Townapedia
Pico de Orizaba desde Xalapa
Pico de Orizaba desde Xalapa · Eneas De Troya from Mexico City, México, CC BY 2.0
Jardín de las Esculturas, Xalapa
Jardín de las Esculturas, Xalapa · Pequeño mar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Anthropology Museum Xalapa
Anthropology Museum Xalapa · Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera, Xalapa 1
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera, Xalapa 1 · Pequeño mar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Parque Juárez
Parque Juárez · Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Xalapa catedral
Xalapa catedral · Unknown author, CC BY 2.5

Xalapa de Enríquez, Mexico

Xalapa-Enríquez

Xalapa de Enríquez is a regional capital of 424,755 people in Veracruz, Mexico, founded in 1791.

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Population424,755 GeoNames
Local nameXalapa-Enríquez
RegionVeracruz
Elevation1,460 m 4,790 ft
Founded1791
Time zoneAmerica/Mexico City
Land area118.5 km²
Nearest airportEl Lencero National Airport (JAL) 14 km

Why visit Xalapa de Enríquez

Townapedia lists 25 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 222 places to eat, 56 places to stay and 17 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa, Universidad de América Latina, Jardín de Esculturas and Museo de Antropología de Xalapa.

About Xalapa de Enríquez

Xalapa or Jalapa (English: , Spanish: [xaˈlapa] ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (IPA: [xaˈlapa enˈrikes]), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In 2020 census the city reported a population of 443,063 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of 488,531. The municipality has an area of 118.45 km2. Xalapa lies near the geographic center of the state and is the second-largest city in the state after the city of Veracruz to the southeast.

From the Wikipedia article Xalapa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Travel tips from other travellers: Xalapa de Enríquez on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Things to do17

Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa

School · 4.9 km

University in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

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Universidad de América Latina

School · 4.7 km

University in Xalapa, Mexico

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University of Xalapa

School · 3.9 km

University in Mexico

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Cinema Nahual

Cinema and theater · 1.0 km

Cinema Nahual es una sala independiente de cine que es construida por un grupo de cinéfilos con el afán de conformar una comunidad y...

14 Calle José Azueta, Xalapa

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Universidad Metropolitana Xalapa

School · 1.1 km

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Aula Clavijero

Cinema and theater · 0.8 km

55 Benito Juárez, Xalapa

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Cinetix zaragoza

Cinema and theater · 0.9 km

Cuatro salas de cine en el centro

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Teatro J. J. Herrera

Cinema and theater · 1.1 km

12 Miguel Palacios, Xalapa

Open in Google Maps · +52 228 817 9153

Área 51 Foro Teatral

Cinema and theater · 1.0 km

307 Revolución

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Cinema 21

Cinema and theater · 0.6 km

José María Mata

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El Rincón de los Títeres de Merequetengue

Cinema and theater · 0.7 km

28 Diego Leño, Xalapa

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El Telón Salón de Artes

Cinema and theater · 0.7 km

19 Fernando de Jesús Corona

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5 more on the map.

Museums and landmarks25

Jardín de Esculturas

Museum · 2.6 km

Museum in the city of Xalapa

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Museo de Antropología de Xalapa

Museum · 2.7 km

Museum in Xalapa, Mexico

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Museo Interactivo de Xalapa

Museum · 2.7 km

Museum in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

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Pinacoteca Diego Rivera

Museum · 1.0 km

Moing hisper

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Museo Casa de Xalapa

Museum · 1.0 km

7 J.J. Herrera, Xalapa - Enriquez

Mo-Su 09:00-19:00

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Casa Doña Falla Museo de la Música Veracruzana

Museum · 0.9 km

Callejón de la Calavera, Xalapa

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Galería Ramón Alva de la Canal

Museum

27 Manuel Gutiérrez Zamora

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Museo Audiovisual de Historia Natural

Museum · 0.8 km

57 Benito Juárez, Xalapa

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Agustin Lara

Monument and historic site · 1.4 km

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Busto de Ernesto "El Chango" García Cabral

Monument and historic site · 0.8 km

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Busto de Luis Donaldo Colosio

Monument and historic site · 0.6 km

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Casa del Lago

Museum · 1.2 km

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13 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds18

Parque Juárez

Park · 1.0 km

Public park in Xalapa, Mexico

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Estadio Xalapeño Heriberto Jara Corona

Sports field and stadium · 1.3 km

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Plazuela de los Platos

Park

Calle Moctezuma, Xalapa

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Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán

Park · 1.0 km

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Parque de los Tecajetes

Park · 1.5 km

Manuel Ávila Camacho

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Plazuela Manuel Maples Arce

Park

Parque de diseño estridentista dedicado a Manuel Maples Arce, poeta, abogado, diplomático y escritor mexicano, fundador del...

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Juegos Infantiles

Playground · 1.5 km

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Parque Augusto César Sandino

Park · 1.3 km

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Parque Bicentenario

Park · 1.4 km

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Parque Colosio

Park · 0.6 km

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Parque Hundido

Park · 1.1 km

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Parque infantil Omaha

Playground · 1.3 km

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6 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes222

Antojitos

Restaurant · Regional

Deliciosos antojitos.

16:00-23:00

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La mera mata

Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Local, Mexican, Sandwich · 1.4 km

91 Calle Soconusco

Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 228 236 1734

La petite

Cafe · Coffee Shop, Breakfast, Crepe, Sandwich, Cake, Tea, Savory Pancakes · 1.0 km

37 Simón Bolívar

Mo-Sa 07:30-18:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 228 256 4947

Malamadre

Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 km

53 Manlio Fabio Altamirano

Mo-Su 09:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +52 228 856 4462

La Contemporánea

Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 km

7 Avenida Manuel Ávila Camacho, Xalapa

We-Su 14:00-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +522282324104

Pizzas "La Paz"

Restaurant · Pizza · 1.3 km

20 Avenida de los Atletas, Xalapa

Mo-Fr 08:00-11:15

Open in Google Maps · +522288171503

Taquería "Santos" Sucursal Atletas

Restaurant · Tacos, Mexican · 1.3 km

Avenida de los Atletas, Xalapa

Mo-Su 11:00-02:00

Open in Google Maps · +522281025287

Cazuelas de Crunch

Restaurant · Asian, Chinese, Curry, Indian, Indonesian, International · 1.2 km

32 B1 Calle Miguel Palacios

Th-Su 12:00-18:00

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El auténtico taco misanteco

Restaurant · Regional · 0.6 km

Deliciosos tacos y empapatadas tipicas de Misantla, Veracruz.

16:00-23:00

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La Pistería de Barrio

Bar and pub · 1.3 km

Avenida de los Atletas, Xalapa

Mo-Su 13:00-03:00

Open in Google Maps · +522281033449

La estrella de la hojaldra

Bakery

46 Calle Ignacio Aldama

Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00

Open in Google Maps · +522283746126

210 more on the map.

History

The Totonacs first established themselves around Macuiltepetl ("fifth mountain" in Nahuatl). This extinct volcano received its name because the Aztecs used it as the fifth reference mountain to get to the gulf of Mexico's shores. Today it is preserved in a park. During the 14th century, four indigenous peoples settled in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each built a small village: Xalitic (in the sand) was founded by the Totonacas; in the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) was founded by the Toltecas, and Tlalnecapan was founded by the Teochichimecas.

Around 1313, the four villages grew together and joined, forming one large village named Xallapan. Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, the fifth Aztec emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century. All the land was ruled as part of the Aztec Empire before the arrival and conquest of the Spanish conquistadores.

In 1519 Hernán Cortés passed through en route to Tenochtitlan. In 1555 Spanish Franciscans completed construction of a convent, an important event in the Nueva España of that time.

When the Spanish invaded, Xalapa was barely populated. The population rose after the conquest and colonial settlement. When the Spanish improved the Mexico-Orizaba-Veracruz route, Xalapa declined in importance as a transport hub, and its population stagnated in the 17th century.

From the History section of Xalapa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay56

Churches and places of worship20

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Shopping98

Gas and EV charging4

Schools, colleges and libraries84

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Healthcare36

Map of Xalapa de Enríquez

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

El Lencero National Airport (JAL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 km away.

  • Lomas Verdes 4 km southeast, about 4 min by car
  • Colonia Santa Bárbara 5 km southeast, about 5 min by car
  • Fraccionamiento las Fuentes 5 km southeast, about 5 min by car
  • Guadalupe Victoria 5 km northwest, about 5 min by car
  • Pacho Viejo 6 km south, about 6 min by car
  • El Castillo 6 km east, about 6 min by car
  • La Haciendita 5 km north, about 5 min by car
  • Mariano Escobedo 5 km southwest, about 5 min by car
  • Orizaba 78 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Veracruz 90 km southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.