Malecón de Veracruz

The Malecón of Veracruz is the waterfront promenade along the harbour at the edge of the historic centre, a few blocks from the zócalo. The central stretch is a walk of almost a kilometre facing the docks, with views of the container cranes, the ships coming into port, naval vessels and the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa across the water. From here the seafront continues south as Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho, a renovated coastal avenue that runs for kilometres past the beaches and the aquarium towards Boca del Río.

The buildings along the malecón reflect the port's history. The Faro Venustiano Carranza, an old lighthouse with a clock and a statue of Carranza in its plaza, recalls the time when the city was the seat of his government during the Revolution, and nearby a monument honours the naval cadets who fought the US landing of 1914. Statues of Alexander von Humboldt and the Centinela de la Patria also stand on the promenade, and the Torre de Pemex, 54 metres tall, rises beside it. The Gran Café de La Parroquia, which began in 1808 as a small shop facing the parish church and is famous for its café lechero, has a branch looking out over the malecón.

The promenade is busiest in the late afternoon and at night, when families stroll in the sea breeze, vendors sell esquites, corn on the cob, "güero güero" ices and glorias (shaved ice with banana, condensed milk and cinnamon), and the lights come on. The handicrafts market sells seashell jewellery, model ships and other souvenirs. Harbour boat trips leave from the malecón, circling the cargo ships at anchor and San Juan de Ulúa and heading out towards the Isla de Sacrificios, with departures that depend on weather and demand; the tourist tram also runs along the waterfront. Playa Regatas is about 500 metres from the Pemex tower, and the zócalo, with its portales and danzón, is just inland.