Tampico and Playa Miramar

A Gulf Coast Port And Oil City With A 1900s Historic Centre Of Cast Iron And Art Nouveau Buildings, A Seafood Tradition (Jaiba, Crab) And The Long Playa Miramar For Mexican Holiday Makers. A Stop In The North East, Hot And Humid, Busy At Easter And In Summer · Tampico, Tamaulipas

Tampico is a Gulf coast port and oil city in the south of Tamaulipas, with a historic centre of 1900s cast-iron and Art Nouveau buildings around the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral. The Pasaje Hidalgo market and the lanes nearby sell seafood, and the local dish is jaiba, the Gulf crab, served in soups, tostadas and stews. A few kilometres east, Playa Miramar in Ciudad Madero is a long, wide city beach where Mexican families come at Easter and in summer. Lagoons such as Laguna del Carpintero and the Chairel add shaded walks and bird life. The city suits road trippers heading north or south, food lovers and visitors with an interest in port and oil history. It is worth a night for the old centre and the crab; it is not a polished resort, and refinery smell, heat, humidity and crowds can wear on you. Hurricane season runs June to November. Check current Tamaulipas travel advice before you go, and drive by day.

Tampico's old centre with its Plaza de Armas, the Pasaje Hidalgo market and the lagoon, and Playa Miramar in Ciudad Madero on the Gulf coast; coordinates approximate, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico

The old centre, plazas and the beach are open all day and all night, but the sensible hours are from morning to early evening. Market stalls and seafood restaurants usually open from late morning, and some are CLOSED on Mondays or after the lunch rush, so confirm locally. Beach lifeguard cover, where present, is mostly at weekends and holidays. Walking the Plaza de Armas, the lanes of the centre and the public sand at Playa Miramar are FREE; sun loungers, umbrellas, parking and boat trips on the lagoons are charged. Weather can close the beach in storms, and hours shift in the holiday weeks.

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