Veracruz to Oaxaca City

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The Veracruz coast (the Emerald Coast) through Orizaba and the new road to Oaxaca City
Posted by SurfMexico Editor

September 10, 2000

The sky was gray and hazy when we awoke in our hotel on Veracruz’s Emerald Coast at 7:30 a.m. Walking out onto the beach, we were not very impressed–there was a little marshy backwater in front of the hotel, no waves and masses of what I called “sea cabbages” washing up along the shore.

We left the hotel at 9:20 a.m., headed south to the port of Veracruz. We followed the coast on Highway 180 through low-lying lands and banana plantations, crossed the Nautla River bridge and several other smaller bridges over numerous rivers and stream. We noticed that in this area, because of the low land, cemeteries were all well above ground, forming small cities of ornate above-ground crypts and monuments.

The fields in the region were expansive and many contained large herds of cattle. The road itself was in fair condition and straight, with a healthy stand of tall grass edging into the shoulders. Medium to large-sized truck traffic was quite heavy, but the straightness of the highway allowed for safe passing.

Along this stretch we passed a convoy of large trucks that were hauling up to two other truck cabs with bare chassis (the same size as the haulers were), piggybacked with one or two smaller vehicles on top and some also towing an extra pickup behind. They looked like unwieldy and teetery mobile metal sculptures.

Around Km. 195 of the highway we were again into fields of sugar cane. Just before reaching Cardel, where we could again hook into a superhighway, we turned two km off the road into the town of Cempoala to visit the archeological ruins of the Totonacan culture, thought to house, in its day, some 30,000 inhabitants. A group dressed in regional garb was performing a cleansing rite at the entrance to the site when we arrived.

Port of Veracruz Hotels

Leaving the ruins, we sped along the thirty kilometers from Cardel to Veracruz, entered the city past its port area and parked our vehicle on the malecon near the majestic Lighthouse. We strolled toward the town square, past the many small tourist shops near the port offering anything from coral and seashells to plastic mermaids and puppets. In the streets and restaurants milled shoppers with laden bags, balloon salespeople surrounded by the riotous color of their wares, sailors in their trim white and blue, vendors with pails-full of plump, cooked shrimp for immediate consumption, tourists enjoying the rich, Veracruz coffee, lottery salesmen proferring the winning ticket and harpists with their well-polished wooden harps, plucking out tempting tendrils of sound.

We abandoned Veracruz, driving out along the malecon toward the highway to Cordoba, at 2:00 p.m. Our plan was to make it to Oaxaca by nightfall, confiding the reports that the new highway through the mountains would, indeed, cut the trip down to at least half of what it used to be.

Still in citrus, cane and coffee country, we moved toward the hazy hills. Just past the turnoff to Cordoba on highway 150 we were treated to our first view of Mexico’s tallest volcano at 5,610 meters: the stately Orizaba.

Just past the town of Orizaba to the southeast of the volcano, we entered the region of the Cumbres de Maltrata, where the highway, in excellent condition, climbs into the heights, snaking its way steeply up the mountain toward the central plateau and affording travelers on the route breathtaking views of the valleys and lower hills below. It was in this area, having made our way close to the top, that we had the best and closest views of snow-capped Orizaba.

What we had just past was a land of coolness, pine trees and hardy magueyes (century plants). Reaching the high plains, taking in our last glimpses of Orizaba being slowly obscured by distance and clouds, we moved into expanses of dry scrub, cacti, yucca and cornfields the surrounded the turnoff to Tehuacan and the new highway to Oaxaca (Route 190).

This new, fabulous route took us, it seemed, straight over the mountains, rather than through and around and up and down them, as the old highway did. It took us an incredible 2-1/2 hours to reach Oaxaca City from the turnoff from Highway 150, traveling through some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve seen. The view of the mountains across and down from us was glorious. The highway, though only two lanes, was wide with ample shoulders. Traffic was minimal.

Hotels in Oaxaca, Mexico

We came out of the higher mountains and entered an area with redder soil, smaller, rolling hills and more signs of both human and animal life. Entering Oaxaca City after many years of not visiting the region, we were surprised at how much it had grown, and somewhat put out that it was now a large city losing much of its unique and provincial flavor.

Finding ourselves a hotel on the outskirts, we were anxious to make our way to the center of town, walk around the square and find dinner. The evening was cool, which was a pleasant change after the hot and humid coast. The square was alight with decorations and flags for the Grito de la Independencia celebrations on the night of September 15th, and Independence Day on the 16th. There were quantities of tourists and visitors, the majority from Europe rather than North America.

We chose to dine at an outdoor cafe where we could watch the evening activities unfold. We ate a typical Oaxacan meal of Res en Amarillo (Beef in Yellow sauce – which was really more red than yellow), and Empanadas de Quesillo, Flor de Calabaza y Cuitlacoche (Fried pockets of corn dough stuffed with cheese, squash blossoms and an exquisite corn fungus likened by many to truffles).

We returned to our hotel for the night, knowing that tomorrow was going to be an extra-exciting day exploring the ruins of Monte Alban and Mitla and nearby villages where Oaxaca’s wonderful crafts are made.