On the banks of the wide Rio Papaloapan is Tlacotalpan, named a World Heritage site for its beautiful location and well-maintained pre-Revolution buildings. When Mexico was a colony of Spain, this important port and shipyard received schooners and side-wheel steamships that imported European goods and exported tobacco, exotic woods, cotton, and sugarcane.

The town declined in importance with the completion of competing railroad lines and the advent of the Revolution. However, it maintains an air of seductiveness lost in more modern cities. Lining the streets are imposing mansions with ancient red-tile roofs, their Arabesque-style portals brightly painted in Kelly green and cobalt blue, coral, and sunshine yellow, with accents in contrasting colours. Open doorways offer a glimpse of cool patios and ornate front rooms, while the colonnades provide welcome shade.