About Santiago Tuxtla, Mexico
The city of Santiago Tuxtla is the head of the municipality with the same name and where Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve is located, which is a jungle area ideal for adventure tourism. Santiago Tuxtla is in the south of the Mexican state of Veracruz, on the slopes of Sierra de los Tuxtlas and its landscape is dominated by El Vigía volcano.
This picturesque city with remains of the Olmec civilization features a charming drowsy atmosphere, with narrow crooked streets that go over the Tepango River and several historic buildings. The main park of Santiago Tuxtla has a large Olmec head found in Cobata, which is the only one discovered with its eyes closed; it is believed to represent a dead person. In the surroundings of this square you can find the City Hall, an old church, and the main market.
In front of the municipal park sits the Tuxtla Regional Museum, where pieces of the Totonac and Olmec cultures are exhibited, including obsidian objects, mascaron ornaments, utensils, adornments, and sculptures, among others. The collection of this museum comprises the biggest and the smallest Olmec heads ever found, and the Huayapan Head, a 20-ton monolith to which magnetic powers are attributed.
Santiago Tuxtla is considered the cultural capital of Los Tuxtlas and is home of different festivals throughout the whole year. Its main festivity is on July 25 and it is dedicated to Saint James. During this celebration, every day at 5:00 in the morning, a band plays La Diana song on the streets. Additionally, in this annual party there is the Mojiganga, an event with enormous dolls and bulls made of woven reeds of palm leaves that chase people; fandango dances to the rythm of son jarocho, and traditional dances such as Daza de los Negros contra Cristianos. In Christmas, there are two popular traditions: Acarreo de Niños, where figures representing baby Jesus are carried around the streets to the sound of regional music, and La Rama, which consists of taking from home to home a branch of a tree adorned with Christmas ornaments to organize a party every night. Other famous celebrations in Santiago Tuxtla are the Holy Week, where streets are lighted with candles on the Friday of Grief and the Good Friday Silent Procession. In March you can witness white magic ceremonies where several healers, shamans, and temascal leaders offer their alternative services. In June, there is the tradition of Líceres, where the inhabitants disguise as the lynxes that cornered the people in the church when the San Martin Volcano erupted.
The Tres Zapotes archaeological site and museum is located on the outskirts of Santiago Tuxtla, next to the first sugar mill in Mexico, which is said it was built under the orders of Hernán Cortés. Also, the town of Catemaco is less than 30 kilometers (18.6 mi) away, famous for its lagoon and its ancestral witchcraft tradition. Additionally, there are natural landscapes that invite to practice hiking, and waterfalls ideal for swimming or contemplating their beauty.
***The official currency of Mexico is the Mexican Peso (MXN).
