Papantla is the tiny Totonac center of an agricultural and historical community in the north of Veracruz. It's most famous for the Papantla Flyers, a ritual acrobatics group who have performed all over Mexico and the world. But people have traditionally visited the town en route to the important El Tajín ruins that are just minutes outside of the town. The El Tajín ruins, usually represented by the outstanding Pyramid of the Niches, is so striking as to put an indelible mark on the souls of everyone luck enough to visit.
Papantla, though, was founded in the 13th century even as El Tajín was increasingly abandoned. The ancient city flourished from roughly 600 CE through the mids 1200s. The Nahuatl name Papantla can be roughly translated as city of noisy birds.
While one can spend a full day inEl Tajín, those who stay will take to theXanath Ecological Reserve. The historic center of the town is alive with local arts and artisan works. The Center for Indigenous Arts is complemented by a major Craft Market. Textiles, and things made with vanilla are especially important The Homage to the Totonaca Culture mural is jawdropping and made even better by works in the Teodoro Cano Museum. Cano was a student of Diego Rivera and a native of the town. His influence is everywhere.
The town is also famous as a vanilla producer, but it should be even more famous for the rest of the cuisine, papanteco mole is just a start to the great things on offer.
From Mexico City, visitors arrive via the Poza Rica highway. A bus trip takes just under four hours. TRV runs regular buses from Poza Rica to Papantla, as well was from Veracruz Puerto.
