We loved the Torre Molino. We stayed there with two toddlers and they also loved it. There is a kiddie pool that is specially good for them, and it was just in front of our room, so it was easy to keep them on view at all times.

The gardens are well trimmed and beautiful, and the beach is just a few steps away from the rooms and the pools.

The beach is wonderful. The sand in Costa Esmeralda is soft and dark, and the surf is calm, good for kids and for swimming without being tossed around.

Costa Esmeralda is almost never crowded, except perhaps during Easter vacations in Mexico. And the beach is wide. This hotel has at least 100 meters of beach front, but from it there are are at least 5 Km of walkable beach to each side.

In August Costa Esmeralda is warm but the sea wind is fresh. The pools are fresh in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Being at the outdoors restaurant is very pleasant. The restaurant has good food at good prices.

From the hotel, you can take day trips to El Tajin (an old city built by the Totonacs) and to San Rafael, a sleepy town built by European immigrants with great cheese and great bakeries (try the cheesecake with pineapple they sell, or the cheese cookies).

Also nearby is the tourist town of Tecolutla, with lots of restaurants and many small hotels.

There are many restaurants in Costa Esmeralda, and you can go to any and almost be sure you'll get fresh fish and shrimp, prepared by experienced cooks. Veracruz women take great pride in their cooking, and it shows.

We got to Costa Esmeralda by car from the city of Monterrey. You can go there from the US via Brownsville or other cities in the Texan border. It's about 11 hours from Monterrey or from the Texan border. A good idea if you have small kids is to do it over two days, staying the night in Tampico, a beautiful city with lots of entertainment.

We loved this hotel and these vacations.