Sites of Interest

To know Xalapa, a good option is to visit his great historical center, where you will find: Park Benito Juárez It finds in the street Enríquez, with a view to the Municipal Palace and the Palace of Government. The park was constructed on what they were the ruins of two monasteries that were seriously damaged in an earthquake. Now it constitutes a space full of vegetation and symmetrical ways; excellent to walk. Other parks of renown: Park Macultépetl, The Tecajetes and The Watercress.

 

We find Plaza Lerdo de Tejada, in this center of the city. This square is small but showy, In her there are the Cathedral of the Immaculate Concepcion and the Church of the Calvary. Both reflect a detailed baroque style and a curious sacred art.

The museums more emphasized in this beautiful city are: Museum of Anthropology, Xalapa's Interactive Museum, Museum of the Transport, Museum of the Fauna (Macultépetl Park) and the Estate El Lencero.

Xalapa is known by his great quantity of galleries of art and theatres between which they stand out: House of the Crafts, Gallery Ramon Alba de la Canal, Theatre of the State (where Xalapa's symphonic orquestra appears, the biggest pride of the University Veracruzana) and the Ágora of the city.

Also, we find several sites for sports: Heriberto Jara Corona Stadium, a great site for sports, Universidad Veracruzana pool, sports center in Normal Veracruzana and the USBI, a wonderful place for basketball, soccer, football, joggin, etc. 

Introduction

The origin of Xalapa, as the of many other ancient cities of Mexico, dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Its foundation and existence as nucleus of population has been topic of discussion, and although not yet exhausted, documentation and bibliography that exist in this regard can give a very rough idea of the beginnings of this city.

The village was located in the region Kiel Leopold called "of the great mountains", a geographical area of about 12 thousand square kilometers between the Gulf Coast and the Highlands.

Huaxtecas, totonac, settled there during the Prehispanic era, popolocas, Toltec, nonoalcas, chichimecas and teochichimecas that moved each other until that took place in Aztec expansion.

They suggest that the population already existed in the 12th century. One of the provinces called altogether Xalapa or Xallac i.e. "place of sandy waters" was inhabited by indigenous groups which were Quad: one to the North, totonac, named Xalitic, the second to the East, Techacapan, probably due to populations Mexica; the third to the South, Tehuanapan, tolteca chichimeca origin; and the fourth Southwest Tlamecapan, teochichimeca.

To 1553, date in which Antonio de Mendoza, first viceroy, came to rule the new Spain, Xalapa was considered as point of scale needed, and eventually acquired greater importance because the heat and the unsanitary conditions traditional from the port of Veracruz forced travellers, politicians, military and merchants use said population as a temporary residence.

If any moment of its existence only Xalapa was a forced scale for people travelling between the port of Veracruz and the city of Mexico, is currently one of the most important cultural centers of the country.

Pictures of Xalapa

History of Xalapa

Xalapa or Jalapa, officially name is "Xalapa de Enríquez" is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of 413,136. Has an area of 118.45 km². Xalapa lies near the geographic center of the state and is the second-largest city in the state after the city of Veracruz.