page_title: Cazones de Herrera
section_title: The municipality
hierarchical_section_title: Cazones de Herrera / The municipality
caption_attribution_description: Español: View of north end of Playa Chaparrales, Cazones, Veracruz
context_page_description: Cazones de Herrera, or Cazones, is a town and municipality located in the north of the Mexican state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. While it has tourist attractions along its shore, especially in the Barra de Cazones area, the municipality, including the seat, has a high level of socioeconomic marginalization. Most of the municipality's population works in agriculture.
context_section_description: The town of Cazones de Herrera is the local government for 70 other communities which cover an area of 106.11 km2. It borders the municipalities of Tuxpan, Papantla, Poza Rica and Tihuatlán with the Gulf of Mexico to the east. Aside from the municipal seat, other significant communities are La Unión with 1,850 people, Manilio Fabio Altamirano with 1,214 people, Barra de Cazones with 1,167 people, and Rancho Nuevo with 1,065 people. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, an officer called a “síndico”, and four representatives, called “regidors.”
  The municipality has an average altitude of ten meters above sea level. Its main river is the Cazones, which splits the municipality into two parts and is the traditional dividing line between Totonacapan and La Huasteca. The mouth of the river is here, forming the Barra (shoal) de Cazones. The municipality’s shoreline faces the Gulf of Mexico and includes a number of beaches, including Playa Chaparrales, where marine turtles come to lay their eggs in March and April. The climate is hot and humid with an average annual temperature of 25C and an average rainfall of 2,000mm. The main ecosystem is high growth perennial rainforest. Remaining forests still have tropical hardwoods. The shoreline has a number of estuaries with mangroves. Wildlife includes rabbits, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and coyotes. The shoreline has various estuaries with mangroves. The mangroves on the river are home to various species of crab, some of which are in danger of extinction. 
  The area today is considered to be in the far southeast of the La Huasteca cultural region, with traditional dances belonging to this region, with danzón as the most traditional music. The municipality organizes regular events to promote and preserve the traditional dances of the Veracruz Huasteca. The establishment of the municipality is celebrated from June 16-23 each year. Carnival is another important annual festival. The local cuisine is rich in local seafood such as shrimp, sea bass, crab, and octopus, often served with mole, adobo, and chili pepper. One notable non-seafood dish is pork served in a chili pepper and garlic sauce. Just over 15% of the population speaks an indigenous language with the rest speaking Spanish.
  The municipality is considered to have a high level of socioeconomic marginalization. About 34% have problems obtaining sufficient food; 45% have problems obtaining sufficient education or job training and about 70% lack their own land. Of the municipality’s 71 communities, fifty are considered to be highly or very highly marginalized. As of the 2010 census, there were 5,991 residences. About 58% have running water, and less than 47% have drainage. Over 96% have electricity and access to a landfill. Seventy percent of homes have cement floors with 24% having dirt floors. About 15% have autos, 86% have televisions, 70% have refrigerators, 69% have radios, 34% have cell phones, just over five percent have computers, and less than two percent have Internet. About 54% of the working population of the municipality is involved in agriculture, fishing, and forestry.  Principle crops include corn, oranges, bananas, green chili peppers, and grapefruit. Most livestock is cattle, followed by pigs, sheep, goats, and domestic fowl. About 12 percent is involved in mining, construction, and utilities.  About 32% is involved in commerce and services, including tourism. 
  Tourist attractions in the municipality are related to its shoreline and includes beaches such as Playa Azul, Playa Boquitas, Playa Sur, and Playa Chaparrales, as well as the Cazones River. The best known area is Barra de Cazones, where almost all of the municipality’s hotels are. The community centers on the main boardwalk and docks which were built by the state in 2006. The Cazones lighthouse was built in the 1970s to guide small vessels such as fishing boats. Farallón is a small island located at the mouth of the Cazones River about half a kilometer from the ocean. In the colonial period, it was a refuge for pirates. One side of t
caption: View of Playa Chaparrales
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