Papantla
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Papantla and nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
7 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
209 reviews
Excellent
128
Very good
55
Average
19
Poor
7
Terrible
0
MichiganPilot
Warren, Michigan90 contributions
Feb 2020
Our tour included El Tahin also. El Tahin was a spectacular ruins and on our way we stopped at Papantla-the city of Vanilla. This combo tour was worth it even if the trip was very long. The roads are not good.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LCT0511
Edmonton, Canada49 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
Papantla is at the centre of Mexico's vanilla production, and also home to some of the most beautiful sights in the state of Veracruz. The well-known voladores de Papantla have their origins here, and you can regularly see them perform in front of the central church in town. There is also a large statue commemorating the voladores, to which you can easily walk from the centro.
Papantla also has good cafes, a beautiful central park, and bustling marketplaces. The experience of eating on a balcony overhanging the town's active park as the voladores perform nearby was magical and unforgettable.
Moreover, the town is nearby to the historical site at El Tajin.
Papantla has been designated a Pueblo Magico due to its wondrous historical, cultural, and gastronomical heritage. It is a must-visit for travellers to the state of Veracruz, or who seek to encounter the 'real' Mexican experience.
Papantla also has good cafes, a beautiful central park, and bustling marketplaces. The experience of eating on a balcony overhanging the town's active park as the voladores perform nearby was magical and unforgettable.
Moreover, the town is nearby to the historical site at El Tajin.
Papantla has been designated a Pueblo Magico due to its wondrous historical, cultural, and gastronomical heritage. It is a must-visit for travellers to the state of Veracruz, or who seek to encounter the 'real' Mexican experience.
Written 22 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MexicoMikeReal
McAllen, TX16 contributions
Oct 2012 • Business
Papantla is seldom visited by foreign tourists. It is a small town with a rich history (home of vanilla) and psychic energy. There are a couple of hotels on the square to stay at, while you visit the El Tajin archeological site. The atmosphere is different than anywhere else in Mexico, in a good way.
Written 25 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Felfo S
Mexico City, Mexico114 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Well, I'm talking about the town (the Tajin at 5 minutes is amazing). At this little town is almost imposible to get a parking place, I thing is only visited for the Vainilla stores among the downtown. People is veryyyyyyyyyy friendly, but you only can visit the church, the monument of the "voladores" and eat in the small restaurants around the park. From this point you can visit 3 diferent beaches at 1 hour, but be prepared the road is in very bad conditions, I mean veryyyy bad conditions. In one day you can do this tour: Tajin at the morning, papantla (1 hour) and and beach. You must not take the detour to Poza Rica, at 5 minutes will find the next exit to Papantla.
Written 12 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan T
Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico51 contributions
Feb 2012 • Couples
My wife and I spent a weekend in Papantla and plan to return. The Tajin Hotel is in the next block from the downtown park and Catholic Church. It was a great bargain at $35 (US) per night. The Teodoro Cano museum, Voldadores, Statue of the Voldadores are also within walking distance of the Hotel Tajin. The bus to El Tajin ruins picks up passengers on the same street of one of the hotel restaurants. The 20 minute bus ride costs about $1 (US) and runs every half hour from 9am to 6pm. The sit of the El Tajin ruins is the most popular tourist site in Veracruz with more than 650,000 visitors annually. A huge variety of typical Mexican food is also within walking distance, of the Hotel Tajin near the typical Mexican downtown park. You can find all kinds of Mexican food eating places, from fancy restaurants to taco stands and street vendors. It is all delicious!
Written 14 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica C
Rochester, MN123 contributions
May 2011 • Couples
Papantla is a nice quiet town - the main attraction being it's close vicinity to El Tajin, an absolutely fascinating site of pyramids which are strikingly unique from any other pyramid sites in Mexico. Papantla is a nice place to stop and have lunch or dinner following your visit. They have a very nice centro, and it is a good example of a traditional Mexican town.
Written 25 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FelHil
Broken Arrow, OK62 contributions
June 2015
love to visit Papantla, eat a homemade vanilla ice cream cone, mingo with the locals and buy vanilla. papantla is known as the capital of vanilla city. but what I love of this city is their citizen, many still dress and speak the totonaca language and dress in authentic tipic dresses and you can travel to el tajin ruins and learn the history of this beautiful community. Outside the Ruins is a marketplace full of colorful ethnic crafts and food.
Written 12 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sdevries
Xalapa, Mexico21 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
I was excited about seeing this "pueblo magico" (not sure who gave it that name), but was very disappointed. First, on the way from the bus station to the zocalo (about a 3-4 block walk), someone walked up to us to offer to sell us cocaine (seriously? I mean we were a conspicuous-looking group of 3 foreigners, one with dreadlocks, but oh my!). Once we got to the zocalo we walked around it, looking for a place to have breakfast. EVERYONE stared at us the entire time; not just a quick glance and looking down, not staring and smiling and waving, but just constant, expressionless, staring. We had a very greasy breakfast at one of the restaurants around the square, and got a taxi to El Tajin. I've heard there's an artisan's market but didn't see it, and I don't think my travel companions would have wanted to spend more time there anyway.
Written 16 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flea58
Parksville british columbia1 contribution
very friendly people, a place i would return to, to soak up mexico the way it has been for a log time. also to take a bus ride to cuetzalin through the country side from papantla. you could do a circle tour, enjoy a beautiful site where mexican people claim to have seen the image of their virgin, also near cuetzalin is an ancient city of the totonaco people with no tourists around. nothing at all like the west coast of mexico./Users/ianrobinson/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2007/mexico2_2/073_73.JPG
Written 9 December 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elyem
St. Petersburg, FL56 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
The archeological site El Tajin is easily reached from either Posa Rica as Papantla by public transportation, or by the so called collectivos and taxis. A bus costs M$15 one way, a collectivo M$20. Last bus back to Papantla is around 7:30 pm and takes 15 minutes. Catch bus adjacent to the Pemex gas station.
It is a 20 minute walk from the bus stop to the entrance. Vendors sell water, snacks and souvenirs.
Entrance fee is N$70.
The site is wonderful with many benches to sit down and look at the beautiful buildings, carvings and to just ponder. You will need at least two hours to walk the area. It is hot, so take your time.
The small museum has a model of the site and some interesting relics and carvings
In the middle of the site, a handful vendors sell snacks and drinks.
Many small stalls bordering the parking lot sell food and drinks.
Unfortunately the only bathroom at the entrance was out of water and therefore out of order.
One could use a less clean bathroom at one of the stalls.
Good for a splendid half day visit.
It is a 20 minute walk from the bus stop to the entrance. Vendors sell water, snacks and souvenirs.
Entrance fee is N$70.
The site is wonderful with many benches to sit down and look at the beautiful buildings, carvings and to just ponder. You will need at least two hours to walk the area. It is hot, so take your time.
The small museum has a model of the site and some interesting relics and carvings
In the middle of the site, a handful vendors sell snacks and drinks.
Many small stalls bordering the parking lot sell food and drinks.
Unfortunately the only bathroom at the entrance was out of water and therefore out of order.
One could use a less clean bathroom at one of the stalls.
Good for a splendid half day visit.
Written 3 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I wondered how much it costs to enter the El Tajín ruins? I can't seem to find this info here or on Google (sorry if you have already answered this question but I couldn't find any reference to price).
We're really on a budget so just didn't want any surprises when we arrive. Thanks!
Written 4 August 2018
Pueden entrar los perritos cargados (solo pesan 3 kilos).
Nunca pisarían en el recorrido.
Queremos conocer y no tenemos en donde dejarlos.
Written 28 July 2016
Showing results 1-5 of 5
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing