| La Punta The first inhabitants of Catemaco lived here. A remarkably beautiful trail along the shore at the north end of the Malecon. More details mañana. |
| El Azuzul A small swamp at the northern edge of Catemaco City, now being filled in. Read more about El Azuzul |
| El Tegal They say the Virgin Mary left her footsteps here, and her supposedly miraculous statue is worshipped in an adjoining cave on the lake shore. A restaurant is at the entrance which is a 15 minute walk north of the center of Catemaco More details mañana |
| Gifts Shops Dozen of tiny stores, and one big one sell anything from amulets and coconut heads to plastic Jesuses. |
| The Central Market Catemaco's version of a supermarket attract hundreds of daily shoppers. |
| Playa La Isla & Playa Espagoya 2 popular swimming beaches, north of the city. More details mañana. |
| El Parque The central plaza is the heart of the city. |
| Rio Grande de Catemaco Laguna Catemaco's drainpipe to the Gulf of Mexico south and west of the city See a slideshow of the Rio Grande. |
| Monuments and Statues Numerous statues and monuments grace the Catemaco streets. see a slideshow |
| The Ayuntamiento The city hall of Catemaco, also has a tourist office. more details mañana |
| El Cerrito Catemaco's most prominent landmark and alleged to be an old pyramid. Ver un video del Cerrito. |
| Basilica de la Virgen del Carmen Catemaco's most visited site. Read more about the history of the Basilica. |
| west of the carretera |
| Presa Tepetapan Former waterfall converted into dam for hydroelectric plant further down river. Good place to watch birds. Visit the Presa. |
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| El Malecón The center of most Catemaco tourism, about a mile long, is potentially one of the most attractive boardwalks in Mexico. See a video from two years ago. |
| The City of Catemaco Catemaco, Veracruz |
| Brujos of Catemaco World famous witches inhabit the city. So of course, they have their own page. Read more about brujos. |
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| thhe city of 26,000 +/- occupies almost 2 miles along the shores of Laguna Catemaco from the edge of the Río Grande to a beach area called Playa Espagoya, and reaches inland to the slopes of the volcanic hills Mono Blanco and Nixtamalapan. Archaeological finds indicate a substantial pre-hispanic presence in locales around the city. Supposedly the city was "founded" in 1714. Development of the city followed construction of the Veracruz coastal highway in the 1950's, and population has since exploded more than 500 per cent. Cattle are the same named municipio's (county) primary business, followed by agriculture and then tourism. There is no official count, but I guess almost 200 brujos and curanderos practice various forms of witchcraft and herbal healing. Economically, despite being blessed by a cornucopia of fertile soil, abundant rain, good fishing, extraordinary attractiveness and a solid tourist business, most of the inhabitants, excluding politicians, are dirt poor and subsist on welfare and less than 10 US bucks per day. Tourism is served by 27 hotels in the city which attract mostly Mexican tourists during peak spring and summer seasons and long weekends. The main attraction is the Basilica del Carmen which draws thousands of bus loads of day tripping worshippers of a supposedly miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. Gringo presence is minimal with maybe a dozen year round residents. |
| For hotel and restaurant information, please see: Catemaco Hotels. For more in depth information, please see: Municipio of Catemaco. |
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| Isla Tepetapan A small river island behind the sluice gates near the bridge over the Rio Grande. Ignored and forgotten by locals, you have to wade the river to get there. Visit Isla Tepetapan |
| maps |
| Also see our Google map (soon) |
| Casa de Los Tesoros House of Treasures. Largest gift shop in Catemaco, offering bagels, brownies and Mexican arts and crafts, has converted itself into the social center for newcomers. Visit the Casa "Lost". |
| El Embarcadero Located in the middle of the Malecón, it is the only boat dock to join cruises to visit the Laguna. But there are at least six other places on the shore where you can hop on a boat. Take a boat tour. |
| in the center of the city |
| a short walk west of the city |
| Sirenas Acuaticas Only public pool in the city, aptly titled "Mermaids" in Colonia Catemaco. |
| The city cemetery. Catemaco's most popular place on the Day of the Dead. Visit the Cemetery. |