Cd. Victoria is located close to the geographical center of the Méxican state of Tamaulipas, and is the state capital, and the cultural center of the state.  If  you're in the state of Tamaulipas, sooner all later, all roads will lead you to Cd. Victoria.  Cd. Victoria's population hovers just under the 300,000 mark, so in population its dwarfed by Tampico and Reynosa, but what it doesn't have in population, it makes up in scenic beauty, charm, and class.  It's one of the prettiest mid-size Mexican cities that I've had the pleasure to visit.

 

Left:  We're just entering Cd. Victoria from the south.  It's September, and that's why the city is decorated with patriotic bunting.  Right:  Av. 5 de Mayo, which is one of the busier streets in town.  Note the a.t.v. rider on the city street, which seems to be perfectly legal in Cd. Victoria.

Cd. Victoria is nestled a green, scenic valley, bounded to the north by scenic Presa Vicente Guerrero, where endless outdoor recreational opportunities abound, with the breathtaking Sierra Madre Oriental mountains to the east. Although Cd. Victoria is situated in a valley, the area features lots of small hills, and the city is bisected by the beautiful Rio San Marcos.  We had the opportunity to travel to Cd. Victoria using Federal Highway 85 from the U.S. border at Matamoros, making numerous photo stops along the way.  One of our favorite stops, and a must-see, especially if you love beautiful women, is the Museo Mescal, located about 40 km. north of Ciudad Victoria.

 

Left:  The cathedral, town square and bandstand, in El Centro.  Right:  Residents of Cd. Victoria seem to love hot dogs, as hot dog vendors are everywhere.

What keeps the city going?  Since it's the capitol of the state, there are lots of folks employed by the state of Tamaulipas, but the city also boasts several institutions of higher learning, light manufacturing, and is the agricultural center of the state.  It's also a trading center for the central part of the state.  Cd. Victoria is a exciting, vibrant city.

We entered Cd. Victoria from the north, along Federal Highway 85, and made a stop at the first Pemex station that we encountered to top off our tank, as our stay in Victoria was short, as we were heading toward Canales de Llera for the night.  I persuaded Jerry and Rodolfo to stop for a couple of hours, as I wanted to check out the state government buildings, the town square, and the market, that occupies a square block of the city.

  

Photos:  Tamaulipas state government buildings, across from the town square on Calle Miguel Hidalgo.

We parked in a parking lot, that charges MEX $10.00 to park, in the vicinity of the town square, with the obligatory cathedral, the state capitol, and the market in El Centro, in the vicinity of Calle Vicente Guerrero and Calle 17.  It was just a short walk of a block to the state capitol, and an additional couple of blocks to the Mercado Centro.  Cd. Victoria is a very clean city, and appears very prosperous, as the streets are clean, and all of the buildings that I saw were in good repair.  The locals also appear to be very prosperous, and there are many beautiful woman, which doesn't come as much of a surprise to me, as  the country of México is full of beautiful women.  We visited the city in the late afternoon, so we got to experience rush-hour traffic, and naturally the somewhat narrow city streets were clogged with cars, trucks, motorcycles, and busses.  A huge percentage of Méxicans commute to work by bus, so the streets were packed with busses and the bus stops were extremely busy.

 

Left:  Calle 15 during rush hour traffic.  Right Calle 17, across from the mercado, has many vendors who have set up shop in the street.

We hiked around the town square, the cathedral and the state government building, and then took a walk a couple of short blocks to the Mercado Centro.  Naturally we had to explore the market, which is a good way to feel the pulse of the local residents and get a good idea of what the city is all about.  Hiking the streets of Cd. Victoria is hungry work, so we took the time to visit a hot dog stand without a name, and eat one of their MEX $6.00 hot dogs.

 

Left:  A city policeman directs traffic on Blvd. Balboa, near Rio San Marcos.  Right:  Air pollution standards in Cd. Victoria don't seem to be too tight, at lease for city buses.

All in all, we only had a couple hours to explore Cd. Victoria, so this series of articles about the city is only a high-level overview.  But I was impressed by the natural beauty of the area, and the vibrant, beauty of the city.  I look forward to visiting Cd. Victoria again.

 

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