Ciudad del Maíz
The historic City of Corn sways to its own vibe in a stark landscape of deserts and waterfalls, with culture and humanity celebrating every change of season.
Ciudad del Maíz is a remarkable little town of some 10,000 permanent residents. The surrounding municipality is home to another 20,000, including some 100 little hamlets and crossroads. The town is influenced by the culture of the Huasteca, but indigenous residents proudly point out their heritage with the Pame people, who mostly live in Tamasopo and Santa Catarina to the south. With the Huasteca peoples, residents of the City of Corn share a landscape of waterfalls, deep jungles, and seemingly some enchantment around every corner.
People come for the outdoors and for the dramatic skies where the clouds still creep over from the warm Gulf of Mexico to the east. The fantastic Cascada El Salto / Naranja is a little more than an hour northeast of Maíz. There are some local tour groups who will get you there. People can swim beneath the falls, and there are few more idyllic spots on Earth.
Closer to your home base, the Ciudad del Maíz historic center is built around the Immaculate Conception church and the old Barrageneña house, which has long served as the city hall. As a private home, it dates from the mid-18th century and the history is something every visitor to the city should at least get a taste of. (You just won't find a lot of old mansions with a bullring at the back.) The street to the west of the palace is named for the General Juan Barragán who rose to fame during the Mexican Revolution, some number of generations later than the illustrious ancestors who built the house.
The Casa de Cultura, on the east side of the main plaza, is bedecked with mural paintings, and usually hosting an event worth checking out. This is after the many hiking areas have worn you out entirely. The murals at the old Hacienda El Tepeyac, about one hour northeast of town on Route 80, are dead famous and well worth the trip.
And if you get peckish, the guiso borracho, made with a splash of pulque, is hands down the most famous dish in town.
Most visitors to Ciudad del Maíz are going to arrive via the capital of San Luis Potosi. Ciudad del Maíz is about 2.5 hours directly south. From Mexico City, most passengers are routed through Jalpan del Serra. Estrella Blanca runs buses direct to Ciudad del Maíz from Jalpan. That trip also takes about 2.5 hours.
