Next on our journey and after visiting Mexico City, we traveled to the State of Veracruz where we stopped at the city of Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz. Veracruz is Mexico's oldest and largest port and the port most connected with its history. During the colonial period, it was the most important port in New Spain, with a large wealthy merchant class that was more prosperous than Mexico City.  In the mid 16th century, so much gold and silver was found in Veracruz that it became the bulk of the exports to Spain.

While in Veracruz we visited the city of Catemaco Veracruz located  in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas volcanic mountain range, along the Gulf of Mexico. Historically an isolated community, the city now has an international reputation for the "Catemaco Brujos", a local phenomenon of witchcraft practitioners with commercial interests. Mel Gibson filmed parts of Apocalypto (2006) in the vicinity. He joined Sean Connery whose Medicine Man (1992) had also used the Catemaco area as a backdrop for jungle scenes, as have many other films.

You can visit my Veracruz Gallery by clicking here.