You'll find Veracruz hotels in two zones: downtown, within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas, and south of town along the coastal road leading to Boca del Río.

Continental Plaza Veracruz

Reservations: 800-882-6684 (U.S.)

Only five minutes from the beach and located conveniently next to the Veracruz Convention Center, this 260-room, eleven-suite high-rise hotel offers a variety of modern amenities, including a health club, covered pool, two bars, a restaurant, and a coffee shop.

Fiesta Americana Veracruz

Reservations: 800-343-7821 (U.S.), www.fiestamexico.com

This hotel's 233 super-deluxe rooms and twenty-three suites, decorated in shades of tan and green with original artwork, open onto the interior courtyard of a seven-story high-rise on the beach ten minutes from town. A great family hotel with a fine seafood restaurant, a cantina, two beachfront pools, three hot tubs, a health club, lighted tennis court, kids' club, and water sports rentals.

Hotel Emporio

Reservations: 800-666-1986, www.hotelesemporio.com.mx

Located on the malecón facing the harbor, this 202-room hotel has fifty suites with Jacuzzis and harbor views, plus one indoor and one outdoor pool, another Olympic-size pool with high dive, two restaurants, two tennis courts, a health club, a piano bar, and a disco.

Torremar Resort

Reservations: 800-666-1986 (U.S.)

This 230-room, nine-story high-rise resort on the edge of Playa Mocambo in Boca del Río offers a pool, a restaurant and lounge with live music, plus a coffee shop, a health club, a kids' club, and a playground.

Mocambo Resort Hotel

Reservations: 229-922-0202

Built in 1932, this hotel was one of the first beach resorts in Mexico and is still famous for its sprawling grounds. Set on the side of a hill overlooking Playa Mocambo, it features a terrace facing the ocean, 113 spacious rooms, two restaurants, a piano bar, a tennis court, one outdoor and two indoor pools, a Jacuzzi, and a sauna.

Posada Coatepec

Reservations: 228-816-0544

Located in Coatepec, this renovated eighteenth-century colonial home offers twenty-three elegant suites, each decorated with a different theme. Facilities include a garden with pool and courtyard, plus an excellent restaurant.