map, but clearly not in use.

New high-class residential buildings sprouting up along the coast of veracruz

A casino next to a new residential building in Veracruz

The following Day

The next day consisted mainly of going out into the waters. Veracruz has a 1 meter deep section in the ocean called “Cancuncito”. It’s a few kilometers from the coast, and you can literally stand on it.

A tiny piece of land in the middle of the ocean that you can stand on

The Island of Sacrifices. This is where the spaniards first discovered sacrificed people in Veracruz

Back on land, “Mirador Foro Boca” (Mouth Forum Viewpoint)

Fisherman on Mirador Foro Boca. This section of the beaches is extremely dangerous with very strong currents and wind

Overlooking the Mirador Foro Boca (Mouth Forum)

Night Time in The Center

As night time settled in, it was time to grab something to eat in the center of the city, and experience the culture. On this sunday, the city center was alive with many visitors and locals who came to buy souvenirs, enjoy the food, and dance to salsa music.

Entering the city center almost feels like a festival in Veracruz

Skulls are a common theme for indigenous mexican cultures

Colonial architecture flanked by colonial-style facades for restaurants and residential homes?

Locally made clothes and souvenirs in Mexico

Mexican-style jewelry is always very colourful

Leonidas in front of the Palacio Municipal de Veracruz

“Guero” Ice-cream. Guero is slang for a white foreigner

Xalapa & Veracruz Conclusion

Xalapa was a simple, very typical pueblo or town (although on the scale of a city). I can’t really recommend visiting here, unless you strictly desire novelty, as there is really not much to do. Perhaps there is more nature on the outskirts, but in the city itself, there were only a few interesting things.

The Port of Veracruz on the other hand offered nice sunny weather, but in early October, it was extremely windy, and the tides were very strong, so swimming in the ocean was off-limits for relaxation. Furthermore, Veracruz felt like the abandoned, unmaintained brother of Puerto Vallarta & Nuevo Vallarta.

Would I visit again? Unlikely, but would I recommend visiting at least once? Sure, why not 😉