Veracruz Culture

Over the centuries, the Spanish, French, Cuban, Caribbean, African slaves, pirates, and others have all entered the country we now call México via the sea through the east coast state of Veracruz. Even today, their influences are still evident in the buildings, churches, food, music, festivals, folklore, and traditions found throughout the state of Veracruz. Today, the seaport of Veracruz is still the most important entry point in all of México for receiving and shipping goods throughout the world. However, so far, it has not become a major destination for passenger cruise lines to dock. At least, not yet.

Cities & Towns

Except in the bigger cities of Veracruz, Boca del Rio, Xalapa, Córdoba, Coatzacoalcos, Poza Rico, and Tuxpam, don't expect to find any kind of franchised hotels or restaurants. In the smaller and medium sized towns, all you will mostly find are local family owned establishments. That being said, some of the "big box" stores such as WalMart (they are called, Bodega Aurrera)are starting to pop up in these smaller communities. However, they are usually found in the outskirts of these towns and have not really affected the charming old world ambiance of each town's center plaza.

Throughout the day, you may hear the church bells ringing to call their parishioners to worship. Thanks to the Spanish invaders, Catholicism is the predominate religion in all of México. Each town has their Patron Saint and statues to prove it. You will find stall after stall of religious items for sale nearby.

Taxi's are usually inexpensive and easy to secure when you need to go somewhere. In many smaller towns, there are what's known as "colectivo taxis." These taxis have a specific popular destination and wait until they have 5 people who want to go to that destination. Yes, it is really crowded (especially the two who sit in the one front seat next to the manual gearshift) but the cost of the ride is split 5 ways making it very inexpensive. However, the main mode of transportation in many towns is simply to walk. People walk to the markets, to the stores, and to visit their friends and family. Under the hot sun, you may see women protecting themselves with umbrellas as they walk.

Zócalo

Almost every town and city has at least one main center plaza. In Spanish, it is called - Zócalo, el parque, plaza, or el centro. Usually they are located in the center of the town with a prominent Catholic church on one side and the Municipal (government) found on another side of the square. The park itself usually has wrought iron benches, sometimes a gazebo, people selling food, icecream, religious items, and other wares from carts on wheels. You can always find a row of guys each with a slightly elevated chair waiting to shine your shoes (not unlike other cities around the world).

The Zócalo is the place where the locals congregate in the cooler hours of the evening to people watch and converse with their friends. Weekend music (jarocho, marimba, mariachi, or norteño) and traditional dance events may take place, political rallies happen here, children's events, and religious activities all occur in the plaza.

Restaurants & Food

Small family owned restaurants are numerous in every small and medium-sized town. The vast majority of them are open-air to the street - no air conditioning, just some ceiling fans or portable floor fans. In fact, you may see really small 2 or 3 table "restaurants" materialize in the evening on the side of the street in front of someone's house. Talk about a home cooked meal! Fresh, Delicious, and Inexpensive.

Seafood

Seafood is found everywhere in Veracruz. With the Gulf of México nearby as well as many rivers and lakes, seafood and fresh water fish are a staple in most restaurants and homes. You are guaranteed that your tasty meal was probably caught a few short hours or less before it ended up on your plate.

Here are a few Veracruz specialties:

• Shrimp Empanada - a flaky crust filled with grated shrimp
• Pulpo al Ajillo - bite sized pieces of octopus fried in butter & garlic
• Aroz a la Tumbada - a seafood soup filled with rice, octopus, fish, shrimp, and maybe clams

Of course, you will find other items on the menu with chicken and beef. One favorite in Veracruz is called, Picadas or Picaditas. They look like small pizzas with a thick corn tortilla as the base topped with cheese, beans. Sometimes you may be able to add chorizo, ham, or chicken to it.

Music & Dance

The Veracruz Ballet Folklorico dances are famous in México and throughout the world. Both the male and female dancers are beautifully dressed in white. White guayabera pants and shirts with a red sash and straw hat for the men and the women are adorned in white lace dresses, a shawl, and carrying a fancy fan. Their hair is styled up in a bun with colorful combs. Influenced by the flamenco steps, both the men and women dancers wear hard-soled shoes and rapidly tap the wood floor creating an acoustical rhythm. The instruments used to create the lively upbeat music are the violin, acoustic guitar, harp, and trumpet. Another contributor to its tropical beat are from the rhythmic influences brought over by the African slaves. It is thought that since they did not have their traditional drums to beat out the rhythm, they used their feet on a piece of plywood instead to pound out the rhythm with their feet on the wood.

La Bamba

Another Veracruz original is the Mexican song called, La Bamba. In 1958, singer, Ritchie Valens turned this folk song into a rock and roll song that hit the top 40s and is still popular today.

Danzón

This style of dancing was brought over by Cuban refugees in the late 1800s and has since flourished in Veracruz. On weekend evenings in the port city, you will find elegantly dressed and mostly older men and women "couple dancing" to a live orchestra. Danzón is a mix of 17th century ballroom dancing combined with a Cuban rhythm. Please note: This is not a tourist attraction event. These Jarochos (as Veracruzanos are called) could care less if you watch them or not. They are there each weekend simply because they love to keep this traditional dance alive and it gives them a chance to get dressed up and have fun. If you find yourself in Veracruz on the weekend, head over to Plaza de Armas to watch this colorful and elegant event.

Celebrations

Throughout the year, many religious and pagan fiestas are celebrated all throughout México. In Veracruz, the celebrations could include folk dancing, bulls running in the streets, religious acts, and parades. The largest Carneval celebration held outside of Rio de Janeiro is found in the city of Veracruz. This 9 day festival (the 9 days before Lent) includes multiple parades, elaborate floats, colorful costumes, loud Latin music, dancing, and party, party, party. The whole city shuts down as tens of thousands of visitors converge on the normally quiet port city. Hundreds of thousands of seats are set up, bleacher style along the parade routes. Accommodations are usually booked years in advance for this spectacular event.

Day of the Dead / Día de Muerto

Of course, the Day of the Dead honoring family members who have died is a big celebration all over México and Veracruz is no exception. Alter shrines with figures of skeletons , candles, and photos of the deceased are set up everywhere. Also, you may encounter a school parade like the photos depict below.

Tourism

Because of its beautiful stretches of sandy Gulf of México beaches, warm tropical climate, African/Caribbean/Spanish style atmosphere, and inexpensive accommodations and restaurants, Veracruz is one of the favorite choices for Mexican tourism. With that in mind, most all tourist attractions you find there will be created for Mexican tourists and not foreigners. Signage will be in Spanish and most tours are conducted only in Spanish. Foreign travelers are the minority group when it comes to tourism in Veracruz.

Note: All of our Discover Veracruz Tour's personal travel guides do speak English.

A Real Mexico Experience

Foreigners will find the real deal in Veracruz. That is, a true representation of Mexican life and not some special adaptation created just for the "rich" tourists. You will see Veracruz up-close and personal - a true immersion into it's culture. In Veracruz, Gringos are easy to spot because there are not many of them. And that is the beauty, charm, and innocence of this enchanted Mexican state. It has not yet been overrun by the outside world.