Top Things to do in Central Mexico and Gulf Coast
Top Hotels in Central Mexico and Gulf Coast
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What to do and see in Central Mexico and Gulf Coast, Central Mexico and Gulf Coast: The Best Castles
Discover the best top things to do in Central Mexico and Gulf Coast, Central Mexico and Gulf Coast including San Juan de Ulua, Chapultepec Castle, Poliforum Mier y Pesado, Fortaleza de San Carlos, Castillo Douglas, Palacio Municipal, Gillow Castillo.
Restaurants in Central Mexico and Gulf Coast
1. San Juan de Ulua
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,100 reviews
Visitors can tour this impressive fort, which Hernán Cortés built to deter pirate attacks.
Reviewed By marisa582002 - Mesquite, United States
This is a nice place to visit, it used to be a very famous prison, is the Mexican version of Alcatraz. 4 Mexican Presidents were in this jail. Has a lot of history. It was very hard for prisoners to escape, but there were some that were able to do so. You have to visit if you go to Veracruz!!
2. Chapultepec Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,597 reviews
This 18th-century palace, known for its impressive gardens, served as the home of the Mexican President until 1939 and now houses the famous Museo Nacional de Historia.
Reviewed By myom624 - Coquitlam, Canada
To describe this "great & sprawling" castle in somewhat succinct terms (the way I see it) would be to think of it as a "two-part" structure with one part on the near side (meaning just after the entrance gate) and the other on the far side (and yes each part with a "grand staircase" to its 2nd level, especially so in the case of the "near-side staircase" with great murals covering the walls on two sides & the ceiling above), and yes to also easily distinguish between the two sides is just from the "layout or presentation" of the National History Museum inside the Castle (big rooms to enter on the near side & small rooms to just take a look "from right outside" on the far side); and as for the displays of history (miscellaneous items from religious relics to weaponry to some precious memorabilia likely of the social elites including a few "long-stemmed pots & trays" made of gemstones or such to the biggest of all displayed objects which are 2 or 3 "beautiful carriages"), I would say though that a "prevailing percentage" of all there is to see (and covering a great part of the walls of the interior of the Castle) are these "awesome scenes" of the country's history (some stately portraits, some battle scenes & some more of a collection of miscellaneous scenes including actually one "super scene" which covers the floor from top to bottom); and yes although just seen from outside, really with quite a bit of "elegant beauty" are the small rooms on the far side (with ornate furniture, great paintings & actually some "amazing corridor" on the 2nd level with colorful stained-glass scenes along one side) which as I learned were once rooms occupied by the presidents & their families. Then also in addition to the beauty of the displays inside is what I would describe as the "grounds beauty" of this castle: the terrace with a great "skyline view" seen past the trees of the "big park" right below (at the back of the 1st level on the far side); the set of "tall statues" of soldiers & the fountain nearby (on the far side of the front grounds); the "lovely garden" with also a tower & a fountain although with not that much of flowers (at the outdoor part of the 2nd level on the far side); and the garden with some sizeable "Mayan monument", a fountain which is "the biggest" of all 3 fountains of the Castle & also the view of the "golden balconies" on one side of the garden (on the near side of the Castle which is actually just directly to the left from the entrance gate). And yes, I would say it's mostly for the beauty of the castle grounds that this national history museum, in my opinion, is not necessarily the best but the "most memorable" among about 6 such museums visited in South & Central Americas (among which just as impressive as this one being three other national history museums namely those of Chile in Santiago, Brazil in Rio & Colombia in Bogota, all four museums including this one with "great coverage" of the countries' colonial & early republic periods). If coming by metro, Chapultepec Station (on Line 1) is where to get off from which it's about a half-hour walk through a "big park" where at about halfway is a monument for the U.S. - Mexico War (a set of columns & a nice-sized sculpture of some human figures with also its own small plaza) followed by the path which is "just slightly uphill" to the entrance gate.
3. Poliforum Mier y Pesado
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
It was declared as a “National Artistic Monument” on February 2014. This building is of great architectural beauty and is part of the Mier y Pesado Foundation, also known as “The Castle of Orizaba”. It has museums, a restaurant zone, big gardens with figure-shaped trees decorating them and a pond. Museums Schedule Francisco Gabilondo Soler Museum Traditional Costume Museum Orizaba Yesterday and Today Museum with Presidents Room Wednesday - Monday from 11:00 to 19:00 h
Reviewed By kiki10
An excellent option to visit you can find museums, restaurants and nice gardens, you can spend all day in this visit, if you are traveling with children this is a good option
