Late at night, the Plaza de Armas teems with life. Bright white floures-cent bulbs light up cafés under Los Portales as you sit listening to a cacophony of music — guitars, marimbas, trumpets, mariachi bands. Hawkers sell strawberries and peanuts, while café patrons spin their fans in time to the music that begins at 8 P.M. and runs as late as 3 A.M. on weekends. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights, people of all ages come to execute the elegant steps of the danzón, an Andalusian dance brought to Veracruz in the 1870s by refugees fleeing war-torn Cuba, to the accompaniment of the Manzanita Orchestra.

To hear the lively rhythms of Cuban music, venture into the side streets off the zócalo to one of the Mexican/Cuban dance clubs, such as El Rincón de la Trova (The Inside Corner of the Troubador) and La Tasca. Or if your taste leans more to rock, head to the ZOO, Freeworld, and Ocean discos.