My trip to Veracruz, Mexico was just going to be over 4 hours and 249 miles (400 kilometers), but again I took my time and had a number of stops along the way. The ride took me up to 3,500 metres (just shy of 10,000 feet) and at one stage I was riding through so much deep fog in the highlands.
The ride was one of the more fun ones I had the pleasure of experiencing for a while. I love going up through mountains and then down into valleys and the scenery was spectacular. You always get subtle reminders of the fact that you are not in an advanced country and this one was not so subtle, workers perched high on cliff faces by a trailer secured by chains and ropes, it was utterly crazy, so obviously, workers safety is not a premium here!
This trip took me through San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida, Puebla, Nogales, Córdoba, El Moralito, Jamapa and onto my final destination in Veracruz. The weather was really nice, cooling as I went into the highlands but nice and warm as I came back down to sea level. The city is an old port but is quickly turning into a pretty big tourist destination.
I would only spend one night in the city, so I wanted to get there early and get out and about and see some of the city sights such as the Municipal Palace, Fort San Juan de Ulúa and The Carranza Lighthouse. I took a ride along the Malecon and had a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants along this strip.
Veracruz
Veracruz, also known as Heroica Veracruz, is a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico coast in the state of Veracruz. It’s one of the country’s oldest and largest ports, founded in the 16th century by Spanish settlers. On an island overlooking the harbor are San Juan de Ulúa, a colonial fortress and former prison complex that’s now a history museum.