Rancho Los Amigos

Top choice in Veracruz

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This peaceful, nature-surrounded retreat close to where the Laguna Sontecomapan enters the ocean is a blissful escape. The fantastic cabañas tucked into the verdant hillside have lovely balconies with spectacular views of the bay. There are nature trails to a beautiful lookout, and a good restaurant serving fresh seafood. The boat ride from Sontecomapan is about 20 minutes.

Kayaking in the mangroves, yoga and relaxing in a temascal (traditional herbal steam room; M$400 for up to six people) are among the get-away-from-it-all attractions.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Eyipantla Falls

    Salto de Eyipantla

    18.11 MILES

    Twelve kilometers southeast of San Andrés, in the eponymous village, a 250-step staircase leads down to the absolutely spectacular Salto de Eyipantla, a…

  • Playa Escondida

    Playa Escondida

    4.7 MILES

    This is probably the single best beach in the whole state, but it's not an easy one to access. Turn off the main road onto a dirt road just before…

  • Museo de Sitio de Tres Zapotes

    Museo de Sitio de Tres Zapotes

    29.8 MILES

    This museum, 21km west of Santiago Tuxtla, showcases important findings from the archaeological site of the same name, inhabited by the mysterious Olmec…

  • Museo Tuxteco

    Museo Tuxteco

    21.04 MILES

    This small museum on Santiago Tuxtla's main plaza focuses on the pre-Columbian peoples that inhabited this region from 1600 BC to around AD 1200, with a…

  • Basílica del Carmen

    Basílica del Carmen

    11.92 MILES

    Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily…

  • Ruíz Cortines

    Ruíz Cortines

    9.38 MILES

    Tucked at the base of Volcán San Martín, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas (M$450) and offers…

  • La Barra

    La Barra

    0.4 MILES

    The small fishing village of La Barra, with its pleasant beach overlooking the Laguna Sontecomapan, can be reached by a lancha from Sontecomapan (M$650…

  • Montepío

    Montepío

    8.98 MILES

    Some 39km from Catemaco, this village has several palapas offering grilled fish and seafood, along with fresh coconut water, and there's a beach here with…

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Nearby Veracruz attractions

1. La Barra

0.4 MILES

The small fishing village of La Barra, with its pleasant beach overlooking the Laguna Sontecomapan, can be reached by a lancha from Sontecomapan (M$650…

2. Playa Escondida

4.7 MILES

This is probably the single best beach in the whole state, but it's not an easy one to access. Turn off the main road onto a dirt road just before…

3. Montepío

8.98 MILES

Some 39km from Catemaco, this village has several palapas offering grilled fish and seafood, along with fresh coconut water, and there's a beach here with…

4. Ruíz Cortines

9.38 MILES

Tucked at the base of Volcán San Martín, an hour north of San Andrés Tuxtla, this little village has installed very rustic cabañas (M$450) and offers…

5. Basílica del Carmen

11.92 MILES

Resplendent in blue and white on Catemaco’s zócalo, this church was named a basilica (ie a church with special ceremonial rights) in 1961, due primarily…

6. Laguna Encantada

14.26 MILES

The ‘Enchanted Lagoon’ occupies a small volcanic crater 3.5km northeast of San Andrés in jungle-like terrain. A dirt road goes there, but no buses do…

7. Cerro de Venado

14.48 MILES

This 23-hectare reserve, which was created in 2009 with the planting of thousands of trees, is 2.5km from Laguna Encantada on the road to Ruíz Cortines…

8. Santa Clara Cigar Factory

16.14 MILES

Watch as the torcedores (cigarmakers) speedily hand roll and finish puros at this cigar factory, on the highway, a block or so from the bus station…