For our getaway in March, there was no question of where we wanted to escape to. It’s a mystical destination Greg has been yearning to return with me since one of our early dates…the tucked away Mayan jungle ruins of Palenque. However, from San Cristobal, it’s quite a haul to get there, so thanks to Hyatt points, we decided to break it into two nights and spend the first in the city of Villahermosa, the steamy, river-strewn capital of the State of Tabasco, also known as Mexico’s Gateway to the Jungle.
As soon as we unloaded from the six-hour bus ride, we were met with a sensation we haven’t felt since San Salvador….a shock wave of heat and humidity. And, with its healthy sea breeze, pastel hues and balconies, the Caribbean vibe of the city instantly matched the thermometer. And no, this is not where Tabasco hot sauce comes from. (That would be Louisiana.)
Villahermosa is not exactly a town, nor beautiful, as its name implies. It’s more a 830k population regional business and oil hub than a tourist destination, but we still managed to find some pockets of charm, particularly in La Zona Luz where the mid-day sun hovers at ~30–35 °C (86–95 °F) most of the year
The Casa de los Azulejos is a museum devoted to the history of Tabasco. Because of this, one might deduce that the statues on its roofline are related to that, but they are in fact just European-style allegorical figures common in late-1800s architecture. These types of statues were used on wealthy mansions to symbolize education, culture, and prosperity. You know…back when education actually meant something.
In search of something gentle to soothe my nauseated tummy after a long and bumpy ride, we found ourselves at Tierra & Luna, which advertised itself as “holistic nutrition” with Jugotherapia (juice therapy.) My therapy of choice was a papaya and ginger based smoothie while Greg demolished a pile of Enchiladas Suizas. I don’t know how these enchiladas got to be Swiss, but it seems a little ironic considering the bland palate we’ve experienced from that particular country when these are anything but. One smoothie, a tea and the enchiladas were nearly $16. Ouch. Therapy costs.
Moving on, we continued our sweaty stroll through the La Zona Luz, which apparently takes its name seriously. Although I’m confident I’ve never seen any Quinceañera dresses parading down the Strip.
While the breeze and colors may exude an essence of the Caribbean, Villahermosa is still about an hour away from the shore.
Don’t mind the eye sore in the background. It’s apparently the Astronomical Observatory aka, “The Tower of the Gentleman” which isn’t surprising considering it’s a typical sterile and phallic protrusion which is not scientific, but basically a tourist lookout for an occasional stargazing opportunity, and to take obligatory sunset photos over the river.
The Grijalva River, one of two waterways that wind through the city’s core. Felt a little Amazonian to us.
A nearby statue of José María Pino Suárez who was a reformist journalist and politician, Vice President of Mexico (1911–1913) and assassinated during a coup in the Mexican Revolution. His death became a symbol of the fight against dictatorship in Mexico.
Villahermosa’s Plaza de las Armas, like many in Mexico, is stark, accented by a pool of concrete. You can almost see the steam rising off the governmental palace.
Expressive faces flanking a shaded edifice which complements the Mexican flag.
We figured we would find lots of birds in cages at Los Pajaritos Parque, based on what we saw on Google. Fortunately the cages had been updated to be an environmentally friendly version from which the birds could fly in and out of, rather than flapping their wings to frustration land. Great to see!
The Villahermosa Cathedral, which we saw on our $2.40 Uber ride to the hotel (still cheap!)
And….just in time for a siesta on a plushy bed, we arrived to the Hyatt for the night where we’d cashed in 5000 points ($50) for a $113 room. Unfortunately, Hyatt points will undergoing a significant devaluation in 2026, so it’s time to start cashing them in. Had we actually paid $113 for the room, we may have become one of those bougie and annoying bloggers, complaining considering the pool was a complete mess covered in leaves and dirt. But it looks alright from this angle? Meh.
At least it didn’t have crocodiles in it, unlike the Laguna across the street, whose creatures mostly liked to lounge on their own bougie pedestals (with a VIEW of the Hyatt.)
However, this one was right by the water’s edge. Ha. Look at that Mouth breather!! I called him this BEFORE climbing above him, apologizing profusely, and backing slowly away.
Not sure how I, nor this wispy, snow-white toothpick would stand a chance?
And at sunset, even more critters came out to play. This time, raccoon-related coatis trot across the ground, or anywhere they can, shoving their pointy snouts into any curious and possibly food bearing hole it can find. Yes, this includes the trash cans.
After all this wildlife, we too wanted to fill our food holes, so we grabbed some tacos along the lakefront, which went for $2.80/3 and were really not that good. In fact, we disappointedly have not had great tacos since we arrived in Mexico!
Buenas noches de Villahermosa!
To get there, we took an ADO mini bus across the Northern terrain of Chiapas from San Cristobal de las Casas, which cost $34/each for the six-hour journey, which felt much steeper than we’ve ever paid before as well.
