Here's my recommendations for visiting the city of Xalapa, the beautiful capital of the underrated Mexican state of Veracruz, and its surroundings. Does the name ring any bells? Sometimes written as Jalapa, this is indeed where the word jalapeño comes from!
We got to stay several nights in this region recently and it was just pure hidden gem "Mexico magico." I struggled to find really good information for visiting this place (in English) so hope this can serve other travelers that are wondering, is a trip out to Xalapa is worth it? My answer: absolutely!
The following itinerary could be carried out in about 3 nights and 4 days, but you could also extend it to double that if you want to take it easy
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WHERE TO STAY
One way you know Xalapa is out of the main tourist track is they pretty much don’t have any hostels here! Veracruz as a state has had some instability over the years, but the Xalapa area is very safe and our brief visit has got me so confused why more people don’t want to come here. Xalapa has so much to see, is not too big, and just beautiful weather if you don’t mind the occasional tropical rain storm.
That being said, you definitely want to stay near the Centro Historico in either a budget hotel or an Airbnb. We enjoyed a nice budget stay at Hotel Posada Casa Regia which was just a couple blocks from the heart of downtown, a decent location at a good price.
In the future I would have liked to stay in the adjacent zones of Parque Los Lagos or Felipe Carrillo Puerto as this is the most walkable area and full of cafe’s with that rich coffee that grows right next door in Coatepec. Hotel Posada del Parque is the closest spot I can find in that area.
OH, and when you are looking on the map for a place to stay, just know this place is hilly, like San Francisco hilly! Even in the centro, a couple blocks could be a pretty exhausting walk depending on if your hotel is on a hill.
If you get as overwhelmed by cities as I do, you may prefer to stay instead in the nearby pueblos of Coatepec or Xico and visit Xalapa as a day trip. The benefits of staying in a pueblo vs is it is more walkable, safer, and calmer, which means you can spend less time in traffic and more time taking in the vibe of the place. We had a pleasant stay at Hotel Oyo in Xico.
GETTING THERE
Rent a car from Mexico City.
This is the very first time in Mexico we rented a car, and it was well-worth it in order to be able to take in the surrounding region. Once you consider the cost of the rental and insurance, it costed us about $50 USD (1200 MX) a day before gas prices and tolls, which are really expensive in Mexico. We went with Discovercars.com after reading this helpful blog post on renting cars in Mexico, but still got a bit ripped off.
Driving in and around Xalapa isn't for the faint of heart though, as the streets in the city are narrow and hilly, and the roads around Xalapa have some insane curves and fog.
Take public transit from Mexico City or Puebla.
The geography of the state of Veracruz makes it tough to connect big population centers, so even though Mexico City and Puebla are still far away, they might be as close as you get to Xalapa in your current Mexico itinerary.
Once you are in Xalapa and want to move around the region, you will find plenty of local buses and combis to take you around, but I can't speak to my personal experience on this one.
From Puebla, you can get on a 3 hour, $375 peso bus to Xalapa.
From Mexico City's TAPO station, you will want to take a 5-6 hour, $500 peso bus to Xalapa.
Fly into Heroica Veracruz
To avoid a bunch of bus time, the closest big airport is about 1.5 hours away in Heroica Veracruz, the port and biggest city in Veracruz
THINGS TO DO IN XALAPA
Centro Historico
The center of Xalapa is fairly small but best seen in the late evening or the early morning, when the car traffic isn’t at its peak. For some reason, the cars are especially bothersome here, and thin, hilly roads makes it a little wary being a pedestrian.
In the center, you will want to make sure to stroll through Parque Juarez, get a shot of the state government palace and cathedral, and visit the mercado. As the centro itself is on a pretty steep hill, we didn't get to see as much as we hoped. If you walk a few blocks uphill behind the cathedral, you will get to Xallitic neighborhood, which was recently named a "barrio magico" (a new part of the pueblo magico campaign!). The centro isn't my favorite in Mexico, so I don't think you need to set aside more than a few hours for sightseeing here.
Parque de Los Lagos --> University of Veracruz
Just downhill from the centro, here is where I would recommend spending a longer amount of time. Pick a beautiful morning or evening to stroll along this natural area in the heart of the city. As it is several kilometers around the lakes, I actually planned a run around seeing this part of the city, and it was beyond perfect (I learned in hindsight that Xalapa is a top running and jogging city in Mexico!)
If your legs are up for it, you can extend your walk or run around the lakes to also see the gorgeous campus of Universidad de Veracruz. After crossing a footbridge, you can pay 10 pesos to be let into the natural running track on the campus. You will literally be walking/running in what feels like the jungle!
Anthropology museum:
The second largest of its kind after the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, this place is worth the trip to Xalapa itself. Did you know? The oldest dated Mesoamerican civilization belonged to the “Olmecs” which carved the beautiful wide heads into stone as shown. Spend at least 2 hours perusing this giant museum and it's accompanying gardens. The majority of signs are in Spanish and English so come ready to learn a lot about Veracruz!
Parque Los Tecajetes
Yet another park in the heart of the city, I felt like I was living in a fairytale when I added this destination to my run. Adding this park to your visit will help you really see the city like a local! As it is about a mile from the city center, you will want to set aside time to visit here or take a taxi to the park. A path no more than a couple kilometers long winds through this mid-sized park, all surrounded by dense, jungle vegetation and beautiful features mimicking some of Mexico's archaeological zones.
Parque Macuiltepetl
Ok the last park on this list, this is actually a volcanic dome in the northern part of the city which I've heard is the best thing to do in Xalapa. We couldn't get out here on this trip, but I have to go back and take in the urban wilderness and the amazing views.
VISIT COATEPEC: MEXICO'S COFFEE CAPITAL
This pueblo just 20 minutes south of Xalapa is such an affordable, magical gem and it is a must-visit in your visit to Xalapa. While Coatepec is considered a pueblo magico, I saw it more as a small city, bustling with commerce and a bunch of tourist infrastructure. Driving in from Xalapa, we stopped at a coffee finca in the entrance for a tour, but you could definitely go to Coatepec centro first and book your tour from there.
We personally did a Spanish tour with Don Silvano’s coffee finca, which not only explained the coffee growing and toasting process, but also included a coffee tasting with an expert coffee connoisseur and a barista. Their pride point is their high-quality, specialty coffee on an inherited family plot of land. I can recommend the very comprehensive tour for a good cost (450 per person) for our private group, but it wasn't quite what I expected.
Beyond a coffee tour, you also have to enjoy the Coatepec centro itself, teeming with colorful streets and churches, artisan goods, and local coffee. There is a Museo de Cafe and an Orchid museum too!
VISIT XICO: A PUEBLO FULL OF TRADITIONS AND WATERFALLS
Heading just south out of Coatepec another 20 minutes, you also have to make a stop in Xico pueblo mágico. Hear me out when I say we accidentally showed up here on the best day of the year. We arrived after a month of the patron saint parties all July for Santa Maria Magdalena. On the night of July 31, they had a huge (and dangerous) firework show and the community dressed up like clowns to dance. These traditions are so much of what gives fame to Xico, and it was awesome to celebrate with the locals.
Even if you don't come here in July, the church is beautiful and adorned with a decoration made of the sotol plant, and you can enjoy the colorful streets and cathedrals of the pueblo.
The main attraction in Xico is it's waterfalls, just about a 15 minute drive out of town. To get to the trailhead for Texolo and La Monja waterfalls, we paid a small fee for parking at Cabaña Rincón Texolo. If you are going on your own, you will probably need to either 1) find a tour in Xico or 2) hire a taxi to take you out here.
Typically there is a man stationed halfway through the trail charging a small fee to pass down to the waterfalls, but we went too early and so we manually let ourselves through the gate where he waits. Keep this in mind and have change on hand! Because no one was taking the fee, we got to visit these waterfalls for free!
The walk down to La Monja waterfall is fast and easy, but the main event is Cascada Texolo where you have to descend a steep and windy staircase. After a very rainy July, we were let out to a view of the most impressive, gushing waterfall. I think this is on my list of 10 prettiest places I've seen in Mexico! The hike up and down is no joke, so definitely try to go early and plan to hike for about 1-1.5 hours roundtrip.
Beyond the lovely pueblos of Xico and Coatepec, there are more good places to explore in the surrounding area! The rest of the daytrips we explored by car, but I can imagine if you get real creative you can set up public transit, too.
VISIT NACE EL AGUA, A FAMILY FRIENDLY NATURAL WATER PARK
This spot has these gushing waterfalls with blue swimming holes that are great for making a fun day with family. The entrance is 100 pesos per person with an additional cost for parking. As adult backpackers, the place was a bit gimmicky for us and I'm not sure just how natural the falls are... unfortunately, this place had high ratings but I think it took a big hit since the pandemic and hasn't really recovered. There are lots of empty facilities where they previously had wildlife on display :(
There are still many pools open for swimming, and if you want to amp up the adventure, lots of rafting starts from here, too!
VISIT MESOAMERICA'S BIGGEST CIVILIZATION: LA CANTONA
Alright, just about 75 minutes drive from Xalapa, you get to what is literally the most underrated archaeological site I've been to in Mexico. As it is several miles off the main Xalapa-Puebla highway, your best bet is probably to drive here.
La Cantona is impressive by size and by the unique alleyways that its' first inhabitants built in their fortified city. Today, you can walk on most of the biggest pyramids at the site, and get the place almost to yourself, and we got lucky and didn't even pay entrance on the day we visited, either. There is a small museum that accompanies the site, and beautiful cacti that add to the magic of this outdoor escape.
Of course, come prepared to walk and be in the sun, and definitely pack water and food because this place is very remote with barely even an Oxxo nearby. We were so taken aback by how empty this place was, and how we had never heard about it! Even locals in Xalapa were not aware of this gem when we mentioned it!
HEAD TO PLAYA CHACHALACAS
About 1 hour from Xalapa, you can enjoy these sand dunes and beach town. More info coming up next.
CLIMB THE HIGHEST POINT IN MEXICO: PICO DE ORIZABA
Xalapa is not far from the base to the tallest volcano in North America: Pico de Orizaba. This mountain spans the Mexican states of Veracruz and Puebla. While I wouldn't recommend you try to get to the summit on a whim, you need to train for a month to have the condition for the high altitude. You can read my detailed blog all about it. That being said, you can at least enjoy the snow-capped peak of Orizaba from afar on your journey to and from Xalapa.
IN SUM
All in all, I have nothing but rave reviews for Xalapa and its surrounding region of Mexico. With few tourists, incredible nature, mysterious "lost" civilizations, a great climate and great prices, I can't wait to go back!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Feliz viaje!
