Veracruz, Veracruz

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Puerto de Veracruz
City and municipality


Coat of arms
Veracruz, Veracruz is located in Mexico
Coordinates: 19°11′25″N 96°09′12″W﻿ / ﻿19.19028°N 96.15333°W﻿ / 19.19028; -96.15333
Country  Mexico
State Veracruz
Municipality Veracruz
Established 22 April 1519[1]
 • Municipal President Carolina Gudiño Corro (PRI)
Elevation 10 m (30 ft)
Population (2010)
 • City and municipality 552,156
 • Urban 520,708
 • Metro 702,394 (metro)
Time zone CST (UTC−6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC−5)

Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state,[2] 90 km (56 mi) from the state capital Xalapa along Federal Highway 140. It is the state's most populous city, with a population that is actually greater than the municipality's population, since part of the city of Veracruz extends into the neighboring Boca del Río Municipality. At the 2010 census, the city had 554,830 inhabitants, 428,323 in Veracruz Municipality and 126,507 in Boca del Río Municipality.[3] Veracruz is Mexico’s oldest, largest, and historically most significant port since European colonization.[2][4][5]







The Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva, along with Bernal Díaz del Castillo, first arrived in 1518 at the island later known as San Juan de Ulúa[10] The Spanish gave it that name because they landed on the Christian feast of John the Baptist, and in honor of the captain.[11] de Ulúa is derived from the local name for the Aztecs, coluha or acolhua. According to tradition, when the Spanish arrived, they found two young men who had been sacrificed. When they asked the locals what had happened, they said the Aztecs had ordered the sacrifice. The word for Aztec evolved into Ulúa.[11][12]







Ten years later, civil war between liberals and conservatives forced Benito Juárez’s government to flee the capital of Mexico City. Juárez went to Veracruz and governed from there in 1857.[10] In the 1861 Spain sent its troops to occupy the port in an effort to secure payment of debts, which Juárez had suspended. French military forces accompanied them Maximiliano I and occupied the city when the emperor and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in 1864.[2]

The conflicts and damaged trade relations with Europe took its toll on the port of Veracruz. By 1902, the port facilities had deteriorated and it was considered one of the most dangerous on the American coast. President Porfirio Díaz contracted with foreign enterprises to modernize the port’s infrastructure.[11]






Notable sites[edit]

The plaza in the center of the city of Veracruz

Veracruz is not as popular a tourist destination as many other resort areas.[4] However the city has been promoting itself as a tourist location with new attractions such as the Veracruz Aquarium and the City Museum and the renovation of old ones such as Fort San Juan de Ulúa and the Naval Academy.[7]

The cultural center of the city is its main plaza, officially named Plaza de las Armas but commonly called the Zocalo. In this tree-filled square, in which have camped a number of foreign invading armies, is occupied from morning to night with people playing dominos, selling food, cigars, etc. playing music, dancing and other activities. It is more crowded in the evening where just about every night the danzón is danced. This dance was brought over to Mexico from Cuba by refugees in the 1870s. It was originally restricted to the lower classes but eventually gained accepted by all levels of society. This is sponsored by several dance schools dedicated to keeping the tradition alive. Around the plaza there are numerous shops and restaurants as well as the municipal palace and the cathedral.[4][15]

Municipal Palace of Veracruz

The Municipal Palace was built for the city council in 1608, though the building was extensively remodeled in the 18th century. Its architectural style is a sober Baroque with a tower at one of the corners. It is said that this tower was used to keep watch on the ships entering and leaving the port. It has a large courtyards surrounded by wide arches and is the oldest city government building in Mexico.[15]


The Carranza Lighthouse overlooks Veracruz's malecón

In the port area are the Pemex Tower, the old lighthouse, which was the seat of government for Venustiano Carranza, and the Crafts Market. Also here on Marina Mercante Street is the Old Customs Building, the Postal and Telegraph twin buildings as well as the old railroad terminal, which was luxurious enough that it had its own hotel in the 1920s. The Juarez Hemicycle Monument is also here, in front of the Civil Registry Building that contains the first birth certificate issued in the country.[17]

The malecón (boardwalk) stretches for kilometers along the Gulf of Mexico leading away from the city center into the suburbs. This area is popular at night, when people stroll and exercise, enjoying the ocean breezes. Near the city center, the malecón is crowded with merchants selling knick-knacks, souvenirs, jewelry made with seashells and t-shirts.[4]

Fort San Juan de Ulúa is located on an island, now connected to land, of the same name. The island is part of the La Gallega coral reef and has about 2,500 meters of beach. The full reef covers about 100 hectares and varies in depth between sixty and ninety centimeters, forming a natural break.[11] In the pre-Hispanic era, this island was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca.[15] The site where the Spanish first landed is now the container ship terminal of the port.[11] However, most of the island is occupied by the fort. This fort was where the Spanish first landed to conquer Mexico and was also their last stand during and just after the Mexican War of Independence.[15] For the time in-between, the location also serves as a reminder of the days of piracy and the Inquisition.[4] The fort was begun here in 1582 to protect the city from pirates.[15] The danger of attack by foreign powers prompted the Spanish to enlarge the fort in 1635. It was finished in 1707.[4]

After the War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish kept control of the island and fort, and occasionally would bombard Mexican forces on land. This area was finally handed over to Mexico in 1825. The fort next saw action in 1838 during the Pastry War with the French. In 1847, it would witness the invasion of U.S. forces during the Mexican-American War.[15]

Baluarte de Santiago (Santiago bastion)



Along with Fort San Juan de Ulúa, the city used to be walled in for protection against pirates and invasions. All that is left of these walls is the "Baluarte", a small fortress. The 1635 structure has thick, sturdy walls with cannons outwards to the sea. Inside is a tiny museum that has an exquisite exhibition of pre-Hispanic jewelry discovered by a fisherman in the 1970s.[20]

The Veracruz Aquarium [1] was built in 1992 and is the largest and most important in Latin America.[4][17][21] The Freshwater Gallery consists of thirteen exhibitions containing 562,177 liters of water. These exhibitions contain aquatic species from Asia, Africa, South America as well as Mexico. The Reef Tank is best known for its sharks. The Salt Water Gallery contains fourteen tanks with tanks dedicated to the species of Veracruz, the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There is also another exhibit dedicated to sharks, which contains 25 species that swim around visitors as they pass through a glass tunnel built through the tank. There is also an exhibit dedicated entirely to manatees.[21]

A monument remembering the battle and defence of Veracruz City on 21 April 1914.

The Heroica Escuela Naval (Heroic Naval School) was founded here in 1897 by José María de Vega, then Secretary of the Navy.[2] The school was founded because at the time, Mexico was dependent on the hiring of foreign sailors and foreign training of its officers to staff its Navy as prior attempts to establish an academy had failed. The project to establish the school here was approved by Porfirio Díaz to train both Navy and Merchant Marine officers, to be based on similar schools in Western Europe.[22]

The City Museum (Museo de la Ciudad) is located at the intersections of Zaragoza and Esteban Morales streets in the historic center. It is housed in a two-story building which is of neoclassic design built between the mid and latter 19th century. The main façade on Zaragoza Street has an enormous main door with posts, framed by Ionic pilasters, which reach to the upper floor, and toped by a pediment and a cornice. The building was originally constructed to be an asylum, but in 1861, the French invaded Veracruz and the building was commandeered for other purposes until 1870. The asylum then operated here for almost 100 years, until the construction of new facilities in the south of the city, and work was undertaken to restore and modify the building for a museum. The City Museum was inaugurated in 1970 and contains exhibits relating to the history of the city of Veracruz.[23]

Veracruz from space

The Agustín Lara House Museum exhibits works, photographs and personal effects of the poet Agustín Lara, located in what was his house just outside Veracruz city in Boca del Río.[15] News clips, caricatures and a replica of the radio studio where he hosted "La Hora Azul" ("The Blue Hour") are among the items on display. Lara was one of the city's most famous sons as a popular songwriter and singer in Mexico. Lara began his career playing the piano in brothels and later became a bullfighter. Lara had seven wives, one of whom was Mexican screen diva María "La Doña" Félix, for whom he wrote the song, "María Bonita". To be a gentleman, when he and Félix were about to break up, he married her to "make an honest woman of her" even though they had lived together for years.[4]

Isla de Sacrificios

Veracruz is primarily a commercial port, but there are some beaches and other sea attractions. The most contentious attraction is the island called Isla de Sacrificios, which lies just off the coast of the city and measures 450 meters long and 198 meters wide. The island is part of a system of twenty three coral reefs called the Veracruz Reef System which is a national park.[24] It is possible to kayak to the Isla de Sacrificios to observe seagulls, pelicans and the fish that inhabit the coral reef.[25] In 1983, a study and initial cleanup project was undertaken at the island, which collected fifty tons of trash. Shortly thereafter, the island was closed to the public and since then, there has been a struggle between authorities, tour operators and fisherman as to the fate of the island. There are those who would like to build hotels, restaurants and other facilities for ecotourism. However, access to the island has been restricted to research, teaching and the occasional sporting event.[24]

Other small islands and shoals off the coast include: Isla de Enmedio, Isla Verde, Anegada de Adentro, Santiaguillo and Anegada de Afuera, the last two next to Anton Lizardo beach. All of them are enclosed into the Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano national park and make fine sites for SCUBA diving. There are several operators offering scuba equipment and tours both in Veracruz and in Boca del Rio as well. The best season for scuba diving is May to August.

For 400 years, the island has suffered ecologically from the pillaging of its coral reefs and archeological pieces and pollution.[clarification needed] Current pollution problems are mostly due to untreated wastewater that flows into the ocean from the city and from the polluted Jamapa River. Its coastline has been modified and more than 200 hectares of reefs in its littoral zone have been pillaged. Coral and other marine species have been taken for commercial and craft purposes, as well as by fishermen. Some of these reefs are already dead due to pollution. Since the island was closed, there has been some recuperation of marine life here.[24]

Ruins here have not been extensively studied but cover more than 700 years of history. In the pre-Hispanic era, the island was considered sacred and sanctuary on which to perform religious rites. Human sacrifice was frequently performed and the remains buried here. There was a small altar here but it has not been found. The Spanish built a hospital here, but all that is left of this is part of one wall. Later, a storage faculty to store gunpowder was built, as well as an obelisk during the French Intervention, but these have crumbled as well. Only a small lighthouse currently exists. About 800 archeological pieces have been partially excavated on the island but cannot be exhibited because the humidity and weather would damage them.[24]

Villa del Mar


On the mainland, there are a number of beaches. Playa Martí is located between the city of Veracruz and Boca del Río, five km from the historic center. This beach is equipped with goals and nets for soccer and volleyball. The Playa de Hornos is located next to the Veracruz Aquarium. It is safe to swim here and there are tables, chairs and umbrellas to rent, as well as food stands. During the high seasons there are lifeguards and banana boats to rent. There are also boats that take tourist to the Isla de Sacrificio and Canuncito. Villa del Mar is just south of Playa de Hornos and is more popular.[25]


Street scene from the Zocalo

Because of its importance as Mexico's principal Caribbean and Atlantic sea port, Veracruz has always been a locus for the mixture of different cultures, particularly native Mexican, Spanish and African. During the colonial period, African slaves were brought to work in the fields and shipyards. Since Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, other groups of immigrants, such as Italians and Cubans, have made their homes in the city.[4][7][8]

Sugar and rum production which in colonial times demanded slave labor and an immigrant workforce after independence has brought forth this mixture of cultures.[9][26] Moreover, as the home of the Naval Academy of Mexico, one can see not only Mexican sailors but also foreign travelers wandering the town.[26] The city has a reputation for being boisterous, with people in the squares listening to music late into the night - only then to wake up early the next morning to drink coffee at sidewalk cafes.[14]

A small plaza outside the civil registry

Veracruz recipes use corn, beans and squash, much like the rest of Mexico, but Veracruzians' diets are also typically supplemented by indigenous tropical foods such as chili peppers, tomatoes, avocados, pineapples, papaya, mamey, sweet potatoes, peanuts and sapote fruit, all of which have been present since pre-Columbian times. The Spanish introduced herbs such as parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay laurel and cilantro as well as saffron, wheat, rice, almonds, olives/olive oil, garlic and capers.[8] These are far more prevalent in Veracruz cooking than in other parts of the country.[9]

A signature dish of the area Huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper Veracruz-style) uses local fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, chili peppers) and Spanish ingredients (olive oil, garlic and capers). Other popular dishes include arroz a la tumbada, a rice dish baked with a variety of seafood and caldo de mariscos, a seafood soup reputed to cure hangovers.[8]



The song "La Bamba" made famous by Ritchie Valens has it roots in the Veracruz "son" style of music, which originated in southern Veracruz state, with African and Caribbean influence, and is popular throughout Mexico, Latin America and the United States. Traditional Veracruzian music is called "Son Jarocho". Although there are many types of son music found in Mexico, the Son Jarocho is typically associated with the city of Veracruz. Other types of son include "Son Comercial". This style is faster and flashier than the traditional Son Jarocho and can be heard in Mexican folkdance exhibitions, when Veracruz women with long white dresses and fans dance with partners also dressed in white. The Son Comercial developed in the 1940s from the Son Jarocho, and is so pervasive that today many incorrectly consider it the original. The Casa de Cultura has a workshops for traditional music and son singers can be heard just about anytime on the main plaza (Zocalo)[27]

Float from the Veracruz Carnaval

The Veracruz Carnaval has been celebrated every year since 1866, during the empire of Maximilian I. At that time, a request was made to sponsor "Festival of Masks" which would consist of dances at the principal social gathering sites of the city such as the main theater. While the events were officially held at these locations, others took advantage of the celebration on the streets, near these sites. Eventually, the event became based in the historic center of the city and focused on the Carnaval Parade of Veracruz. Today, the event begins with the "Burning of Bad Humor" and ends wIth the "Burial of Juan Carnaval".[28] Carnaval here is the largest in the country.[7] Filmmaking is also done in the municipality.




General Heriberto Jara International Airport serves the city with daily service to Mexico City as well as international service to Houston and Dallas. The commercial passenger airlines to currently serve VER airport are Aeromexico, Interjet, United Airlines, American Airlines, Aeromar Vivaaerobus and Mayair.

Veracruz is linked to Mexico City by a four-lane toll highway which also passes through Cordoba and Puebla. Half-way between Veracruz and Cordoba it is connected to the La Tinaja-Cosoleacaque toll highway which goes as far as Villahermosa, Tabasco. There is another toll highway to the state capital Xalapa.




There are many other private universities such as Cristóbal Colón University, mainly dedicated to architecture and administration [2] and UNIMEX, which was founded in 1991 and focuses on marketing, graphic design and law.[3]

The port[edit]

Local offices of Pemex

Veracruz is Mexico's oldest and largest port and the port most connected with its history.[2][4][5] During the colonial period, it was the most important port in New Spain, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City.[6] From the port of Veracruz were exported turkeys, corn, beans, avocados, and cotton to Spain. From Spain came fava beans, wheat, rice, cattle, pigs, fabric, wine and other goods. In the mid 16th century, so much gold and silver was found in Veracruz that it became the bulk of the exports to Spain. This attracted pirates, mostly from Britain and Holland, such as Francis Drake and John Hawkins.[6] As the Spanish did initially, Veracruz was the point of invasion for other countries such as France and the United States.[2]

View of the shipping docks



The port complex of Veracruz


The municipality[edit]



Towns and villages[edit]


Name 2010 census population
Veracruz (part) 428,323
Valente Díaz 25,700
Las Amapolas 14,553
Fraccionamiento Geovillas los Pinos 12,840
Colinas de Santa Fe 6,211
Las Bajadas 4,829
Los Torrentes 4,665
Delfino Victoria (Santa Fe) 3,896
Fraccionamiento Costa Dorada 3,660
Fraccionamiento el Campanario 3,543
Las Amapolas Dos 3,386
Oasis 3,325
Río Medio [Granja] 2,895
Lomas de Río Medio Cuatro 2,882
Vargas 2,519
Total for municipalities 552,156


Like the majority of the coastal part of Veracruz State and southern parts of Tamaulipas, the city of Veracruz experiences a tropical savanna climate (Koppen Aw).[32] There is a prominent wet season, typically lasting from June to October, when a vast majority of the yearly precipitation falls, and most afternoons witness rainfall in the form of large tropical thunderstorms; originating in the moist atmosphere above the Gulf of Mexico.[33][34] The wet season, has slightly hotter temperatures and is more humid, in which the dewpoint can easily exceed 25 °C (77.0 °F).[33][34] It is also have less foggy days than the dry season (averaging around 4- 7 foggy days).[33][34] The dry season of the year spans from November to May, has slightly cooler temperatures and less humid days; making it the much more desirable part of the year for visiting tourists as opposed to the stormy, humid wet season. Despite the dryness, winters are foggy and cloudy, averaging 10-17 overcast days and 11-17 foggy days per month during the dry season.[33][34] Many tourists visit Veracruz during Christmas and March Break, in the midst of the winter's comfortably warm dry season.

Veracruz receives an average of 1,564 mm (61.6 in) of precipitation annually.[33] The wettest month of the year is July with an average monthly total of 385 mm (15.2 in) of rainfall, while the driest month of the year is March with an only13 mm (0.51 in) of rainfall.[33] Temperature-wise, the hottest months of the year are June and August, both sharing mean temperatures of 28 °C (82.4 °F), while the coolest month of the year is January with a mean temperature of 21.2 °C (70.2 °F).[35]

Climate data for Veracruz, Mexico
Record high °C (°F) 34.7
Average high °C (°F) 24.3
Daily mean °C (°F) 21.2
Average low °C (°F) 18.1
Record low °C (°F) 5.8
Rainfall mm (inches) 37.9
Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 5.3 3.1 3.8 3.8 5.0 12.8 18.5 16.4 15.4 10.6 6.2 5.7 106.7
 % humidity 80 80 81 80 78 79 79 78 78 74 77 80 79
Mean monthly sunshine hours 145.7 158.1 189.1 207.0 204.6 207.0 204.6 223.2 186.0 192.2 180.0 145.7 2,243.4
Source #1: Hong Kong Observatory (temperature and sun)[35]
Source #2: Colegio de Postgraduados (humidity and extremes),[34] Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (precipitation and extremes)[33]

Sister cities[edit]

Flag City Region Country
Spain Cádiz Andalusia Spain[36]
United States Tampa Florida USA[37]
Spain Valencia Valencia Spain[38]


See also[edit]


  1. ^ Stacy, Lee (1 October 2002). Mexico and the United States. Marshall Cavendish. p. 845. ISBN 9780761474029. Retrieved 20 April 2012. 
  3. ^ a b c 2010 census tables: INEGI
  9. ^ a b c "Red Snapper Veracuzana". Epicurious. Retrieved 30 October 2009. 
  14. ^ a b "Veracruz City". Fodor’s. Retrieved 30 October 2009. 
  20. ^ "Baluarte de Santiago". Fodor's. Retrieved 30 October 2009. 
  28. ^ "Carnaval de Veracruz Tradición". Retrieved 29 October 2009. 
  31. ^ "El Puerto Hoy" (in Spanish). Mexico: Administración Portuaria Integral de Veracruz SA de CV. Retrieved 29 October 2009. [dead link]
  33. ^ a b c d e f g "Veracruz Normales climatológicas 1981-2000" (in Spanish). Comision Nacional Del Agua. Retrieved January 12, 2013. 
  35. ^ a b "Climatological Information for Veracruz, Mexico". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved January 12, 2013. 
  36. ^ Redacción Cádiz. "México DF, otro hermano para Cádiz." (in Spanish). Diario Bahía de Cádiz. "Cádiz ha sumado en los últimos años diversos hermanamientos en el continente sudamericano: con Veracruz (México); Montevideo (Uruguay); San Pedro de Cholula y Puebla (México); Cartagena de Indias (Colombia); La Dorada (Colombia); y con Bogotá, Guaduas, Honda, Mariquita y Ambalema, ciudades todas colombianas integrantes de la Ruta Mutis, en homenaje al bicentenario del fallecimiento del botánico gaditano." 

External links[edit]
