Tecolutla

Tecolutla is the beach town people from Papantla head to on weekends and holidays, about 40 kilometers to the east. It sits where the Tecolutla River meets the Gulf of Mexico, so on one side of town there is open sea and on the other a wide river edged with mangroves. It marks the northern end of the stretch of coast known as the Costa Esmeralda.

The beach is long, flat and sandy, with palapa restaurants serving fish, shrimp and seafood cocktails. The water is warm for most of the year, but the Gulf can have strong currents, so watch the flags and swim near other people. The town gets very busy during Semana Santa and the summer holidays and is much quieter the rest of the time.

Tecolutla is also known for the Vida Milenaria sea turtle camp, a community project that has protected nests on this beach for decades, collecting eggs and releasing the hatchlings back to the sea in the warmer months. Local cooperatives run boat trips through the mangroves of the estuary, where you can see herons, kingfishers and other water birds. The town also holds a coconut festival, and in 1998 it made a cocada that set a Guinness record for its length.