With its wilting tropical heat deflected off a cityscape of modern cement, glass, and concrete structures, there’s physically not much to recommend Villahermosa, Tabasco’s capital. However, those who spend a day or two here usually develop an odd affection for this business-oriented city whose economy is based on petroleum and commerce. There are seafood restaurants, several excellent anthropology museums, and a pedestrian-only zone with a good mix of hotels, cafes, and small museums.

Situated on the wide, navigable Grijalva River, the city evolved as a distribution centre for rubber, cacao, dyewood, coffee, and bananas. It was later relocated to its present, more easily defended, site and renamed Villahermosa.

On the west side of town, the Tabasco 2000 complex has a cultural centre, a major shopping mall, a convention centre, and a planetarium. Also within this vast complex are the City Hall and the luxurious Camino Real Hotel.