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    The Metlac highway bridge spanning the Barranca de Metlac near Fortín, Veracruz

    Photo by Enrique Carpio Fotógrafo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Tall piers of the Metlac bridges over the green ravine, Veracruz

    Photo by mancontr, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Road and rail bridges over the Barranca de Metlac, Veracruz

    Photo by 0+000, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Historic view of the Mexican Railway crossing the Barranca de Metlac, Veracruz

    Photo by SMU Central University Libraries, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

    Barranca de Metlac

    Viewpoint Ixtaczoquitlán, Veracruz Municipality of Ixtaczoquitlán Altas Montañas (Orizaba and Córdoba)

    A deep, misty ravine with 19th-century railway tunnels, an old track you can walk, and some of Mexico's tallest bridges.

    From Córdoba: 10 min by car (11 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Barranca de Metlac

    Where to stay near Barranca de Metlac

    La Casa Azul Hotel · 540 m from the center Prices Magnolias Hotel · 1.7 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Córdoba Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Barranca de Metlac

    Day trips and guided outings from Córdoba often include Barranca de Metlac; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Veracruz Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive ★ 5.0 (546) · From US$14
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Córdoba

    How to get to Barranca de Metlac

    • From Córdoba: about 10 min by road (~11 km)
    • 8 km west of Córdoba
    • Nearest airport: Veracruz (VER), 1 h 25 min by car to Córdoba
    Rent a car at VER Flights to VER

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Veracruz, near Barranca de Metlac

    Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive ★ 5.0 (546) 12 h From US$14
    Aquatico Inbursa Waterpark: Veracruz - Ticket ★ 4.1 (49) 8 h From US$25
    Full Day Tour to Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas with Transportation ★ 4.6 (29) 12 h 30 min From US$92
    Tajín and Papantla Tour from Veracruz or Boca del Río by Highway ★ 5.0 (23) 12 h 30 min From US$112
    6-Day Private Tour of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Varanasi from Delhi ★ 5.0 (20) 6 days From US$802

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Barranca de Metlac

    The Barranca de Metlac is the gorge the Metlac River has cut between Fortín de las Flores and Ixtaczoquitlán, on the way from Córdoba to Orizaba. Its walls are covered in humid mountain forest, and mist often fills it in the morning, which gives the place an eerie, half-hidden feel.

    Getting the railway across it was one of the great engineering problems of the Ferrocarril Mexicano, the line between Veracruz and Mexico City that opened in 1873. Engineers dug a string of tunnels along the ravine wall and built a curved iron bridge high over the river; the painter José María Velasco made it famous in the 1880s. The old bridge was later replaced, and today modern railway and highway bridges span the ravine at dizzying heights.

    In 2023 the federal government declared the stretch of railway between Sumidero and Fortín, with its seven tunnels and old stations, a zone of historic monuments. Part of the old track bed is now walked and biked by visitors, and a lookout on the Fortín side gives a view down into the forest.

    How to get to Barranca de Metlac

    Drive from Córdoba: 10 min, 11 km

    The ravine is about 20 minutes from Córdoba: drive or take a bus to Fortín de las Flores and follow the road toward Ixtaczoquitlán to the lookout. Trails into the ravine are rough and the railway is still in use, so going with a local guide is strongly recommended; avoid walking on active tracks.

    8 km west of Córdoba

    Directions from Córdoba on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Barranca de Metlac on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Barranca de Metlac

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Barranca de Metlac: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Fog rolls through the ravine often; expect misty views rather than clear ones. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    The lookout beside the Fortín–Ixtaczoquitlán road is easy to reach on your own, but for the old railway track and its tunnels a local guide is strongly recommended. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Barranca de Metlac: what to see and do

    Look down into the ravine from the lookout on the Fortín side, best early before the mist rises or late in the afternoon.
    Walk the old railway line through the tunnels with a local guide.
    Mountain bike along the former track bed.
    Spot the tall modern bridges of the railway and the Córdoba–Orizaba highway.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Barranca de Metlac

    La Casa Azul Hotel · 540 m from the center Find on Expedia Magnolias Hotel · 1.7 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel "Las Vías" Hotel · 1.8 km from the center Find on Expedia Suites María Antonieta Hotel · 1.8 km from the center Find on Expedia Ruiz Galindo Hotel · 1.9 km from the center Find on Expedia Gran Hotel Hotel · 2.0 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Córdoba often include Barranca de Metlac; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at VER (Veracruz): about 1 h 25 min by road to Córdoba, then 8 km more to Barranca de Metlac, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Veracruz (VER), about 1 h 25 min by road from Córdoba, the base for Barranca de Metlac.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Córdoba: download a map of the way to Barranca de Metlac before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    Photos

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    When to go to Barranca de Metlac mild

    Barranca de Metlac shares the climate of Córdoba, 8 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and December.

    For the clearest views from Barranca de Metlac, go in the driest months (February, March, April, and December); in the rains, clouds tend to build up by midday.

    See the month-by-month climate of Córdoba

    Make Córdoba your base

    Cathedral of the Inmaculada Concepción on the Parque 21 de Mayo, Córdoba, Veracruz mild
    Veracruz Córdoba

    Barranca de Metlac is an easy trip from Córdoba, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Barranca de Metlac

    All 9 towns and sights around Córdoba →

    Near Barranca de Metlac

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.