Every long distance traveler who gets caught in a frantic sightseeing schedule develops a desperate thirst for a refreshing change of pace, and that's what you'll get on the trip from Mexico City to Veracruz. This adventure can be approached as a loop drive down by way of Puebla, Orizaba, and Cordoba, and back by way of Jalapa, Perote, Apizaco, and Texcoco. The loop starts from a region
overflowing with churches, pyramids, and other monuments so typical of central Mexico. Slowly, the emphasis of the trip shifts to a seductive, tropic atmosphere that lulls even the most hardened traveler into a relaxed mood even one who, anywhere else, would want to see "everything" in as little time as possible.
The drive will submerge you in a rich variety of landscapes and climatesgreen valleys and desert on the plateau, pine forests, subtropics, and tropics. Though you can drive this loop in 2 days, you should really take more time. Off the heavily traveled tourist track, the roads are nevertheless paved all the way. One very rewarding feature of this loop drive is the opportunity to see five of Mexico's most famous mountains Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Malincbe, Pico de Orizaba, and Cofre de Perote.
November through February is the dry season though you might get caught by a norte (overcast sky and a cold wind that blows sand from the dunes around Veracruz); the rest of the year it is hot in the morning with showers in the afternoon, but the land is at its greenest. The toll road that connects Mexico City with Cordoba is a high speed but highly scenic highway. If clouds permit, you'll
see 17,761-foot Popocatepetl and 17,343-foot Iztaccihuatl-both majestic and snowcapped year-round. Once over the crest (which, incidentally, is the Continental Divide), you slowly descend into a green, fertile valley.
Every long distance traveler who gets caught in a frantic sightseeing schedule develops a desperate thirst for a refreshing change of pace, and that's what you'll get on the trip from Mexico City to Veracruz. This adventure can be approached as a loop drive down by way of Puebla, Orizaba, and Cordoba, and back by way of Jalapa, Perote, Apizaco, and Texcoco. The loop starts from a region
November through February is the dry season though you might get caught by a norte (overcast sky and a cold wind that blows sand from the dunes around Veracruz); the rest of the year it is hot in the morning with showers in the afternoon, but the land is at its greenest. The toll road that connects Mexico City with Cordoba is a high speed but highly scenic highway. If clouds permit, you'll
see 17,761-foot Popocatepetl and 17,343-foot Iztaccihuatl-both majestic and snowcapped year-round. Once over the crest (which, incidentally, is the Continental Divide), you slowly descend into a green, fertile valley.
