Progreso de Zaragoza

Progreso de Zaragoza is the seat of the municipality of Coahuitlán, in the Totonac hills of northern Veracruz on the border with Puebla. It lies low, on the floodplain of the Necaxa river at under 200 metres, with a hot, humid climate averaging about 22 °C and rain for much of the year. The 2020 census counted 2,675 residents.

It has not always been the centre of the municipality. Coahuitlán is a Totonac village of pre-Hispanic origin that in the 16th century was a dependency of Mecatlán; a decree of 8 July 1897 moved the seat to the congregation of Progreso de Zaragoza, where the mestizo population lived. The second half of the name honours Ignacio Zaragoza, the Republican general of the French intervention. Today the municipality is home to Totonac people and a smaller Nahua community.

The main draw for visitors is the suspension footbridge across the Necaxa, which links the two banks of the river at the town. The Necaxa comes down from the Puebla highlands, enters Veracruz precisely here in Coahuitlán and flows east towards Coyutla, later joining the Laxaxalpan to form the Tecolutla river.

The municipal calendar opens with Candelaria in February, continues with San José in March and peaks with the Santo Entierro and Holy Week, when several communities gather. A dance particular to the area is the Danza de los Guaguas, with woodpecker and coati characters. Farms grow maize and coffee, and local crafts include wooden masks, furniture and wax work. Eight in ten homes have a mobile phone, but internet is rare.