Vera Cruz Mexico is the capital of Veracruz state

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Travel to Veracruz during the Carnival season

The state of Veracruz is located on the central gulf coast of Mexico. There are more than forty rivers that run from the inland mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, making it an ideal place to go river rafting. In fact, Veracruz has everything for the adventurous traveller; besides the rivers, there are several volcanic mountains, including the 4274-metre high volcano, Cofre de Perote, where many of the rivers in this trek begin, and Pico de Orizaba which is Mexico's highest peak at 5611 metres. You can hike both these peaks, along trails that wind through tropical jungle and up to alpine scenery. The state of Veracruz is also important historically; this was the first place that Cortes landed in April 1519, so starting Spanish domination of Central and South America.

The beautiful port of Veracruz emerges quite frequently in Mexican history from the days of Mesoamerican civilization to the arrival of the Europeans to the Americas. Now, the biggest trading port in Mexico, Veracruz is bringing in a healthy economy and a vibrant tourist industry.

The land where southeastern Veracruz lies today is a large and extremely fertile flood plain, formed over time from sediments carried from the high lands by plentiful rivers. These conditions made it easy for groups of migrants to settle and later to give origin to a very little-known Mesoamerican civilization called the Olmecs. Their name comes from the Aztec word meaning 'rubber country inhabitant'.
The location of the present Port of Veracruz is the fourth settlement of the city after Cortez first founded it on the Chalchihuecan islet. From there, it went to the indigenous town of Quiahuixtlan. Due to administrative problems with the ships, it was then moved north to where the town of La Antigua lies now. Finally, at the end of the 16th century it was taken back to the original site of Quiahuixtlan for it was considered a "more decent and convenient place" according to the viceroy Zuniga and Acevedo.

Being a port city with intense trade activity, Veracruz is an authentic melting pot of ethnicities, cultures and art. The state's musical tradition has its origins in the ethnological fusion of African, Native American, Spanish and other cultures. In terms of architecture, the sober and age-old Spanish fortresses coexisted with modern shipyards. The Franciscan and Dominican styles juxtaposed strongly with neoclassical and modern styles. The word "eclectic" acquires a truly wide and unusual sense and whether it is in art or in culture, this intense exchange has shaped the personality of the Jarochos (the word for Veracruz locals), who are known for their friendliness.

In Veracruz, you will always notice details that catch your attention.
At a restaurant close to the Malecon (seawall), try tapping a coffee spoon on a glass. This action, in this region, is used to call a waiter.
Cafe con leche (or cafe latte) is served in a style very particular to Veracruz by pouring a bit of hot coffee into a glass. Then, using a coffee pot with a narrow-nozzled spout, the waiter fills the rest of the glass with boiling milk, lifting the pot high above his head while still pouring.
These things set the pace of the Port for the lively hubbub of Cafe de la Parroquia, all following a metronome of the shipyards embarking and disembarking merchandise, youngsters strolling romantically by the waterfront and the harp and "jarana" playing as dancers can be heard tapping out the rhythm.