Landmarks
San Juan de Ulúa
Also known as Castillo de San Juan de Ulúa, is a large complex of fortresses, prisons and one former palace on an island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico. Juan de Grijalva's 1518 expedition named the island. On Easter Sunday 1519, Hernan Cortés met with Tendile and Pitalpitoque, emissaries from Moctezuma II's Aztec Empire.
The fortress complex was ultimately closed when it was no longer needed for sea defense. After several years of decay, renovations were begun on the complex in the late 20th century. Some projects are continuing.
San Juan de Ulúa has been preserved and adapted as a museum. The prisons and the fortresses are all open to the public, with the exception of the former presidential palace, which suffered severe decay and is still undergoing renovations. The complex is a very popular tourist attraction.
San Juan de Ulúa was used to depict the fortress in Cartagena, Colombia, in the climax of the 1984 film Romancing the Stone.
El Tajín
Located in the state of Veracruz, El Tajin was at its height from the early 9th to the early 13th century. It became the most important centre in north-east Mesoamerica after the fall of the Teotihuacan Empire. Its cultural influence extended all along the Gulf and penetrated into the Maya region and the high plateaux of central Mexico. Its architecture, which is unique in Mesoamerica, is characterized by elaborate carved reliefs on the columns and frieze.
The 'Pyramid of the Niches', a masterpiece of ancient Mexican and American architecture, reveals the astronomical and symbolic significance of the buildings. El Tajin has survived as an outstanding example of the grandeur and importance of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico.
El Tajín is a site that is under the custody of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It is legally protected by the Mexican Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Zones of 1972. In 2001 the site was declared Archaeological Monument Zone by a presidential decree, with a polygon of 1221 hectares, including the archaeological area declared World Heritage.
The Aquarium
One of Veracruz' biggest attractions and allegedly the best of its kind in Latin America, this aquarium does a good job of showcasing the denizens of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as fishy oddities such as arapaima and albino shark catfish.
Situated 2km south of the center, on the waterfront, its centerpiece is a large doughnut-shaped tank filled with tiger, reef and nurse sharks, barracuda, and eagle rays that glide around visitors. Visitor participation in shark feedings is possible.
The aquarium also features a dolphin show and a tank full of sad manatees. Aquarium authorities claim they are aiding dolphin and manatee conservation and research, but animal-welfare groups around the world claim that such exhibits are cruel.
