Jalapa is located about 190 miles to the east of Mexico City, and the journey takes a little less than four hours by car. The highway goes through the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala and passes within sight of five of Mexico's most important volcanic peaks. Even though we had sunshine for much of our drive, all of those peaks were obscured in clouds.
Nevertheless, once we got out of Mexico City and into the countryside, it was a scenic ride. I managed to get some half-way decent pictures from the car.
Nevertheless, once we got out of Mexico City and into the countryside, it was a scenic ride. I managed to get some half-way decent pictures from the car.
As we crossed the border into the state of Veracruz, the last major mountain landmark along our route was the Cofre de Perote, the eighth highest peak in the country with an elevation of over 14,000 feet. Its peak was also hidden in clouds, but we could see the flanks of the mountain where it appeared to be raining.
Beyond the Cofre de Perote we descended from the high plateau of central Mexico down the slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. The vegetation changes dramatically from the cacti of the semi-arid plateau, to the pine forests of the mountains, to lush, sub-tropical foliage as we descended in elevation toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The city of Jalapa is located at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains. Because of the elevation the temperature is much more pleasant than is it just an hour down the road toward the Gulf coast. However, as the humid air from the Gulf of Mexico rises at the mountains it condenses. So Jalapa is often misty and rainy. The landscape is verdant with jungle-like forests and waterfalls. If you are old enough to remember the movie "Romancing the Stone", much of it was filmed in the vicinity of Jalapa. The city is known as the "Flower Garden of Mexico", and the surrounding area is one of the major coffee producing regions of the country.
We didn't see much sun while we were in Jalapa, but fortunately, rain did not interfere with our sightseeing.
The view from our hotel room
Come back for posts on our adventures in Jalapa!
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