Ciudad Victoria travel guide

The capital of Tamaulipas state and 263 km southeast of Monterrey along Route 85, Ciudad Victoria is a quiet, clean, unhurried city with a shaded plaza. The city is a centre of citrus fruit and henequen fabric production, made from the agave plant. At the centre and all worth a look are the Cathedral of Our Lady of Refuge, the Shrine of Guadalupe, the Alamada Central, the Hidalgo Gardens, the Teatro Juárez and the Palacio Municipal. The Parque Siglo 21 is the same end of town as the bus station. The centrepiece is a planetarium, which looks like a huge red ball that landed on the banks of the Río San Marcos. The Museo de Antropología e Historia de Tamaulipas, also on the plaza, has a good section on the Huastec culture.

There’s a tourist office (Calle 8 Anaya y Olivia Ramírez 1287, T/F834-316 1074) . The north-south streets (parellel to the Sierra) have names and numbers, the east-west streets have only names. The city holds its annual fair the week of 6 October, a huge draw for agricultural, ranching, and all things cultural in the region.