Villahermosa 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. New roads as well as the rich oil finds in Tabasco and Chiapas have turned Villahermosa into a fast-growing, modern city. This important commercial and trading centre is situated in a low-lying area intersected by waterways and has a hot humid climate with heavy rainfall.
Whether the history of the settlement goes back to Old Indian times is not known with any certainty. The modern town was founded by the Spanish in 1598 under the name Villa Felipe II and later renamed Villahermosa (Spanish: "beautiful village"). In the course of time it developed into the largest town in the state of Tabasco.
Sights
There are only a few historic buildings in Villahermosa apart from the cathedral which dates from 1614. On the other hand it has two of the most interesting museums in Mexico.
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. New roads as well as the rich oil finds in Tabasco and Chiapas have turned Villahermosa into a fast-growing, modern city. This important commercial and trading centre is situated in a low-lying area intersected by waterways and has a hot humid climate with heavy rainfall.
Whether the history of the settlement goes back to Old Indian times is not known with any certainty. The modern town was founded by the Spanish in 1598 under the name Villa Felipe II and later renamed Villahermosa (Spanish: "beautiful village"). In the course of time it developed into the largest town in the state of Tabasco.
Sights
There are only a few historic buildings in Villahermosa apart from the cathedral which dates from 1614. On the other hand it has two of the most interesting museums in Mexico.
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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.
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Regional Museum of Anthropology
On display at the Museo Regional de Antropología Carlos Pellicer Cámara are pre-Columbian period finds from various cultures.
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.
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.
Villahermosa Surroundings
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Comalcalco, Mexico
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.
Teapa, Mexico
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.
