Town Yanga, Veracruz Altas Montañas (Orizaba and Córdoba)
Known as the first free town of the Americas, founded by people who escaped slavery; a statue of Gaspar Yanga stands in its square.
From Córdoba: 15 min by car (17 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Yanga
Where to stay near Yanga
Córdoba, 16 km away, is the closest town with places to stay.
Hotel Boutique Casa Zevallos Hotel · ★★★★ · 40 m from the center Prices Hotel Palacio Hotel · ★★★ · 190 m from the center PricesTours to Yanga
Day trips around Córdoba sometimes stop in Yanga; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Veracruz
Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive
★ 5.0 (546) · From US$14
How to get to Yanga
- From Córdoba: about 15 min by road (~17 km)
- 16 km southeast of Córdoba
- Nearest airport: Veracruz (VER), 1 h 25 min by car to Córdoba
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Tours from Veracruz, near Yanga
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About Yanga
Yanga is a small sugarcane town in the warm lowlands east of Córdoba, and it carries one of the most remarkable stories in Mexican history. In the late 1500s enslaved Africans who had been forced to work on the region's sugar plantations escaped into the hills, led by a man remembered as Gaspar Yanga. They built a free settlement and held out for decades against the colonial authorities.
In 1609 the viceroy sent an armed expedition against them, but it could not defeat them. The two sides eventually negotiated: the community was recognized as free and given land, and the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros was founded. It is often called the first free town in the Americas. Córdoba itself was founded in 1618 partly to keep watch over the area. In 1932 the town was renamed Yanga in honor of its founder.
Today it is a quiet, working town, but its square has a statue of Gaspar Yanga and its history is very much alive. Every year, usually in August, it celebrates its founding with a carnival honoring the town's African heritage.
How to get to Yanga
Drive from Córdoba: 15 min, 17 km
Yanga is about 20 kilometers east of Córdoba, roughly 25 to 30 minutes by car on the roads toward Cuitláhuac and the coast. Local buses link Córdoba with Yanga; check at the Córdoba bus stations for current departures.
16 km southeast of Córdoba
Directions from Córdoba on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Yanga
- Córdoba · 17 km by road, 15 min
- Orizaba · 39 km by road, 35 min
- Veracruz · 100 km by road, 1 h 15 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Yanga: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- August 10 is the big day: the Carnaval de la Negritud and the San Lorenzo patron-saint fiesta, with a parade of floats. February 2 brings the Candelaria fiesta with dances, fireworks, music and a fair. Veracruz state tourism · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Yanga: what to see and do
See the monument to Gaspar Yanga in the town square.
Visit during the founding carnival, usually in August, with parades celebrating the town's African roots.
Stop by the parish church on the square and the market nearby for a slow look at everyday life.
Look at the sugarcane fields and old hacienda remains around the town.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Yanga
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Yanga.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Córdoba sometimes stop in Yanga; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at VER (Veracruz): about 1 h 25 min by road to Córdoba, then 16 km more to Yanga, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Veracruz (VER), about 1 h 25 min by road from Córdoba, the base for Yanga.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Córdoba: download a map of the way to Yanga before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Yanga mild
Yanga shares the climate of Córdoba, 16 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Córdoba
Weather in Yanga now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Córdoba your base
Yanga is an easy trip from Córdoba, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Orizaba · Veracruz · 32 km away
- Coscomatepec · Veracruz · 37 km away
- Xico · Veracruz · 68 km away
- Coatepec · Veracruz · 71 km away
- Huautla · Oaxaca · 78 km away
Closest to Yanga
-
Cascada de Atoyac · Waterfall · 11 km away
-
Peñuela · Village · 11 km away · Veracruz
-
Coetzapotitla · Village · 16 km away · Veracruz
-
Naranjal · Village · 17 km away · Veracruz
-
Sótano de Popocatl · Cave · 18 km away
-
Villa Unión · Village · 19 km away · Veracruz
-
Cuesta del Mexicano · Village · 20 km away · Veracruz
-
Cuapichapan · Village · 21 km away · Veracruz
Near Yanga
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.