Zempoala Archaeological Zone

The Totonac City Where Hernan Cortes First Met An Ally Against The Aztecs In 1519, With Round Edged River Stone Pyramids, A Temple Of The Chimneys And A Main Plaza That Was Whitewashed And Glittered In The Sun. A Small, Flat And Shady Site In A Sugar Cane Region, An Easy Stop On The Veracruz To Xalapa Road · Zempoala, Veracruz

Zempoala, also spelled Cempoala, was the Totonac capital where Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519 and met the local ruler, remembered in Spanish accounts as the 'fat cacique'. That meeting gave the Spaniards their first big ally against the Aztecs. The site sits on a flat coastal plain in a sugar-cane region, about 40 km north of Veracruz port and roughly 80 km from Xalapa. Its buildings are rounded and made of river stones, once plastered and whitewashed so the plaza flashed in the sun. Main stops are the Great Temple, the Temple of the Chimneys and a small museum. The site is compact and shady in places, but hot at midday. It suits history buffs, travellers driving between Veracruz and Xalapa, and anyone curious about the contact period. It is worth a one-hour stop on that road. It is not worth a special trip for people who want towering pyramids, dramatic scenery or a full-day excursion. Take water and cash, and stay out of the midday heat.

Zempoala (Cempoala), about 40 km north of Veracruz port on the road to Xalapa, in the coastal plain of Veracruz; coordinates approximate, Zempoala, Veracruz, Mexico

The site is normally open in daytime hours, commonly from morning to late afternoon, but times, the closing day and the entry price are set by the national institute and can change, so confirm before you go. Many INAH sites close one day a week, often Monday. Looking at the site from the road and strolling around Zempoala village are FREE; the archaeological zone and the small museum usually carry a modest ticket, and Sundays are often free for Mexican nationals and residents. Stairways and temple tops are CLOSED to climbing, and the gate shuts by late afternoon, so arrive well before closing.

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