Experience the Best of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
Come visit Xalapa. It is a serene combination of natural attractions and landscapes with vestiges of its historical and cultural heritage. Xalapa is a place to let yourself feel seduced by it.
Xalapa, a Nahuatl term that means "in the water of the sand", is the oldest city in Mexico and the current capital of the state of Veracruz. Beautiful architecture, history, and the famous Veracruz hospitality are combined in this city, with a long cultural tradition and currently an important educational and artistic center of the country.
With a humid temperate climate and constant rainfall, located in a mountainous area, Xalapa offers visitors a serene combination of natural and scenic attractions with those of a historical and cultural nature.
How to get to Xalapa
Xalapa can be reached by different land routes, since it is perfectly communicated through adequate infrastructure and linked to the national railroad network, or, if you prefer, by air, since it also has a modern and functional airport.
Attractions in Xalapa
It is a beautiful mountain city whose streets wind up and down, giving it a picturesque touch in which its valuable attractions are found, allowing Xalapa to preserve the freshness of the colonial era. An example of this is its Cathedral, built-in 1773, a noble ochre-colored construction, which houses the museum dedicated to Bishop Rafael Guízar y Valencia; the Government Palace, built-in 1885, inside which you can admire the beautiful frescoes of José Chávez Morado; the Church of Calvario, with its unequally decorated towers; the Temple of San José, built-in 1770; the churches of Los Corazones, Santiago and La Piedad; the alleys of Jesús te Ampare and El Diamante of singular characteristics.
Other attractions that Xalapa offers are the Universidad Veracruzana, modern construction with beautiful buildings scattered among beautiful gardens and parks; Hidalgo Park, where you can find the Casa de las Artesanías, where periodically there are exhibitions of typical products of the region; the Museum of Anthropology and the annexed Institute, where more than 25,000 pieces of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Veracruz, such as the Olmec, Totonaca, and Huasteca, are exhibited.
In the Kinetic Tower, there is an original system of light and sound movement; a beautiful natural attraction of the city is the Tepeyac Grotto, a subway passage that begins in the hill of Macuiltepetl, from which a panoramic view of the city can be appreciated; the Preparatory School and the Archbishop's Palace; don't miss the Francisco Javier Clavijero Botanical Garden, the State Theater and the formidable Paseo de los Lagos.
Handicrafts in Xalapa
In Xalapa, it is possible to acquire many diverse handicrafts from all over the state, such as those made on the coast, mainly in the Port of Veracruz, for example, objects made of tortoiseshell and coral, or those from the highlands, mainly warm clothing and the famous rugs that compete with foreign ones for their quality and beauty.
Surroundings of Xalapa
Only 9 km from Xalapa is the town of Coatepec with the originality of its famous greenhouses such as La Purísima and La Providencia, whose specialty is orchids. Another nearby town is Xico, located in a mountainous environment, whose Temple of Maria Magdalena is an example of the color and pride of its inhabitants. Huatusco is another town near Xalapa, a picturesque town with its red brick Parish Church and the Solleiro Theater, built-in 1889. Very close to this town is the Balneario de la Higuera, with its carbonated waters and the splendid Tenexamxa waterfall.
Along the same route it is convenient to visit Fortín de las Flores where you can visit the Hacienda de las Ánimas, the former residence of Emperor Maximilian. 32 km away is Naolinco where you can appreciate beautiful constructions, such as the temples of San Mateo Apóstol, El Calvario, San Isidro, Cruz Blanca de Guadalupe and Jesús María. In Coscomatepec it is possible to acquire magnificent handicrafts in the branch of saddlery such as huaraches, boots, gloves, saddles, and belts. It is located 73 km from Xalapa. From Xalapa, it is also possible to visit the cities of Cordoba, Orizaba, and the beautiful Port of Veracruz.
Festivals and fairs in Xalapa
The most important festivities in Xalapa begin with the Carnival in February or March, with dances, parades of floats, bullfights, fireworks, and an outpouring of joy that fills the streets with great color. On July 25th the Fiesta de Santiago Apostle is celebrated with fireworks, processions, a fair, and music, and on December 8th Xalapa dresses up to celebrate the Santísima Concepción with dances and processions.
Weather in Xalapa
The best time to travel to Xalapa in Mexico is from February to April and July to October, where you have a pleasant climate and only moderate rainfall. The average maximum temperature in Xalapa is 24°C in April and 18°C in January. Xalapa has an oceanic climate.
Gastronomy in Xalapa
The most representative dishes found in Xalapa's cuisine are the chiles xalapeños rellenos, tamales de cazuela, molotas, tamales de elote, duck a la veracruzana, tepezcuintle en adobo, and a great variety of sweets elaborated according to old recipes, such as yemitas with cinnamon, pumpkin seed sweets, peanut palanqueta, coconut candy and to accompany all this delight, the traditional drinks such as coatepec, jobo, mosco, tlanichicole and its incomparable coffee of international fame.
Services in Xalapa
Xalapa has a great diversity of lodging services of all categories, restaurants, banks, hospitals, car rental companies, bus, and railroad terminals, and in short, everything necessary to make your stay more comfortable and pleasant. Visit Xalapa. A serene combination of natural attractions and landscapes with vestiges of its historical and cultural heritage. Allow yourself to be won over by Xalapa.
