Hi, amigos! Have you ever gone back to a place and started wondering why you hadn’t been there sooner? That’s exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago when I visited the city of Cordoba, in Mexico’s magical Veracruz province. It was the first time I was visiting in 10 years, and I truly feel I should’ve gone back sooner.
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Cordoba is a big and busy city, nestled on the skirts of the formidable Eastern Sierra Madre mountain range. It is surrounded by lush tropical rainforest and it’s always warm and humid there. For some reason, places like Cordoba always have a lively, party-like atmosphere, and you’ll find it easy to kick back and have some fun even if nothing is going on. In fact, you’ll feel that way all over Veracruz.
The City of 30 Gentlemen
Cordoba was founded in the 17th century when Mexico was a Spanish colony. Back then, in Veracruz, there were many sugar cane plantations where African slaves toiled endlessly. Conditions for them were terrible. Many slaves died after a short while, and soon the Spanish authorities had a full blown slave revolt on their hands. Many slaves ran away and hid in the nearby mountains.
After a while, the runaway slaves began attacking carriages and convoys on the road from the port of Veracruz to Mexico City. It was soon decided to build a city near their hideout to counter the attacks. The Viceroy, Diego Fernandez de Cordoba, chose 30 Spanish heads of families to build a city which would be named after him- Cordoba, the city of 30 gentlemen.
Cordoba soon became the center of trade in the region, and so it grew and prospered. Even today, it’s home to large companies and industries, but it hasn’t lost the old colonial charm of the original Spanish city.
The Heroic City of Cordoba
Cordoba also became important in Mexican history. The last battle of the War of Independence was fought here, and the city then earned the title of the Heroic City of Cordoba. On September 24, 1821, General Agustin de Iturbide, leader of the insurgent army, and Juan O’Donoju, the last Viceroy of New Spain, signed the Treaty of Independence. You could say Mexico was born in Cordoba.
What To Do In Cordoba
You must let yourself wander the streets of downtown Cordoba, and marvel at the old, 17th-century buildings and churches. You will also find plaques or small monuments that mark the places where something important took place. If you feel up for it, you could also explore the many charming little towns around the city, or go hiking in the hills.
You can have lunch at a restaurant across from the city park. The cuisine has a marked Spanish influence, but you can also find the most Mexican of dishes. The city is famous for its coffee so you can have a cup in one of the many charming cafés. In the evening, you can visit one of the many bars and nightclubs and enjoy the bohemian atmosphere.
The Melting Pot of Cordoba
Since the city has always been a regional center of trade, it has also become the home of immigrants from numerous countries. The population is a mix of the descendants of Spanish, Italian, French, South American, Caribbean, and African immigrants, and indigenous people. Long ago, there were separate neighborhoods for each, but nowadays you will only find faint echoes of those immigrants in the faces and last names of the people of Cordoba. Everyone there has a multiethnic past!
My father was born in Cordoba, and I have numerous relatives still living there. According to family legend, we are descended from a French soldier who was severely wounded during the French Invasion in the 19th century. He was saved by an indigenous woman who nursed him back to health, and they were later married. Romantic, right?
Another family legend claims we are also descended from one of those runaway African slaves. They were powerful people! The leader of the revolt was an African prince of the Yang-Bara tribe, who was enslaved and taken to the shores of New Spain in chains. He refused to remain a slave forever, and he fought for his and his people’s freedom. He founded the first free community in the continent, San Lorenzo. It was a town of freed slaves that grew into a city, and it’s now named after him, Yanga.
A Legend From Cordoba
When Mexico was a Spanish colony, several different ethnic groups lived here together. Even though mixed-race marriages were forbidden, there was a multitude of biracial and multiracial people. However, most of the population had few, if any, rights. Those were reserved only for Spanish-born people and their families.
During that time, there lived a beautiful woman in Cordoba. She was a mulata, a woman of white and black descent. There were rumors that she was a witch, for it was said that men would fall at her feet at a glance.
Eventually, she was accused of witchcraft. She was taken to prison and sentenced to burn at the stake. The night before her execution, she begged her jailer to bring her a piece of chalk, so he did.
At dawn, the jailer looked inside the cell and saw she had drawn a ship sailing on a calm sea on one of the walls. The chalk drawing was so lifelike, it almost seemed real. Amazed, the jailer stared at the picture, and she asked him if he thought the ship needed anything else. “It just needs to move!” he exclaimed. “Watch now,” she replied. The mulata then boarded the chalk ship and turned to wave good-bye as she sailed away on a chalky sea. She was never seen again.
Visit Cordoba
If those stories were not enough to interest you, there’s another reason you should visit. The best thing about Cordoba is that it’s in Veracruz province, and that makes anything wonderful. Did I mention the beach is just a short drive away? We didn’t have time to go on this occasion, but I think we’ll go back there soon. I certainly won’t let ten years get between Cordoba and me again!
I would love to visit this vibrant historical city! I think your family’s history is fascinating! You really should write for travel magazines you know, your posts are excellent! 🙂
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Thank you very much, Colleen. I’m not sure if I would be ready to write for a magazine, but that is definitely part of my plans!
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Thank you very much for posting this. My husband is from Veracruz, so I very much want to go visit!
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I hope you visit Veracruz one day soon! It’s truly a beautiful place 🙂
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Ahhh you make my travelling senses start tingling.. it looks incredible! I’d love to visit Mexico. It looks like such a beautiful country with so much fun to be had. One day!!
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Hopefully soon 🙂 You are always welcome in Mexico!
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This looks like a wonderful place to spend some time – I love the colors & the culture.
This would be a great post for the Photo Friday link-up I host each week – it goes live at 8:00 pm CST tonight. I’d love to have you consider joining us!
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Ok! I’ll check it out. Thanks!
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Reblogged this on on the road through.
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Thanks! 🙂
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Very informative! Great post. Thank you for sharing!
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and thank you for reading!
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I would love to visit! Mexico is so rich with history and is so beautiful.
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You’re always welcome in Mexico 🙂
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I am a fan of Mexico in its entirety. I am so in love with your history . i definitely will love to visit Cordoba. :-]
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Wow, so happy to know that 🙂 I hope you come to Mexico one day. You’re always welcome here!
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Thank you for sharing this; I enjoyed reading about Cordoba’s history. I’m embarrassed by how little I know about Mexico, considering the fact that it lies just south of my own country. It’s also an important nation for biodiversity, which has been mentioned in a few of the scientific texts I’ve been reading.
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That’s my mission! To allow people to know more about Mexico.
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I plan on visit soon. I have kin there with my same name. I need to visit him. I have worked in Northern Mexico & lived around 20 years in South America. My wife is Colombian. We are 43 years married. I grew up in west Texas.
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Wow, that’s amazing. I grew up in Austin, Texas.
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Would you happen to know how far Yanga is from Cordoba and how I might get there? I’m thinking Uber?
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It’s not far. In fact, Yanga is now part of the Cordoba metro area. You could certainly take a cab or Uber.
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Im from fairbanks ak. about ten years ago a man walked by my house. Guess he did that often because he stopped and asked me if he could look inside.Said he liked the look and location.I showed him the house and while giving him a tour i asked where he was from. Told me he grew up in Cordoba. Said if i ever get the chance i should go.From what he discribed it is a very nice place.Thinking of going there and staying for a few months.I wish i could remember his name.take care
tom benson
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Wow, from Cordoba in Mexico? That’s so amazing!
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Hi Fabiola! I love your blog! I have lived in Pachuca and San Miguel de Allende, where I taught at a bilingual school for two years. I would love to visit Cordoba. Are there any bilingual schools who might hire a native & experienced English teacher? I have googled it but found nothing yet. Please let me know what you think.
Thank you,
Sissy Bravo
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I don’t reside in Cordoba, so I don’t really know, but I remember a couple of biligual schools there that you might want to look up: Instituto Bilingüe Dickens and Colegio Oxford.
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Hola Fabiola, We are visiting Cordoba March 1st and 2nd. Is there a festival happening then? Do you have a website I could check for parade times?
Gracias!
Jeanne from Nevada City California
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Hello, Jeanne!
I’m not aware of any festival going on in Cordoba during that time.
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Is there an expat community in Cordoba?
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I don’t know, sorry. As far as I know, Cordoba isn’t an expat haven. But there are large expat communities in Yucatan, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel, and Ajijic.
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