A region of Veracruz
The far south of Veracruz, on the isthmus toward Tabasco and Oaxaca: the oil and port cities of Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlán, the market town of Acayucan and the river plains where the Olmecs built San Lorenzo, one of the first cities in Mesoamerica.
11 places to visit
Map
Places to visit in Southern Veracruz (Olmec region) 11
11 places with their own page, grouped by kind.
Towns · 7 Cities · 2 Villages · 2
Towns
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Acayucan · Town · Veracruz
Market and crossroads town of southern Veracruz, near Olmec sites, with a twin-towered parish and a November fiesta for San Martín Obispo. -
Allende · Town · Veracruz
Villa Allende, on the east bank of the Coatzacoalcos river mouth, linked to the city by Mexico's first immersed-tube tunnel. -
Cosoleacaque · Town · Veracruz
A Nahua town on the edge of Minatitlán, known for its 1863 victory over the French, its hand-loomed textiles and the cacao drink popo. -
Jáltipan · Town · Veracruz
A former sulphur town west of Minatitlán, linked by tradition to La Malinche, with a May folk fair, a son jarocho scene and a stop on the Interoceanic train. -
Las Choapas · Town · Veracruz
Oil and cattle town at Veracruz's southeastern tip, seat of the state's largest municipality and a stop on the Tren Interoceánico to Palenque. -
Nanchital de Lázaro Cárdenas del Río · Town · Veracruz
An oil town by the river, 12 km from Coatzacoalcos, named for the nance fruit and Lázaro Cárdenas, with painted alleys and sunsets at La Playita. -
Tatahuicapan · Town · Veracruz
Nahua municipal seat in the Santa Marta hills south of Los Tuxtlas; its Yuribia dam supplies Coatzacoalcos. San Gabriel feast, 21-25 March.
Cities
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Coatzacoalcos · City · Veracruz
Southern Veracruz's big oil and port city at the mouth of the Coatzacoalcos River, with a long Gulf malecón and a stone jetty out to sea. -
Minatitlán · City · Veracruz
Refinery city on the Coatzacoalcos River, about 23 km upstream from Coatzacoalcos, with a riverside malecón and a busy old centre.
Villages
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Buena Vista · Village · Veracruz
Highland Popoluca village, the second largest in Soteapan, 500 metres up; basketry, palm weaving, home-made guitars and feasts in May and June. -
Huazuntlán · Village · Veracruz
Nahua village of Mecayapan below the Sierra de Santa Marta, with the Huazuntlán river and its bathing spot; about 40 minutes from Minatitlán.
Getting around Southern Veracruz (Olmec region)
Fly into Tuxtla Gutiérrez (TGZ) and Villahermosa (VSA).
Cities to start from: Coatzacoalcos Minatitlán
Most of the region is reached by road: a rental car is the easiest way to see several places in a day, and buses link the larger towns.
When to visit Southern Veracruz (Olmec region)
Most of Southern Veracruz (Olmec region) is at its best in January, February, March, and December.
Month-by-month climate on each Pueblo Mágico's page: Copainalá, Teapa, Ocozocoautla