Villahermosa Tourist Attractions

How to get there
From Mexico City by air about 11/4 hours; by bus about 15 hours; by car 863km/536mi.
Villahermosa, the capital of the state of Tabasco, was until a few years ago a sleepy town on the Río Grijalva surrounded by tropical countryside.

Regional Museum of Anthropology

The CICOM (Centro de Investigaciones de las Culturas Maya y Olmeca) was opened in 1980 on the west bank of the Río Grijalva and is home to the Regional Museum of Anthropology (Museo Regional de Antropología Carlos Pellicer Cámara), named after the famous poet, collector and museum founder Carlos Pellicer (1897-1977).
The circular tour of the museum begins on the second floor with an overview of the civilisations of the pre-Columbian period, illustrated by individual pieces, including stone masks and ceramics from Teotihuacán, ceramic urns and heads made by the Zapotecs and Totonacs, and Aztec stone sculptures. The first floor is concerned with the Olmecs and Mayas and has on display extraordinary clay sculptures made by the Maya in Jaina and Olmec jade from La Venta. On the raised ground floor selected finds belonging to both these civilisations can be seen. Objects on show include the "Teyapa Urn" with the figure of a seated Maya priest, a delicately painted Maya drinking vessel and a jade dagger from La Venta with the engraving of a jaguar warrior.
The CICOM complex also includes an auditorium, the state theatre "Esperanza Iris", a library, exhibition and sales rooms for craft products, restaurants, shops and an arts hall with a garden situated inside the building.

Tabasco 2000

Adjoining the centre to the west is the new complex known as "Tabasco 2000", which includes a planetarium, a conference centre, department stores and the city hall.

Parque-Museo de La Venta

Parque-Museo de La Venta is an open-air museum, displaying the finds from excavations of an Olmec civilization. The original site is inaccessible.

Tabasco Historical Museum

In the "Casa de los Azulejos", the Tabasco Historical Museum exhibits documents, cards and photographs illustrating the history of the state. Regional costumes and dress can be seen in the Museum of Folk Culture.

Museo de Cultura Popular

This museum features three rooms, the first exhibits women's clothing, the second exhibits musical instruments and the third displays Chontal artifacts.

Surroundings

Comalcalco

Near the town of Comalcalco is the archeological site of the same name. This Mayan site is thought to have flourished during the 8th C.
Highlights:

Teapa

Going southwards from Villahermosa on the MEX 195, the town of Teapa (72 m (236 ft); population 50,000) which has the heaviest rainfall of any in Mexico, is reached; there is also a small Museum of Anthropology and History. The town is a starting-point for a visit to the remarkable caves Grutas de Coconá (Maya: "water which falls from the sky"), which are situated nearby and were once used as a pirates' hiding-place. The sulphur springs of El Azufre are also worth seeing.