WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED
By 1960, Tampico was all but forgotten as a desirable destination.
Hurricanes had destroyed the town's photogenic waterfront with
its famous boardwalk, pier and casino. All those grandiose wooden
structures, many dating from the turn of the century, were gone.
Compounding the destruction, oil tankers from the nearby port
facility fouled the once-gorgeous beaches with impunity, wreaking
terminal havoc.
FULL CIRCLE
Today, thanks to a new generation of environmental awareness,
and a sea-change in government priorities, Tampico has returned!
More accurately, it's in the midst of returning. Envision Florida's
Gold Coast 'once upon a time', with immense stretches of totally
undeveloped beach, clear blue water fairly leaping with fish,
gently rolling surf, and only one resort! That's Tampico today.
The beach reaches to the horizon, perfect for strolling or
jogging. There's only that single resort to be seen on the six-mile
strand that slopes so gently into the sea that you can wade
out a long way and only be up to your waist. Kids love it! Adults,
too.
There are other attractions for the discerning traveller who
chooses to be at the forefront of trends. For openers, there's
one excellent 18-hole golf course with well-appointed club house
facilities. A few lavish homes dot the property. Emerging winter-residential
areas here reminded me of suburban Fort Lauderdale when it was
developing: a network of canals linking the well-pooled backyards
of luxury houses. Given the right economic situation, it's apparent
that Tampico's Miramar Beach is on the way to becoming a major
resort destination. Someday it will look and feel more like
south Florida than Mexico. But not yet.
Half an hour from the beach with its single superbly run resort,
the small colonial city of Tampico reflects a different style,
a different culture, a different Mexico. Tampico quietly displays
a fine European heritage of colonial architecture that began,
surprisingly, less than 200 years ago. This was the last area
of Mexico to be officially dominated by the Spanish.
The friendly faces you see here often reflect the lineage
of the region's proud Huasteca indians. Contemporaries of the
more famous Mayans and Aztecs, the Huastecas held off the encroaching
conquistadors for more than two centuries after the fall of
Montezuma's empire in the mid-1500's. As a result, Tampico is
by far the youngest of Mexico's many colonial cities.
DICHOTOMOUS DESTINATION
Shopping here is authentic and reassuringly realistic, with
few tourists to push up the prices. Tampico's people are as
gentle as the shoreline. A stroll around the city square is
an exercise in civility and gentility, surrounded by eclectic
examples of 19th century European architecture.
On one corner stands what was originally one of the most famous
hotels in Mexico. Today, only the bar still operates. "This
is not the best bar in Tampico", I'm informed with a note of
undeserved apology; however, it is certainly the oldest, the
most revered and the most interesting. Its walls are a showcase
of framed sepia prints of the city's past glories. The fading
seashore scenes replete with well-dressed citizens are reminiscent
of New York's Coney Island of a century ago.
Several excellent hotels in and around the city cater primarily
to business travellers. Cattle brokers and sport fishermen have
long made this their home away from home. As the Brahma cattle
breeding capital of Mexico, second only to Houston,
Tampico is the region's major source of visitors from north
of the border. There's a whole other culture here: Texan.
ACAPULCO THIS IS NOT
Perhaps 20 minutes away from the colonial city centre, Tampico's
long, gentle northern Caribbean - or southern Gulf
- beach has but a single luxury resort, the Club Maeva Miramar.
There are lots of good restaurants and plenty of nightlife downtown.
But if you're looking for hot-hot disco action and diversions
beyond number, Tampico is not your cup of mescale.
However, if you're the sort who prefers long quiet beach walks
with only clouds rising above the horizon as far as the eye
can see... a superbly managed resort that is just large enough
to offer every activity and amenity including great golf, fine
local cuisines and shrimp galore to die for! ... meanwhile being
pampered by a staff of competent young professionals who treat
every guest with friendly respect ... you would be hard pressed
to find a more personally satisfying holiday destination than
Tampico.
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