Discover Alonso Lázaro

If you’re looking for a holiday rental in Alonso Lázaro, you can also plan your trip around the cultural and natural attractions of the municipality of Santiago Tuxtla. These include archaeological evidence of Olmec culture, museums and festival traditions. The municipality of Santiago Tuxtla is also part of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve. This gives you a choice of different focuses when planning your trip: archaeological history, regional collections, festival dates or landscapes.

Olmec history in Tres Zapotes

The archaeological site of Tres Zapotes is located in the municipality of Santiago Tuxtla. The site covers approximately 2 km²; three larger groups of mounds are arranged around irregular plazas. This layout makes the site interesting as a connected archaeological area, rather than focusing on a single object. The Olmec site has a long history: its heyday began 37 centuries ago and ended 24 centuries ago. In 1862, the first colossal Olmec stone sculpture in the form of a head was discovered at Tres Zapotes.

The Museo de Sitio de Tres Zapotes displays Estela C, considered the oldest stela in Mesoamerica. Exhibits also include a Classic-period burial with grave goods, as well as pottery pieces, vessels, ear ornaments, spindle whorls and greenstone axes. This site brings together a distinctive stela and a diverse collection of archaeological objects. For a broader look at the cultures of Mexico’s Gulf Coast, the Museo Regional Tuxteco in Santiago Tuxtla offers another cultural highlight: its archaeological pieces come from the Totonac and Olmec cultures. These include the “Cabeza de Hueyapan.”

Festivals and traditions in the municipality

The Fiestas Patronales in honour of Santiago Apóstol are considered the most important festival of the year in Santiago Tuxtla. The programme includes religious tourism, charrería, folklore, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural and entertainment events. The patron saint festival takes place from 22 to 30 July; the Danza de Negros y Cristiano is performed on several Sundays beforehand. Another programme highlight is the Mojiganga on 24 July at 4 p.m., featuring the Toros de petate and the Líceres.

Another tradition is centred on June: the Festival of the Líceres takes place every year and is particularly active on 13, 24 and 29 June. For La Rama, Rama Grande and Rama Chica begin at the Palacio Municipal with a fandango. They are then taken to a house or business, where another fandango takes place the following evening. This sequence continues until 5 January. Music is also part of the municipality’s cultural character: typical sounds include Huasteco trios with guitarra quinta, jarana and violin. If you want to plan your trip around a festival, check the local programme for your travel year.

Landscape and getting around

The municipality of Santiago Tuxtla lies in the foothills of the Sierra de los Tuxtlas. The Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve also includes the municipality. The main access route to the reserve is the Veracruz–Coatzacoalcos federal highway; it passes through the municipalities of Ángel R. Cabada, Santiago Tuxtla, San Andrés Tuxtla and Catemaco. To reach the archaeological site of Tres Zapotes, take the road from Santiago Tuxtla towards Isla; from there, turn off onto the route to Tres Zapotes.

Tres Zapotes is listed as open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check the latest visitor information before your visit. When choosing a holiday rental in Alonso Lázaro, you can first decide what you want to focus on: archaeological sites and museum collections call for different trip plans than a stay centred on specific festival dates.

Discover more destinations: La Florida, Acayucan, Santiago Tuxtla, Palmarillo, Coatzacoalcos, Cosoleacaque, El Tamarindo, Jamapa.

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