Ciudad Victoria

TAMUX in the morning and Los Troncones in the afternoon

Start Ciudad Victoria at TAMUX, the Museo de Historia Natural de Tamaulipas, whose wildlife, ecosystems and astronomy halls make a good primer for the mountains. Then take a taxi to the Jardín Etnobotánico Anacahuita on Boulevard Fidel Velázquez, open from 08:00, where native plants are grouped by region from coastal scrub to mountain forest.

After lunch, visit the Tamatán Zoo on the Calzada General Luis Caballero, where animals live in five landscaped zones with rocks and falls. In the evening, look into the Centro Cultural Tamaulipas, which houses the state library, a cinema and the Teatro Amalia G. de Castillo Ledón, and check what is on.

Day two. Walk the centre in the morning: the government district, the Teatro Juárez with its mural by Alfonso Xavier Peña and the state's regional history museum. Then head west into the foothills to Los Troncones, an ecological park in the Ejido La Libertad with a stream, small waterfalls, grills and shady gardens, popular with local families at weekends. Hikers and mountain bikers can continue on the trails above. Back in town, end with gorditas for dinner and a tasting flight on the rooftop at Patio Refrán.

If you have a third day and a car, drive to the Vicente Guerrero reservoir for bass fishing, or start the trip south to El Cielo.

Gorditas, carne seca and enchiladas tultecas

Ciudad Victoria's signature food is the gordita: a small, thick corn tortilla split open while hot and stuffed with guisados such as shredded beef, nopal, egg with chorizo, beans or chicharrón in salsa. Stands open early and locals eat several for breakfast with coffee; sweet gorditas made with piloncillo cane sugar are sold too.

The other dish to look for is enchiladas tultecas, a Tamaulipas speciality: tortillas dipped in a mild red chile sauce, fried and folded around cheese, then topped with potatoes and carrots, shredded lettuce and often a slice of grilled cecina. Ranch culture explains the rest of the menu: carne asada cooked over mesquite, carne seca (dried, shredded beef often scrambled with eggs) and homemade chorizo. Taquerías serve plenty of small tacos well into the night.

Desserts lean on the region's walnuts and sweet potatoes, along with cocadas mixed with pineapple or walnut, and crystallised fruits. For a home-style meal, Rincón Cachanilla on Calle 16 (Norberto Treviño Zapata) serves daily stews from morning until mid-afternoon; note it closes on Tuesdays. Afterwards, Patio Refrán brews its own ales and opens its roof terrace from Wednesday to Saturday evenings.

Into the cloud forest at El Cielo and the Vicente Guerrero reservoir

The best reason to visit Ciudad Victoria lies outside it, where the Sierra Madre Oriental rises abruptly at the city's western edge. El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, about two hours south via Highway 85 and Gómez Farías, protects cloud forest rare this far north and is a major birdwatching area.

El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, around two hours south via Highway 85 and the town of Gómez Farías, protects a steep band of mountains where Gulf moisture creates cloud forest, a rare habitat this far north. It is a major birdwatching destination, with species from both tropical and temperate zones, as well as orchids, bromeliads and old-growth forest. Trails climb from the lowlands through villages such as Alta Cima; the higher you go, the cooler and damper it gets. Allow at least a night if you want to hike properly, and bring rain gear in any season.

Closer to town, Los Troncones in the foothills is an easy half-day of streams and small waterfalls, and the surrounding hills have hiking and mountain-bike routes. Northeast of the city, the large Vicente Guerrero reservoir has a reputation among anglers for big largemouth bass, and fishing lodges cater to visiting groups.

The cool season from November to March is ideal, with highs in the twenties and little rain. In summer, start at dawn. Whatever the month, drive only in daylight, keep to main roads and check current conditions locally before setting off, because rural Tamaulipas has had serious security problems.