Veracuz is a town that is full of tourist attractions, whether they're new buildings or old archaeological ruins or sites. When you near the main square of Mexico City, you'll be amazed at the many temples and structures that depict much of the ancient times. One of the very interesting sites is the Temple of the Chimneys in Veracruz, VZ. Located at the east end of the main square, The Temple of the Chimneys is also known as Templo de las Chimeneas. To get to the top of the six-story building would entail climbing up a broad flight of steps. The building got its name Temple of the Chimney for the large column remains you'll find on the upper platform of the building.
This area, which is called Cempoala or Zempoala ruins is one of the most important archeologist sites in this area. This site, located approximately 25 to the north of Veracruz, is open for viewing from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The scenery, with the many coconut palms and mango trees is beautiful to view and makes excellent tourist sightseeing pictures. Before this area was taken over by the Aztecs, it was the Totonaca Empire's second capital. The site is surrounded by rivers and doesn't have many buildings left other than the temples. What you will see here besides the Temple of the Chimney is Gladiator Circle, The Major Temple, Temple of the Wind God, Temple of the Cross and Temple of the Faces. If you're interesting in learning a lot about the history of Veracruz and the Aztecs, this is a great starting point.
