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Tampico
City in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Tampico

Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

Plan a trip to Tampico→From Mexico City

It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about 10 kilometers (6 mi) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth-largest city in Tamaulipas, with a population of 314,418 in the city proper and 929,174 in the metropolitan area.

Get in

Getting to Tampico

The easiest way to enter Tampico is via the international airport. There is one flight per day from Houston via United Airlines, and several others via Monterrey, Reynosa, or Mexico City.

  1. 01
    Tampico International Airport
  2. 02
    Tampico Central Bus Station

    The primary intercity bus companies are ADO, Omnibus de Mexico and Futura.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Plaza de Armas

    One of the two colonial squares downtown, with nearby market, beautiful old cathedral, and very good shopping.

  2. 02
    Plaza de la Libertad

    The other colonial square, surrounded by beautiful buildings adorned with wrought-iron balconies.

  3. 03
    Cathedral of Tampico
  4. 04
    Laguna del Carpintero

    Don't bother bringing your bathing suit...

  5. 05
    Huasteca Culture Museum

    Includes over 1800 archaeological and ethnographic pieces.

  6. 06
    Old Maritime Customs House
Do

Things to do

Bullfights. Several times a year the local cattle ranchers host a matador show, which usually lasts 3-4 days.

  1. 01
    Playa Miramar

    A popular beach destination for residents of Monterrey.

  2. 02
    Metropolitan Cultural Center

    Opened in 2004, the center features a museum, a library, as well as theaters for opera, ballet and more avant-garde productions.

  3. 03
    Kayak the Chairel Lagoon

    Boats and kayaks can be rented at Fray Andrés de Olmos Park.

Eat

Where to eat

Tampico is known for its food. Seafood is important in the city. There are also typical dishes of the area, mainly the "torta de la barda", which is a sandwich that contains over 12 toppings, "jaibas rellenas" or stuffed crabs, and the famous "tampiquena" (a steak with refried beans) and "entomatadas" (tortillas with tomato sauce and cheese).

  1. 01
    Tortas René

    Established in 1928 and famous for its torta de la barda.

  2. 02
    Mercado Municipal de Tampico
  3. 03
    Tacos & Tortas "El Güero"

    This is a food cart but they also have an indoor seating area and a bathroom.

  4. 04
    Tacos Ana

    General Calle López de Lara 307,.

  5. 05
    Tacos Mazatlán

    A very local restaurant, located in the north of the city.

How locals move

Getting around Tampico the local way

  • Get aroundCarros de ruta are shared taxis that travel fixed routes around the city, costing around M$10 per ride (as of March 2022).
  • Get aroundShould you want to cross the river, for whatever reason, there are water taxis dotted along the shore to the east of the city center.
  • Get aroundJust find a road that seems to head towards the river and there's usually a water taxi stand at the end of it.

From Wikivoyage: Tampico, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Ansgar Koreng (CC BY-SA 3.0 de), Wikimedia Commons.