Top Veracruz activities
Explore by category
Top Veracruz landmarks
Top Veracruz landmarks
Top Veracruz landmark tickets
Beyond Veracruz
Tours in nearby places
Explore Central Mexico tours
Tours in similar places
Veracruz trip ideas
Veracruz sightseeing and hop-on hop-off bus tours tend to stop at the pier. Stroll the palm-lined promenade and admire the historic monuments dotted along the waterfront. Pose for photos by the gigantic “Veracruz” sign, shop for traditional handicrafts and souvenirs at the artisan market, and enjoy live music and street performances. Stick around for lunch at a sea-view restaurant or relax on one of the pier benches, ice cream in hand.
The Malecon lies along the south shore of Veracruz harbor and is easily reached on foot from downtown. From the Zocalo, head east for about five minutes until you hit the seafront.
Visit the Malecon in the early morning to dodge the crowds or on a sunny summer afternoon to enjoy the coastal breeze. The promenade is most atmospheric in the evening hours, when the bars and cafés fill up and mariachi bands often perform along the seafront.
The Malecon is home to a number of colonial buildings and historic monuments. At the eastern end, the Gran Plaza del Malecón is home to the Faro Venustiano Carranza, a grand white building with a central lighthouse, fronted by a statue of revolutionary leader Venustiano Carranza. Nearby, the Centinela de la Patria monument honors the naval heroes that resisted the US take-over of Veracruz in 1914, while another statue depicts explorer Alexander von Humboldt.