Villahermosa

Villahermosa is the capital city of the state of Tabasco in Mexico.

Understand

Recently the city became rich because oil has been found in the area. The search for oil resulted also in the finding of artifacts of the Olmec culture.

Get in

By plane

🌍 Carlos Rovirosa Pérez International Airport (VSA  ^IATA) is a 15 min drive from the city and is a small airport with not many connections. Some main flights are Mexico City, Meridá - Yucatán, Monterrey - Nuevo León, Cancún - Quintana Roo and Houston - Texas.

By car

The city lies at the intersection of highways 180 and 195.

By bus

Inter-city bus service is available to surrounding cities including Ciudad del Carmen.

Get around

By bus

There are two main streets in Villahermosa, Av. Gregorio Mendez and Av. 27 de Febrero, these are the two main routes for public transportation. Mini-buses and especially combis (refurbished small VW vans) are widely used by locals at a price of M$5.5. Stops are fixed as well as routes. Feel free to ask (in Spanish) the driver if he is going close to your destination. You will see destinations written on the windshields.

By taxi

People also rely on a network of collective taxis. As a tourist, you should ask the driver if he is going by your destination. Prices vary by distance but a 10-15 minute ride should be around M$25 in a yellow taxi and M$40 in a white taxi.

Taxis are collective but in no way have pre-established routes. You tell the driver where you want to go and if the taxi is empty he should take you and if during the way to your destination someone else happens to go somewhere close to where you are going he will hop in the taxi and continue. It is advisable then to always try and sit in the front seat. About prices, anywhere in the city is M$25 in a yellow taxi, M$40 in a white taxi. It doesn't matter where in the city you are going. Many taxis will stop even if they have a passenger, and ask you where you are going. If you are headed in the same direction or near the same direction as the original passenger, he will take you as well. You do not get a discount if he has a passenger, the price is the same.

See

• La Venta Museum-Park (Parque-Museo La Venta), Av. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, ☎ [phone]. Daily 08:00-16:00. The museum, situated in a park, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Villahermosa. La Venta is a swamp area north of the city. Scientists found pieces of the culture whilst drilling for oil. A lot of exhibits connected to the Oltec culture can be seen there. For example one of four really big stone heads. They also have some animals in the park. Make sure you wear long clothes and use a mosquito repellent. M$40 foreigners, M$35 Mexican nationals, M$10 students. (updated Apr 2017)
• Planetarium (Planetario Tabasco 2000), Av. Paseo Tabasco (Next to the Convention Center), ☎ [phone]. Tu-F 18:30, Sa Su 17:00 and 18:30. The planetarium is part of a cultural center. Omnimax screen shows films about the evolution of aeronautics, marine ecosystems, atmospheric studies, formation of the earth and ecosystems. Also located nearby is a big shopping mall and the city hall. M$30, seniors M$10. (updated Dec 2017)

Do

• Tomás Garrido Park. The park is located at the corner of Paseo Tabasco and Av. Ruiz Cortines. The La Venta Museum is in this park. 
• Yumka (spelled tshumka), Las Barrancas S/N (connected to the airport), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 09:00-16:00 (closes at 17:00). Yumka is a ecologic reservation with a size of 101 hectares. You can find there three ecosystems which are also present in Tabasco. Savanna, a lagoon and forest with all the animals normally living there. Every tour takes about 30 minutes. Afterwards, you can relax in a recreational area. Apparently only Spanish is spoken. 

Buy

The main shopping mall is found in the area known as Tabasco 2000 and called now Galerias. It hosts the department store Liverpool and other small shops.

You can find big malls located at Paseo Usumacinta and Periferico Carlos Pellicer Camara (Plaza Villahermosa) and another one at Avenida Ruiz Cortinez and Periferico Carlos Pellicer Camara (near Cinepolis).

Also there are many stores which sell small souvenirs from the Olmec culture.

If you go directly into the city center, west of Avenida Jose Maria Pino Suarez and north of the city's palacio, you will find a rather big pedestrian-only shopping area with lots of stores, restaurants and a few hotels. This area is called Zona Luz - Centro Historico y Commercial.

Eat

The area features a distinctive cuisine, particularly featuring seafood, and the prices are typically affordable.

Aguas frescas are refreshing in the hot weather and you should try the well-known Horchata la Catedral, on Paseo Tabasco across from the Cathedral, for Esquimos or Horchata.

Budget

A lot of cheap, good Mexican restaurants can be found downtown at the Avenida Pino Suarez. Also, if you are in the ADO central bus station and want to eat well-prepared food, next to it a small restaurant called Los Comales can be found.

Mid-range

Splurge

Drink

VH, Buddah Khan, Bfore, Underground

Sleep

If you are, by any chance, near the bus stop and you need a bed for the night, think twice if you want to go to the Hotel Palomino Palace nearby. It is really expensive, loud and the rooms are not very clean. Take rather a taxi into the center.

Budget

Interestingly, those budget hotels are located in the center. There are more hotels located downtown. If you don't like those ones listed here, you can find surely one which is not too expensive.

• Hotel Palma de Mallorca, Francesco I. Madero (Near to the downtown shopping district). This hotel is located at one of the busier streets in the city. Nonetheless the prices are very reasonable. Single M$160, double M$250, with a/c M$300. 
• Hotel Provincia Express, Lerdo de Tejada (Miguel Lerdo de Tejada 303), ☎ [phone]. This hotel is located right in the city center. But not at an loud street but right in the shopping district. Offer a little cheaper accommodation if you ask kindly. Double M$520. 

Mid-range

• Hotel Plaza Independencia, Independencia 123, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. This place, located close to the river and downtown, offers very good service, clean rooms and a friendly staff. In the rooms is a mini-bar, wireless internet and a safe. Single and double M$668. 
• Suites D'Castilla, Allende 212, corner Peredo (Near the palacio), ☎ [phone]. The suites have besides the normal stuff like a bed, a TV and a bathroom a small kitchen with a refrigerator, cooker and a microwave. All the rooms have a/c. Internet and laundry service is available. Single or double M$468, offer discounts for stays longer than 7 or 15 days.. 

Splurge

• Hilton Villahermosa & Conference Center, ☎ [phone]. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines Ote Km 12.8, Villahermosa. 
• Hyatt Regency Villahermosa, Ave. Juárez 106, Col. Lindavista (near Tomás Garrido Park and La Venta Park Museum), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 207 rooms and suites featuring garden, swimming pool or city views, sitting area, work area with high-speed internet access and granite bath. Regency Club lounge for private check-in / checkout, dedicated concierge, free continental breakfast, evening cocktails and canapés. 

Connect

You can find some internet cafes in the city. If you need it, there is one located close to the ADO bus station under the Hotel Palomino Palace.

Stay safe

Go next

• Campeche - Campeche, part of UNESCO world heritage, has a refurbished city center. But still, around you can find the typical mexican city parts.
• Palenque - It is famous for Mayan ruins.
• Guatemala - Located not too far away, another country is waiting to be explored.