San Andrés Tuxtla (municipality)

The municipio (municipality) of San Andrés Tuxtla is located in the south-central portion of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Its municipal seat is also called San Andrés Tuxtla, located 150 km from the city of Veracruz along Federal Highway 180 in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas region.

The municipality which covers a total surface area of 919 km² (354.74 sq mi). The municipality reported a population of 148,447 inhabitants in the 2005 census, 58,757 of whom lived in themunicipal seat. Thus, more than 60 percent of the municipality's population resides in the numerous smaller outlying communities outside of it. None of the other communities is very large, but Comoapan, Calería, Salto de Eyipantla, and Sihuapan all have populations over 3,000 inhabitants each.

San Andrés Tuxtla offers a number of attractions including:

• The Laguna Encantada (the "Enchanted Lagoon"), which is surrounded by tropical mountain landscapes.
• The beaches of Montepio and Arroyo de Lisa/Costa de Oro, on the Gulf Coast.
• The Salto de Eyipantla waterfall (50 m wide), 12 km from the city of San Andrés Tuxtla.
• The Cathedral of St. Joseph and St. Andrew in San Andrés Tuxtla.
• The cigar factories of El Aroma (boutique factory which produces one of the finest cigars in the world), Santa Clara and Matacan Tobaccos. The area is a major tobacco-growing area.
• Its vicinity to Laguna Catemaco and the heart of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere.

The area has a centuries-old reputation for being a center for shamanism and witchcraft.

References

• Link to tables of population data from Census of 2005 INEGI: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática

External links

• (Spanish) Ayuntamiento de San Andrés Tuxtla Official website in Spanish
• San Andrés Tuxtla Guide