May 2023 Trip to Veracruz State

May 2023 Trip to Veracruz State

In May, Kevin and I took a trip by bus to the Mexican state of Veracruz, with a few other stops on the way (one place we had visited before, and one new place).  During this trip I was reminded that like any large country, Mexico has a great deal of diversity in the landscapes, personality, and “vibe” of its many regions throughout the country.

Queretaro Revisited

Because we don’t like long travel days and avoid them when possible, we decided to start our trip with a return to Queretaro (here is a link to the post about our first trip).  The highlight of our return visit was trying a new restaurant with a focus on local beer, wine, and food for lunch.

A park in Queretaro
Part of our great lunch, focusing on local beverages and ingredients

Puebla

Our next stop was a new city and state for us, Puebla.  Puebla was founded in 1531, due to its location approximately midway between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz.  It was the site on May 5th, 1862, of a Mexican military success against French invaders, celebrated now as Cinco de Mayo primarily in the US and Puebla (other holidays such as Mexican Independence Day in September are much bigger holidays in Mexico).

We enjoyed a mix of eating in restaurants, visiting the mercado, and running some errands since we were in a bigger city.  We also spent some time enjoying our small terraza overlooking a busy street in the evenings.

A fountain in front of the Puebla Cathedral
The main mercado in Puebla, one of the best we have been to anywhere for variety of food.
We were in Puebla approximately a week after Cinco de Mayo
Sometimes we enjoy eating in our Airbnb. This night, we made dinner with leftover pasta from our first night’s dinner with added vegetables we bought at the mercado.
We happened upon this concert in the main square as we were walking by.

Veracruz State – stop 1 – Orizaba

There was a dramatic change in climate after we crossed a mountain pass as we approached Orizaba, a city of approximately 125,000 in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental.  Suddenly, it was very green and somewhat humid but relatively cool compared to the dry heat in the central mountains where we live and had been travelling. 

Highlights for us in Orizaba were more nature oriented – a riverfront walk and a cable car that goes from the center of town up approximately 320 meters/1000 feet to a park in the mountains with beautiful views and hiking trails.

Main square, Orizaba
El Palacio de Hierro (The Iron Palace), designed by Eiffel (the same one as the Eiffel Tower in Paris) and shipped to Orizaba in pieces in the late 1800s
Mural on the riverfront walk in Orizaba. Translation: The earth is for everyone but the decision to care for her is yours. Care Orizaba.
Riverfront walk, Orizaba
On our way up in the teleférico (cable-car) to the top of Cerro Borrego
View of Orizaba from the top of Cerro Borrego
Scenic view, top of Cerro Borrego
An example of the hiking trails on the top of Cerro Borrego. The signs describe local flora and fauna.
Near the bottom of our return trip to Orizaba. There is a crocodile (and other animals) in a park in this area.

Veracruz State – stop 2 – Veracruz City

Next we headed to the beach, to Veracruz City on the southeast Gulf of Mexico.  Veracruz is Mexico’s oldest European-founded settlement. 

Being May, it was starting to get quite hot and humid.  While there were some tourists, the city has a very relaxed vibe compared many of the other Mexican beach destinations that we have visited.

We enjoyed eating seafood at a variety of restaurants, walking the malecon, and relaxing in a restaurant on the main square (Zocolo) for lunch one afternoon, and at the beach the next.

¡Ceviche!
Having a leisurely lunch in a restaurant on the main square in Veracruz
Many families enjoying the beach in Veracruz

Veracruz State – stop 3 – Xalapa

Our final new stop of the trip was the city of Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa).  The city is named for the jalapeño pepper than many people associate with Mexican food.  But the city is more known for coffee.  The weather was like Orizaba – cooler, cloudy, and rainy most afternoons.  The city is filled with beautiful parks, and we spent one day visiting a few of them.

Just a few of many murals in this neighborhood
More murals
Park along some lakes in Xalapa. We joined the locals taking a walk around them.
View during our walk. There was a festival and free jazz concert being held in the bandstand, affiliated with the University.
Enjoying lunch at a café
Breakfast with handmade tortillas at a restaurant in the Xalapa bus station. This was a great restaurant for any location, with outdoor seating.

Veracruz State – stop 4 – Veracruz City revisited

We decided to fly home from Veracruz rather than retrace our steps via bus, so we spent one final night at the beach in Veracruz City before heading home.

View from our hotel balcony, overlooking the Merchant Marine school
Our final night’s dinner. The grackle in the picture stole some crackers from a neighboring table shortly after this photo was taken.

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