This wonderful area is located near the coast some 200 miles directly east of Mexico City. The Central Plateau here is fairly close to the coast. The drop from the plateau to the coast is steep and dramatic, and one of Mexico’s highest peaks, the volcano Pico de Orizaba, rises to a height of 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) at the edge of the plateau. This area has many deep ravines cut by the rivers in the slope from the Central Plateau to the coast. This region is known for its misty rains called chipi chipi and its bosque de niebla (misty cloud forest). Much of the geology is volcanic with some limestone outcrops. The area is easily reached by paddlers from the United States and Mexico City. It is about a 12-14 hour drive from the Brownsville, Texas, border crossing, and about 4-6 hours from Mexico City. The steepness and small drainage basins of these rivers lead to quite different flow rates during the wet and dry seasons. High-water season is in September and October.
This chapter presents some of the challenging and interesting rivers in the region. Some easier rivers not covered include the Atoyac, the Papaloapan southeast of Veracruz, and the Cazones (near Cazones, northeast of Poza Rica) which is a class II river in the rainy season. There are more sections of the Jamapa than the one listed below that are possibilities if you are in the area during the rainy season.
Places to see in the state of Veracruz include the Museo de Antropología de Xalapa (Jalapa Anthropological Museum) in northwest Jalapa and the Botanic Garden Clavijero outside of Jalapa on the old road to Coatepec. The anthropological museum is one of the best in Mexico and in the world, with about a dozen stone Olmec heads on display. Note that Jalapa is often spelled Xalapa which apparently is the Náhuatl (Aztec) spelling. The people of Jalapa are called Jalapeños, and in the past Jalapa was recognized as the Ciudad de los Chiles. Coatepec, located south of Jalapa, is a center for the coffee trade. The local coffee has a fairly mild taste. The restaurant Casa Antigua in Coatepec has excellent mole (an interesting sauce of chile, peanuts and chocolate) and is located about five blocks from the plaza. Other sights are Texolo Falls near Xico southwest of Jalapa. The falls are about 40 m (131 ft) in height and camping is available nearby. Xico is famous for its bread (14 bakeries in town) and its mole. There are a number of archeological sites in the area including the Filo-Bobos ruins. It is speculated that the Filo-Bobos ruins on the Lower Filo are ruins of what was North America’s largest coastal city 1,500 years ago. The restaurant Las Acamayas in Tlapacoyan is on the square and has information on the Lower Filo and the ruins. In the northern part of the state of Veracruz are the ruins at El Tajín. El Tajín is located on a back road between Poza Rica and Papantla. An option for weary travelers is a stay at the beach which provides a chance for rest and surfing ocean waves.
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