Visiting Vera Cruz (1946)

• 62%
• 1946
• Documentary

Vera Cruz is Mexico's chief seaport. Over four centuries earlier, Cortez landed at Vera Cruz where he was met by Montezuma. An imposing fort, the Castillo de San Juan, overlooks the city's harbor. It was once used as a penal settlement. But most of the harbor area has been renovated, with modern buildings serving the port functions. In the remainder of the city, old Spanish buildings remain, making it one of the most historic and Spanish influenced cities in the Republic of Mexico. Among the historic buildings is city hall, said to be the oldest in the western hemisphere. The city's residential districts are a mixture of old and new, but always Spanish in their architecture. Folk dancing is an important ritual in the city, whose children learn the dances as soon as they are able to stand. One such dance is the bow dance, where the dancers try to tie a rope of cloth into a bow with their feet. As Vera Cruz is a coastal city, fishing is an important commercial and recreational activity and frolicking on the beach a favorite pastime.