# Ciudad Victoria

Ciudad Victoria is a city of 305,000 people (2010) in Tamaulipas, in the northeast of Mexico at the foot of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

## Understand

Ciudad Victoria is named after the first president of Mexico, Guadalupe Victoria.
In 1825 Ciudad Victoria became the state capital. It is home to higher education institutions such as the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas and the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria. General Pedro José Méndez International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city.

## Get in
### By car

The city is 246 km (153 mi) from Monterrey, and 319 km (198 mi) from the US - Mexico border.

### By bus

The city has a bus station and terminals of several companies with service from Monterrey, Tampico, Altamira, North of Veracruz, Tamazunchale, Valles, Reynosa, Saltillo, Matamoros, Mante and Soto la Marina.

### By plane

* 23.710552-98.9540721 The Pedro J. Méndez Airport (CVM ), Carretera Soto La Marina - Ciudad Victoria Km. 18.5 (at the outskirts of the city). Flights from Mexico City (AICM) on Aeromexico, from Monterrey on Viva Aerobus, and from Mexico City (AIFA) on Mexicana. (updated Jul 2021)

## Get around

There are 32 bus and mini-bus routes that circulate in the city and the surrounding areas.

## See

* Anacahuita Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico Anacahuita), ☏ +52 800 710 6532. M-Sa 08:00-16:00. This park showcases plants native to the state, covering all each region in a separate area.
* 23.715912-99.168581 Tamatán Zoo (Zoológico de Tamatán), Calzada General Luis Caballero, ☏ +52 834 318 1492. Daily 10:00-17:00. Organized in 5 regions, it presents the different species in open spaces. Surrounded by a naturalistic environment, with vegetation, rocks and waterfalls.
* 23.72662-99.1249462 Tamaulipas Natural History Museum (Museo de Historia Natural de Tamaulipas, TAMUX), ☏ +52 834 318 3600. Dedicated to scientific dissemination, nature, space and promoting culture in favour of biodiversity.
* Tamaulipas Cultural Centre: A cultural space that houses a public library, the Amalia G. de Castillo Ledon theatre, a cinema and several auditoriums for exhibitions and presentations of cultural and artistic activities such as dance, music presentations, sculpture, painting, literature and theatre.
* The Tamaulipas Regional Museum of History offers visitors a sample of the state's cultural heritage.
* Juarez Theatre: A theatre that houses the Institute of Historical Research under the administration of the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas. The building encloses a mural by the Tampico painter Alfonso Xavier Peña.

## Do

* Tamaulipas International Festival: During October, the state of Tamaulipas celebrates the Tamaulipas International Festival in each of its municipalities. In this festival musical and cultural events are held, such as concerts, operas, and plays.
* Los Troncones Ecological Park: a tourist and ecological centre in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, in the Ejido La Libertad. It is a recreational park surrounded by vegetation with a stream, waterfalls and flora and fauna. It is equipped with grills, gardens and children's games.

## Eat

The gastronomy of Ciudad Victoria is composed of three main elements: meat, corn and seafood; in addition to grilled meat, dried meat and chorizo. One of the most typical foods of the city are the gorditas, these consist of small thick corn tortillas stuffed with shredded meat, nopales, scrambled eggs, and beans, among other ingredients. It also has many restaurants focused on typical Mexican food, the well-known "taquito."
Desserts of the region are made with walnut, sweet potato, cocadas with pineapple and walnut, among others. Crystallized fruits and gorditas are also sweetened with piloncillo.

## Go next

* Ciudad Tula
* Tampico
* El Cielo Biosphere Reserve