The remains of a major Totonac settlement of around 30,000 people date back to around AD 1200 and sit on the outskirts of modern-day Zempoala, reachable by frequent buses from Cardel (M$20). The temples and buildings at this quiet, grassy site have undergone extensive renovation works, and most are studded with smooth, rounded riverbed stones, though many were originally plastered and painted. Cempoala once had defensive walls, underground water and drainage pipes, and human sacrifices were held in its temples.
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Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
15.39 MILES
Perched like a mini–Machu Picchu on a plateau beneath a horn-shaped mountain, ²Ï³Ü¾±²¹³ó³Ü¾±³ú³Ù±ôá²Ô is a pre-Hispanic Totonac town and necropolis. Enjoying a…
24.24 MILES
Any exploration of Veracruz has to begin with its zócalo (also called the Plaza de Armas and Plaza Lerdo), the city’s unofficial outdoor ‘stage’ where…
24.43 MILES
Occupying a former naval academy, this high-tech museum offers a titanic lesson in Mexico’s maritime heritage, with plenty of interactive displays and an…
24.15 MILES
The city's colonial fortress is almost hidden amid the container ships and cranes across the harbor. The central part of the fortress was a prison, and a…
25.61 MILES
Allegedly the best of its kind in Latin America, this aquarium does a good job of showcasing the denizens of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as fishy oddities…
27.03 MILES
Almost as old as New Spain itself, this former posada was initiated in 1525 by Juan Lencero, a soldier loyal to Hernán Cortés, and served as a resting…
24.41 MILES
Facing the waterfront on the malecón, this early 20th century building holds a lighthouse and navy offices guarded by a large statue of Venustiano…
10.18 MILES
All that's keeping up much of the ruined walls of this 16th-century stone building is a lattice of tree roots. Cortés is said to have stayed here and for…
Nearby Veracruz attractions
9.94 MILES
This compact whitewashed building is believed to be the oldest church in Mexico. Parts of it date back to 1525, but the church was expanded to its present…
10.18 MILES
All that's keeping up much of the ruined walls of this 16th-century stone building is a lattice of tree roots. Cortés is said to have stayed here and for…
10.18 MILES
Marvel at the giant twisted roots and branches of this ancient ceiba tree, to which Cortés allegedly moored his ships.
15.39 MILES
Perched like a mini–Machu Picchu on a plateau beneath a horn-shaped mountain, ²Ï³Ü¾±²¹³ó³Ü¾±³ú³Ù±ôá²Ô is a pre-Hispanic Totonac town and necropolis. Enjoying a…
24.15 MILES
The city's colonial fortress is almost hidden amid the container ships and cranes across the harbor. The central part of the fortress was a prison, and a…
24.24 MILES
Any exploration of Veracruz has to begin with its zócalo (also called the Plaza de Armas and Plaza Lerdo), the city’s unofficial outdoor ‘stage’ where…
24.26 MILES
This handsome 17th-century building, occupied by local government offices, faces onto the zócalo.
8. Catedral de la Virgen de la Asunción
24.26 MILES
The 18th-century cathedral has doors opening out onto the zócalo and is fairly unremarkable on the inside.