The small fishing village of La Barra, with its pleasant beach overlooking the Laguna Sontecomapan, can be reached by a lancha from Sontecomapan (M$650 including a tour of the mangroves on the way), or via a bumpy side road going east from La Palma, 8km north of Sontecomapan. Do not miss a lunch of super-fresh catch of the day at one of the seafood-serving palapas.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.51 MILES
Twelve kilometers southeast of San Andrés, in the eponymous village, a 250-step staircase leads down to the absolutely spectacular Salto de Eyipantla, a…
4.85 MILES
This is probably the single best beach in the whole state, but it's not an easy one to access. Turn off the main road onto a dirt road just before…
21.43 MILES
This small museum on Santiago Tuxtla's main plaza focuses on the pre-Columbian peoples that inhabited this region from 1600 BC to around AD 1200, with a…
12.3 MILES
Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily…
9.75 MILES
Tucked at the base of Volcán San Martín, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas (M$450) and offers…
9.1 MILES
Some 39km from Catemaco, this village has several palapas offering grilled fish and seafood, along with fresh coconut water, and there's a beach here with…
14.66 MILES
The ‘Enchanted Lagoon’ occupies a small volcanic crater 3.5km northeast of San Andrés in jungle-like terrain. A dirt road goes there, but no buses do…
21.45 MILES
Dominating the main plaza, this stone monolith is known as the ‘Cobata Head,’ after the estate where it was found. Thought to be a very late Olmec…
Nearby Veracruz attractions
4.85 MILES
This is probably the single best beach in the whole state, but it's not an easy one to access. Turn off the main road onto a dirt road just before…
9.1 MILES
Some 39km from Catemaco, this village has several palapas offering grilled fish and seafood, along with fresh coconut water, and there's a beach here with…
9.75 MILES
Tucked at the base of Volcán San Martín, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas (M$450) and offers…
12.3 MILES
Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily…
14.66 MILES
The ‘Enchanted Lagoon’ occupies a small volcanic crater 3.5km northeast of San Andrés in jungle-like terrain. A dirt road goes there, but no buses do…
14.88 MILES
This 23-hectare reserve, which was created in 2009 with the planting of thousands of trees, is 2.5km from Laguna Encantada on the road to Ruíz Cortines…
16.54 MILES
Watch as the torcedores (cigarmakers) speedily hand roll and finish puros at this cigar factory, on the highway, a block or so from the bus station…
18.51 MILES
Twelve kilometers southeast of San Andrés, in the eponymous village, a 250-step staircase leads down to the absolutely spectacular Salto de Eyipantla, a…