Buena Vista

With 4,761 people, Buena Vista is the second largest community in Soteapan after the municipal seat, and one of the most Indigenous in southern Veracruz: almost the whole village identifies as Popoluca, and Sierra Popoluca, which its speakers call nunta jttyi', is the language heard in the street. It sits at about 500 metres, 6.5 km west of Soteapan, in the hilly part of a municipality that covers much of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve.

The municipality belongs to Veracruz's Olmec region, has a warm climate of around 24 °C with heavy rain in summer and early autumn, and is classed as highly marginalised; paved road access to this part of the sierra is fairly recent, and only about one home in five in the village has internet. People live from their maize plots and from fishing in the Mezcalapa, Michapan and Zoxoltepec rivers, making much of their own fishing gear.

Villagers weave baskets and palm, and build guitars and drums that are played at festivals. The year's feasts start with the Holy Cross on 3 May, followed by Saint Isidore on 15 May and Saint Anthony on 13 June, and close with the Day of the Dead on 2 November. From 15 to 20 March the municipal seat holds the mayordomía of Saint Joseph, with fandango and the Malinche and Tigrillo dances; the local table is built on pozol, a maize and cacao drink, and tamales of chipile or beans.