3 Best Sights in Veracruz, Mexico

Across the river from downtown is the grandly named Museo Histórico de la Amistad México–Cuba. This one-room house, bare save for black-and-white photos and a few threadbare uniforms, is where Fidel Castro lived for a time while planning the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista. To get here from the dock, walk three blocks south to Calle Obregón, then head west for several blocks until you reach the end of the street.

Avenida Juárez leads to Parque Reforma, where more than 100 tables are set beneath trees clipped into perfect cubes. As the sun goes down, noisy birds roost here and young couples buy ice cream from carts or slip off to secluded benches. The park has a memorial to Fausto Vega Santander, a member of the 201st Squadron of the Mexican Air Force and the first Mexican to be killed in combat during World War II.

The first and most accessible beach from Tuxpan is Playa Tuxpan. The surf here isn't huge, but there's enough action to warrant breaking out your surf- or Boogie board. There are inexpensive hotels and restaurants along the beach, and many have bathrooms and showers that you can use for a dollar or two. Of the open-air restaurants along Playa Tuxpan, the most established is El Arca, which has a branch at the main beach entrance called El Velero. Both have an extensive menu of freshly caught seafood, and fresh coconuts.