Introduction

The crown jewel of Gulf Coast archaeology, El Tajin is located about 135 mi/216 km northwest of Veracruz, near the vanilla-producing town of Papantla. Nestled among hills covered with tropical vegetation, it remained undiscovered until 1785. Its main feature is the awe-inspiring Pyramid of the Niches, so named because it is carved into 365 niches symbolizing the days of the year.

Papantla, located 7 mi/12 km east of El Tajin, was once an important center of the Totonac culture. Today it’s famous for its vanilla and Voladores de Papantla, an ancient ceremony that involves ascending a 90-foot pole and then spiraling back down to earth suspended from a rope, stopping just inches from the ground. This performance can be seen today throughout Mexico, but it originated here.