Veracruz

Day Trips

The trip starts with pickup from your accommodation in Veracruz then heads out to Chachalacas Beach where your adventure begins. The beach is home to 550 hectares of sand dunes as well as spectacular views of the ocean and out across the Gulf of Mexico. Admire the breathtaking landscapes where the sea mixes with sand formations and resembles a huge desert. Time to get surfing as you hop on board and glide along the dunes. Feel the adrenaline rush through your body as you sail across the sand with the wind in your hair. After a fun few hours of surfing on the dunes, enjoy a relaxing walk along Chachalacas Beach and some free time to take photos of the incredible landscape.

Start the tour with pick up at your hotel at 8 AM and travel for 3.5 hours to the archaeological zone. Arrive at the most important ceremonial center of the Totonaca peoples, the archaeological area of El Tajín which combines history, knowledge, and beauty in one setting. Next, admire the pre-colonial buildings in the middle of the jungle including a palace, temple, and soccer fields. Marvel at the amazing pyramid of Los Nichos which is considered to be an agricultural, civic, and sun calendar, due to its 7 levels and 365 niches. After this, continue the tour to Papantla, also known as Pueblo Mágico, located a few kilometers away in Totonacapan. This place is where vanilla originates from and where local men performed fertility rituals. Learn about how the precolonial and Spanish melting pot of cultures led to the mixing of folklore and taste; a heritage that still lives on in the region. Explore the historical center of Papantla and take in panoramic views of Papantla from the observation deck. Return to Veracruz at 6 PM where you will be dropped off at your hotel.

Join this journey to Chachalacas Beach, where 550 acres of sand dunes offer excitement to visitors. Enjoy spectacular views of the ocean that will make you want to stay and relax for the whole day. Have fun on a quad bike as you drive through the sand dunes and feel the adrenaline running throughout your body. Your journey continues with a visit to the small town of La Antigua. Learn about the history of the first city council and church in all of Mexico and see the house of Spanish Conquistador, Hernan Cortes.

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.

Start the tour at the Coffee Museum and learn about the history of Mexican coffee. Then head to Cordoba, the renowned 'City of the 30 Knights'. See the main square where most of the buildings of architectural and historic value are located included the City Hall, La Parroquia, and the Zevallos Portal where the Treaty of Cordoba was signed. Continue on to the historic center of Orizaba which was founded in the 16th-century. Visit the art museum and the Palacio de Hierro, a building structure that was brought from Belgium. Ride the cable car for a panoramic view of the city.

Catemaco and the Tuxtlas offer a variety of attractions where the old, modern, magic and real things are conjugated, creating scenes of exceptional beauty, surrounded by an almost virgin atmosphere. We will visit San Andres, famous for the cigar factories. We will run over across Santiago Tuxtla where we can admire the magnificent Cabeza Olmeca, that is located in the main square. Arrival to the waterfall named “Salto de Eyipantla“ with is impressively height and natural beauty. Following our tour we will come into the beautiful lake of Catemaco, where we can board small boat that will take us to the monkeys island (unique in Latin America that can swim), then we will visit the ecological reserve of Nanciyaga and see all the diversity of the flora and fauna that lives in the rain forest, also a spring of mineral water, where we can try it and put the mineral mud on your face. Time to eat at the banks of the lagoon in a typical restaurant enjoying the lake.

Immerse yourself in the history and culture of Xalapa on this day trip. Start your trip with a guided tour of the Xalapa city center, where flowers and culture await you around every corner. In the company of your local guide, discover the city's lakes, alleyways, and colorful buildings. Later, visit the Museum of Anthropology, considered the second most important Museum of Archeology in Mexico. Walk through the museum examining the 1000s of artifacts housed inside and delve into the rich culture of Mexico. Finish your tour with a drive through the coffee plantations on the outskirts of the city to reach the coffee museum. Here, learn all about the region's coffee-making history and savor a cup of freshly-brewed coffee.

Start the tour 3:00 PM, with a convenient pick-up from Aquarium Square in Veracruz. Travel for 25 minutes to the village of Madinga, known for its variety of good restaurants. Here you can enjoy a tasty seafood lunch as you admire the beautiful landscape and lagoon surrounding you. Listen to a variety of live music matched with veracruzano folklore. After this, take a boat ride and learn about the diversity of the flora and fauna predominant around the village. Cross the small lagoon to the big lagoon and appreciate the enchanting sunset from amongst the mangroves. Pass by small islands and birds lodges that are unique to the place. At the end of the tour, get dropped off back at Aquarium Square at 6:30 PM.

Discover the pre-Hispanic City of “El Tajín”. During this guided tour, you will be able to admire the impressive architecture of the Totonac city north of Veracruz. Its interesting architecture consists of pyramids, palaces, and several ball game courts. Explore the sites' museum, exhibiting pieces found in the area, as well as a pleasant garden with tropical plants. At the end of the visit, you can enjoy the fabulous pre-Hispanic ritual “Los Voladores de Papantla” or “Dance of the Flyers” and buy typical crafts of the region. You will also visit a factory where you'll see the vanilla plantations and how this orchid is processed. The plant is native to this region, and at one time, the municipality of Papantla was the only place in the world where vanilla could be produced — gaining the name “The city that perfumes the world”.

Learn about the history of Mexico on a guided day tour. Your tour includes three major sites. Quiahuiztlán, which means “place of the rain,” is named due to the natural runoff in the hilltop of Metates, resembling petrified rain in basaltic rock. It was simultaneously a city, cemetery, and fort. In addition, you will get to explore the site considered the capital of the Totonac Empire, Cempoala. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the center of the state. The town of Antigua is historically important as it was the site of the first encounter between Spanish and Indians. Here you will visit the ruins of the Cortes house and the Rosary chapel, the first Catholic chapel in Mexico.