Santiago Tuxtla

Get picked up from your hotel in Veracruz at 8 AM and take a 2.5-hour drive to Santiago Tuxtla. First, pay a visit to the largest Olmec Stone Head in the region. After marveling at this colossal object, take a 20-minute drive to the Santa Clara cigar factory for a 1-hour tour. Learn about the step-by-step process of making 100% handmade cigars. Next, set off to Eyipantla, where you will find El Salto de Eyipantla, a spectacular waterfall which is more than 50 m high and 40 m wide. Explore this Tuxtla Biosphere Reserve, and enjoy direct contact with nature while you descend the 244-step staircase that takes you to the waterfall. Don't worry, every 15 steps there is a space to rest. When you reach the bottom, be amazed by the magnitude of the crashing water and enjoy a packed lunch (not provided) amongst mulatto trees and fauna of this region. Finally, visit Catemaco, a village next to the magnificent lagoon which is home to shamans, sorcerers, and healers. Enjoy a boat ride through the lagoon, visiting the spider monkey island, macaque island, and heron island. At the end of the day, take a 3-hour return drive back to Veracruz where you will be dropped off at your hotel.

At your first stop, Santiago Tuxtla, you will find out about the biggest Olmeca head found and also learn more about this ancient civilisation.  Then visit the waterfall “Salto de Eyipantla” where you can admire a beautiful view of San Andres Tuxtla. In Catemaco you will aboard a boat and visit the Catemaco lake, where you can observe the rich flora and fauna, the famous Monkey Islands and Heron Island. Later you will arrive at the ecological park “Nanciyaga”. Your guide will show you the biodiversity of the area, where you can also admire a beautiful lake and drink fresh mineral water.

Explore the rich history and beautiful scenery around Veracruz on a guided tour. Benefit from hotel pickup and drop-off in Veracruz or Boca del Río. Travel back in time with a guided tour of Tres Zapotes archaeological zone. Admire the ruins of this ancient civilization as you wander between the pyramid and structures of the Olmec capital. Continue to the city of Santiago Tuxtla, where you’ll see the largest Olmec colossal heads in Mexico. Visit the Museo Tuxtleco to learn more about the region’s pre-Columbian heritage. Head to Catemaco for a boat trip on the lake, and observe the rich wildlife as you pass Monkey Island and Heron Island. Afterwards, visit the Reserva Ecológica De Nanciyaga, to discover the area’s biodiversity. At the end of the tour, you’ll be dropped off back at your hotel.