By boat:
The only navigable port is Balzapote with no facilities
aside from anchorage. Further shallow draft access is
in Laguna Sontecomapan and Laguna del Ostion.
Rio San Juan is navigable by shallow draft, low mast
vessels to within 20 km of San Andrés Tuxtla through
the port of Alvarado. And if you honk long enough, a
taxi will probably show up to take you to Catemaco.
I recently met a crew that had paddled from New
Orleans in a sea kayak who said the coast was
unbelievably beautiful.
By horse:
Unfortunately most of the shores and other terrain is
now cattle fenced. Nevertheless you can saddle up in
Veracruz, hopefully on a horse that knows how to
swim, and work your way along the beach with only a
few inland detours and bridges to avoid rocky cliffs and
arrive safely in Catemaco. Or, once here you can rent a
horse in Montepio.
By bus:
Mexico and Catemaco has a fabulous, inexpensive bus
system, separated into multiple classes from luxury, to
first class, to second class, and to very low cost
chicken buses serving local areas. As of now no luxury
buses stop in Catemaco, but first class is sufficiently
luxurious.
At present, first class drops you on the Malecon in
Catemaco. Second class buses stop on the carretera, a
mile away. Frequent inter county buses leave from
near the center of the city.
See the bus schedule on the bottom. Tickets may be
bought through www.ticketbus.com.mx.
By taxi:
Taxis are so inexpensive, that sometimes it pays to take
a taxi from Veracruz airport for maybe 1500 pesos for a
3 hour ride. Local taxis start at 15 pesos and have the
"gringopagadoble" syndrome.
If there is a road in any type of condition, there usually
runs a pirata (communal taxi / pickup truck).
Several stations serve the piratas, one on the northeast
end for coastal and northeast laguna destinations,
another near the southeast end for remaining laguna
destinations and trips further south.
By plane:
A historic landing field in San Andrés Tuxtla is just that.
History! There is talk of rebuilding it, though. Meanwhile
the governor gets here by helicopter. I wish I could
afford that.
The closest airports are Minatitlan/Coatzacoalcos and
Veracruz, app 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours drive away.
Veracruz has direct connections to Mexico City,
Houston, Cancun and Monterrey. Coatzacoalcos
connects to Mexico City and is trying to connect to
Houston.
By train:
The last train pulled out of San Andres Tuxtla in 1992.
At present passenger rail traffic in Mexico has
disappeared except for some short touristic routes in
other states.
By foot, or hitchhiking:
It has been done and I have the list of hit and run
pedestrians to prove it. Hitchhiking is not common in
Mexico.
By bike - pedal or motor:
It is being done and it is suicidal! A lot of roads are very
narrow, most have no curbs, and the phrase "road
courtesy" has no Spanish translation. I wish the drivers
luck. They need it. Especially that wonderful father who
pedaled through here with a small kid in a bike trailer.
The only navigable port is Balzapote with no facilities
aside from anchorage. Further shallow draft access is
in Laguna Sontecomapan and Laguna del Ostion.
Rio San Juan is navigable by shallow draft, low mast
vessels to within 20 km of San Andrés Tuxtla through
the port of Alvarado. And if you honk long enough, a
taxi will probably show up to take you to Catemaco.
I recently met a crew that had paddled from New
Orleans in a sea kayak who said the coast was
unbelievably beautiful.
By horse:
Unfortunately most of the shores and other terrain is
now cattle fenced. Nevertheless you can saddle up in
Veracruz, hopefully on a horse that knows how to
swim, and work your way along the beach with only a
few inland detours and bridges to avoid rocky cliffs and
arrive safely in Catemaco. Or, once here you can rent a
horse in Montepio.
By bus:
Mexico and Catemaco has a fabulous, inexpensive bus
system, separated into multiple classes from luxury, to
first class, to second class, and to very low cost
chicken buses serving local areas. As of now no luxury
buses stop in Catemaco, but first class is sufficiently
luxurious.
At present, first class drops you on the Malecon in
Catemaco. Second class buses stop on the carretera, a
mile away. Frequent inter county buses leave from
near the center of the city.
See the bus schedule on the bottom. Tickets may be
bought through www.ticketbus.com.mx.
By taxi:
Taxis are so inexpensive, that sometimes it pays to take
a taxi from Veracruz airport for maybe 1500 pesos for a
3 hour ride. Local taxis start at 15 pesos and have the
"gringopagadoble" syndrome.
If there is a road in any type of condition, there usually
runs a pirata (communal taxi / pickup truck).
Several stations serve the piratas, one on the northeast
end for coastal and northeast laguna destinations,
another near the southeast end for remaining laguna
destinations and trips further south.
By plane:
A historic landing field in San Andrés Tuxtla is just that.
History! There is talk of rebuilding it, though. Meanwhile
the governor gets here by helicopter. I wish I could
afford that.
The closest airports are Minatitlan/Coatzacoalcos and
Veracruz, app 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours drive away.
Veracruz has direct connections to Mexico City,
Houston, Cancun and Monterrey. Coatzacoalcos
connects to Mexico City and is trying to connect to
Houston.
By train:
The last train pulled out of San Andres Tuxtla in 1992.
At present passenger rail traffic in Mexico has
disappeared except for some short touristic routes in
other states.
By foot, or hitchhiking:
It has been done and I have the list of hit and run
pedestrians to prove it. Hitchhiking is not common in
Mexico.
By bike - pedal or motor:
It is being done and it is suicidal! A lot of roads are very
narrow, most have no curbs, and the phrase "road
courtesy" has no Spanish translation. I wish the drivers
luck. They need it. Especially that wonderful father who
pedaled through here with a small kid in a bike trailer.
How to get to - and around Catemaco
By car:
Three paved highways serve the Tuxtlas:
Federal #180 running from Texas to the Yucatan passes through
Catemaco and connects to the Mexico City highway at Veracruz.
Federal #179 connects to #180 in Santiago Tuxtla and connects to the
autopista near Isla.
Unnamed Loop Road - leaves 180 at El Tropico, before Santiago, then
passes along the coast via Montepio and returns to 180 at Catemaco.
The autopista running from Texas/Veracruz to Villahermosa/Yucatan can
be accessed:
from the north, via #179 at Isla, (1 1/4 hour away).
from the south, via #180 at Acayucan (1 1/2 hours away).
See Maps.
Three paved highways serve the Tuxtlas:
Federal #180 running from Texas to the Yucatan passes through
Catemaco and connects to the Mexico City highway at Veracruz.
Federal #179 connects to #180 in Santiago Tuxtla and connects to the
autopista near Isla.
Unnamed Loop Road - leaves 180 at El Tropico, before Santiago, then
passes along the coast via Montepio and returns to 180 at Catemaco.
The autopista running from Texas/Veracruz to Villahermosa/Yucatan can
be accessed:
from the north, via #179 at Isla, (1 1/4 hour away).
from the south, via #180 at Acayucan (1 1/2 hours away).
See Maps.
Roads in Los Tuxtlas are mostly abominable. Mex 180, the major highway crossing Los Tuxtlas from north to south, at present
is in "fair" shape (March 08). Because of fiscal restraints and political allocations, road maintenance is unpredictable.
This is seriously noticeable on secondary paved roads. One month the road is a pleasure to drive. The next month it is a
potholed nightmare. Graded dirt roads are even worse. At all times graded roads are advisable to be driven only in high lift
vehicles, like pickups and SUV's. The key word is "advisable". You´ll be seeing little Nissan pickups with seats in the back,
called "piratas", which are used as minibuses, racing along most roads. A standard passenger vehicle will usually handle
most roads. Just be careful of jutting rocks. Many an oil pan gave up its life here.
If you rented a car - STAY OFF dirt roads! There is fine print on the back of all contracts that voids your insurance coverage
for self inclicted damage on all but paved roads!
Aside from the regularly graded dirt roads, there are other roads, usually not marked on maps but known to locals and usually
advisable to be travelled only by 4x4's because of their mostly hilly locations and rutted conditions.
If the gas station pumps more gas into your tank than the tank can hold, that is correct. The Mexican PEMEX liter of gas is
known to be smaller than an international liter of water, which incidentally also, on occasion, can be found in PEMEX gas.
Contrary to popular belief the small walls running across many roads are not Olmec remnants. They are called "topes" and
are so popular that they are being introduced in some mostly Latin areas in the USA. There are several areas on Mex 180
featuring dozens of topes in a row. Even the brand new highway into Montepio (from El Tropico) immediately sprouted 8 little
walls.
Topes usually are well marked and are an effective tool to decrease automotive speed which is "mostly" unregulated by
Mexican traffic police. They are also ideal places for local inhabitants to provide drive-by refreshment stands and solicit
donations for many deserving charities, especially individual ones.
Unmarked topes are alleged to be the source of much of the income of Mexican auto repair stations and chiropractors
specializing in compacted necks.
CAUTION!
Be extraordinarily careful when traveling after a heavy rain! Washouts are frequent! That includes the federal carretera. Stay
off unmarked dirt roads completely until at least some dry days have passed!
If you come from one of the US states that only uses a rear license plate, buy a vanity plate to put on front of the vehicle,
otherwise you will meet many interesting federal traffic cops and military road blocks.
Enough negativity!
If you are already here, try some road trips to get to know the area better. There are some wonderful country roads in Los
Tuxtlas.
Here is the local first class bus schedule and prices in Catemaco as of March 2008
is in "fair" shape (March 08). Because of fiscal restraints and political allocations, road maintenance is unpredictable.
This is seriously noticeable on secondary paved roads. One month the road is a pleasure to drive. The next month it is a
potholed nightmare. Graded dirt roads are even worse. At all times graded roads are advisable to be driven only in high lift
vehicles, like pickups and SUV's. The key word is "advisable". You´ll be seeing little Nissan pickups with seats in the back,
called "piratas", which are used as minibuses, racing along most roads. A standard passenger vehicle will usually handle
most roads. Just be careful of jutting rocks. Many an oil pan gave up its life here.
If you rented a car - STAY OFF dirt roads! There is fine print on the back of all contracts that voids your insurance coverage
for self inclicted damage on all but paved roads!
Aside from the regularly graded dirt roads, there are other roads, usually not marked on maps but known to locals and usually
advisable to be travelled only by 4x4's because of their mostly hilly locations and rutted conditions.
If the gas station pumps more gas into your tank than the tank can hold, that is correct. The Mexican PEMEX liter of gas is
known to be smaller than an international liter of water, which incidentally also, on occasion, can be found in PEMEX gas.
Contrary to popular belief the small walls running across many roads are not Olmec remnants. They are called "topes" and
are so popular that they are being introduced in some mostly Latin areas in the USA. There are several areas on Mex 180
featuring dozens of topes in a row. Even the brand new highway into Montepio (from El Tropico) immediately sprouted 8 little
walls.
Topes usually are well marked and are an effective tool to decrease automotive speed which is "mostly" unregulated by
Mexican traffic police. They are also ideal places for local inhabitants to provide drive-by refreshment stands and solicit
donations for many deserving charities, especially individual ones.
Unmarked topes are alleged to be the source of much of the income of Mexican auto repair stations and chiropractors
specializing in compacted necks.
CAUTION!
Be extraordinarily careful when traveling after a heavy rain! Washouts are frequent! That includes the federal carretera. Stay
off unmarked dirt roads completely until at least some dry days have passed!
If you come from one of the US states that only uses a rear license plate, buy a vanity plate to put on front of the vehicle,
otherwise you will meet many interesting federal traffic cops and military road blocks.
Enough negativity!
If you are already here, try some road trips to get to know the area better. There are some wonderful country roads in Los
Tuxtlas.
Here is the local first class bus schedule and prices in Catemaco as of March 2008
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There are many exciting ways to get to Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas in Veracruz, Mexico.
Nearby San Andrés Tuxtla has more connections
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