3 Best Sights in Veracruz, Mexico

Although locals call it Casa de Cortés, the 16th-century customs house actually had nothing to do with the conquistador. Little is left of the structure, which once housed 22 rooms surrounded by a huge courtyard. Its crumbling masonry has been reclaimed by clinging vines and massive tree roots.

Heading toward the river on Calle Ruiz Cortés you'll see a tree with tentacle-like branches blocking the road. This is the Ceiba de la Noche Feliz. It's said the river once extended to this tree and that Cortés tied his boats here when he arrived.

La Antigua also has the first church of New Spain, the diminutive Ermita del Rosario. The little white stucco structure has been restored (and enlarged) many times over the years. The oddly placed arch in the middle of the church was actually once the facade. You can see that two windows near the altar were originally doors.