Veracruz was the country's first port and is still its most important and liveliest one. It has literally seen it all and infected everything with its ebullient warmth that makes every day of the year a Carnival.
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Veracruz welcomes the world to Mexico from the heart of the Gulf of Mexico that shares both the waters and the atmosphere of Havana, Miami and the Caribbean. Although its historical centre is reduced to a few blocks, any visit to Veracruz should take in the municipality of Boca del Rio, just south of the port. This stretch contains the sun-drenched beaches and palm trees over which Agustin Lara waxed lyrical. Winter does not exist here and the north is a wind that comes from that direction, rather than a compass point.
The only thing Veracruz doesn't provide is boredom. There are traditions that start at breakfast time, such as a delicious cup of milky coffee at La Parroquia, continue with a trip to the City Museum or the Photographic Archives and end after well after midnight, such as the danzón performed in the Main Square or an evening spent listening to Agustin Lara's songs in what was once his house. There are also discotheques, if you prefer, together with an aquarium (the largest in Latin America), the legendary fortress of San Juan de Ulloa and places for diving, kayaking or sport fishing.
Veracruz offers the warmth of its people, its delicious cuisine and its music. This warmth is the result of its unique blend of Indian, Spanish, Negro and Arab legacies, as well as others brought in by trade and adventure.
Founded by Hernan Cortés in 1519, Veracruz was the first Spanish city on the continent, and the starting point of the quest for treasure, land and souls, which made it rich and powerful but not enough so to prevent the recurrent pirate raids. "The four times heroic" Veracruz flaunts her history by calling herself this in memory of other outstanding moments in the life of the now-independent nation.
