Cempoala in Veracruz, Mexico

Cempoala in Veracruz, VZ is an archeological ruins site which is also sometimes spelled Zempoala. Loosely translated, Cempoala means "20 waters." It is the site where several different rivers converge together close by. These ruins were once the capital city for the Totonacs and were even visited by Hernando Cortez.  Cempoala was a place of importance in Mexican history as this was where a variety of cultures were meshed together from the different visitors that found the place.

The ruins here in Cempoala are slowly being restored and as of right now, only the ceremonial area in the main area has been completed. There are several small pyramids to see as well as ceremonial rings made from native stone. There is a grand plaza, remnants of large chimneys, existing stucco on temples, stone altars and more to see here in this rich archeological site. Unfortunately, you may not be able to climb the small ceremonial pyramids which were really more like stone platforms stacked atop one another in a tapering pattern.

The Totonac people worshipped their gods here which explains the different altars and temples. There was one for each god worshipped and they embodied a bit of each god. For example, one temple is round which is where they worshipped the wind while another had round carvings in it resembling the sun which is where the sun was worshipped.

There is a little museum as well as bathrooms and a small grocery store on the premises which sells drinks, which are particularly helpful if you visit on a hot day. While it may seem weird to visit Cempoala's archeological ruins which are located in the amidst of modern civilization, your imagination can easily clear all that out so that all you "see" are the temples and life of what might have been.