Villahermosa
Often overlooked by visitors
heading to the nearby ruins of Palenque, deserves at least a
day's worth of exploration. When massive oil deposits were discovered
in the late 1970's, the city awoke from decades of slumber and
underwent a major transformation. No longer a backwater town
with a few colonial era buildings, the city is today a burgeoning
boom town and center for Mexico's vast oil industry.
The city (population 500,000) dates to the early 16th century,
and is surrounded by three rivers. Its pedestrians only downtown
area (actually an island surrounded by lakes and rivers) is pleasant
for strolling, as is the riverfront malecón and Benito
Juárez Park. Villahermosa is home to some fine museums.
And thanks to its commercial importance, the city has a couple
of deluxe hotels, a modern shopping mall (Tabasco 2000) and some
fair restaurants.
