Coatepec and Xico - Coffee Country and Texolo Waterfall

Coatepec and Xico lie about 100 km west of Veracruz port, roughly two hours by rental car; from Xalapa, frequent combis reach Coatepec in 20 to 30 minutes and continue on to Xico in about 40 minutes, making the pairing practical without a rental car. A typical day starts in Coatepec's cobblestone center, where colonial churches, coffee shops, and roasters built around the region's coffee-farming economy invite a slow morning of walking and sampling local brews before continuing on to Xico. In Xico, the main draw is the Cascada de Texolo, a roughly 80-foot waterfall reached by a short forest walk from town, made familiar to wider audiences as a filming location for Romancing the Stone; a taxi from Coatepec covers the trailhead access, and the walk itself takes well under an hour round trip on a maintained path. Afternoons suit lunch in Xico's town center, known for its mole xiqueno, a distinctive regional mole served at family-run restaurants around the plaza, before the return trip to Xalapa or the coast. Because the highlands sit at a noticeably higher, cooler elevation than the Veracruz coast, layers are worth packing even in the dry season. November through April brings the coolest, driest conditions in the coffee highlands, avoiding the heavier mist and rain that can make the Texolo trail slick during the wetter months.