Tamaulipas

	WARNING: Tamaulipas is one of the most crime-ridden states in Mexico. Organised crime activity is rampant, particularly in areas close to the US border and the capital city, Ciudad Victoria. The situation in Southern Tamaulipas is much more stable and there are greater law enforcement capabilities there. While the US advises against all travel to the state, the UK Foreign Office advises against "all but essential travel", which is a lower level warning.
	Government travel advisories United Kingdom United States
	(Information last updated 07 Jan 2024)

Tamaulipas, officially known as the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in Northern Mexico. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and beautiful natural landscapes, including tropical rainforests, beaches, and lagoons. The state is also home to a number of important historical sites, such as Ciudad Victoria, the first capital of Mexico, and the port town of Tampico, which was once a significant trading centre. Tamaulipas is also renowned for its vibrant music and cuisine, which has influences from the United States.

Regions

Frontera The area along the Mexican-US border.

Sierra Madre Mountainous region along the West of the state.

Gulf Coast Tropical region along the coast.

Huasteca Cultural region beginning at the southern tip of the state.

Cities

• 1 Ciudad Victoria — the state capital is home to universities and museums, and has many parks
• 2 Ciudad Mier — historic Rio Grande town with a modern reputation for cartel violence, a designated Pueblo Mágico
• 3 La Pesca — known for sport fishing town and its beaches
• 4 Matamoros — an historical city that is a center of maquiladora manufacturing
• 5 Nuevo Laredo — across the border from the smaller city of Laredo, Texas
• 6 Nuevo Progreso — this border town is a popular destination for medical tourism
• 7 Reynosa — an industrial hub for Northern Tamaulipas and the Rio Grande Valley
• 8 Tampico — known for the quality of its seafood and nightlife
• 9 Tula — considered to be the oldest city in the state of Tamaulipas, a designated Pueblo Mágico

Other destinations

• 1 El Cielo Biosphere Reserve – protects the northernmost extension of tropical forest and cloud forest in Mexico
• 2 Zacatón – Mexico's deepest cenote is also the world's deepest sinkhole

Understand

Kemp's Ridley sea turtles lay eggs on Tamaulipas beaches

Tamaulipas lies between Nuevo León and the Gulf of Mexico in the north of the country. It shares a border with the US state of Texas in the north and the states of San Luis Potosí and Veracruz to the south.

Northern Tamaulipas shares its economic culture with that of Texas, and is primarily characterized by agriculture and strong growth in all industrial sectors. This region is home to many of the maquiladoras- factories owned by foreign companies but worked by Mexicans, primarily by women.

Southern Tamaulipas' economy is based primarily on the petrochemical industries. There are petrochemical production plants around Altamira as well as a principal Gulf coast container port, refinery facilities in Ciudad Madero and many oil-industry support service companies in Tampico, as well as a major general and bulk cargo port. Also of importance are the tourism and fishing industries, as well as much commercial shipping, based in Tampico and Altamira. The central zone contains the capital, Ciudad Victoria, and is home to much forestry and farming, as well as some industrial development. About 30% of the population lives in the capital and in Ciudad Mante.

Get in

Most travelers enter Tamaulipas through one of the land border crossings along the Mexico-US border. Major border crossings are Brownsville-Matamoros, McAllen-Reynosa, and Laredo-Nuevo Laredo.

Five commercial airports are in Tamaulipas (Tampico is the largest, with service to Houston, Mexico City, Monterrey and other Mexican destinations. The others are significantly smaller.) The five airports are:

• Quetzalcóatl International Airport (NLD ^IATA), Nuevo Laredo
• General Lucio Blanco International Airport (REX ^IATA), Reynosa
• General Pedro José Méndez International Airport (CVM  ^IATA), Cuidad Victoria
• General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport (TAM  ^IATA), Tampico
• General Servando Canales International Airport (MAM  ^IATA), Matamoros

Get around

Given the state's long border with the U.S. and the long distances between major cities, it may be tempting to simply drive across the border and get around by car. Unfortunately, this can be dangerous due to the presence of drug cartels and opportunistic criminals taking advantage of the chaotic uncertainty. Most travelers are safer avoiding most of the state or using commercial transportation.

Buses are the most trusted form of transportation in the region. All of the border cities have bus terminals where you can take a bus into the interior of Mexico, including Ciudad Victoria and Tampico. Several Mexican bus lines cross the border into the United States and U.S. bus company Greyhound crosses into Northern Mexico and offers connections to Mexican bus lines to travel further into Mexico.

Grupo Senda serves the most destinations in Tamaulipas. Transportes Frontera and Futura also serve a number of routes in the state including service to Tampico and most border cities.

Uber is available in larger border cities (Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Maramoros) and in Ciudad Victoria and Tampico.

See

Presa Vicente Guerrero is a large lake about 30 miles northwest of Ciudad Victoria.

The little village of La Pesca, in the municipality of Soto La Marina, about midway between Brownsville, Texas and Tampico, is a rapidly growing tourist area with lovely beaches and excellent fishing both in the Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Soto La Marina.

Do

The coast has many fishing hotels that have their own piers for easy fishing access. The state has a number of lakes as well.

Eat

In most of Tamaulipas the food is much like the rest of Northern Mexico with an emphasis on grilled meats like arrachera. The state's most famous dish is carne a la tampiqueña which is a long, thin strip steak with poblano chiles, grilled queso fresco, and served with beans flavored with epazote. A signature dessert in the state is mango con canela, in which mangoes are stewed with sugar and whole cinnamon.

Given the state's long coast line on the Gulf of Mexico, it's no surprise that seafood features prominently in local diets. The port city of Tampico stands out for its variety of fresh seafood dishes and its selection of excellent restaurants. The city is known for its huge, overstuffed sandwiches called torta de la barda. The sandwich is stuffed with shredded barbecue pork, ham, chorizon, cheese, avocados and more. Several restaurants in Tampico serve great tortas de la barda, including Los 3 Luceros and Tortas de la Barde "Rene".

Drink

Tamaulipas is not known for any tradition of producing distinctive local beverages. Beer is the most popular beverage and Carta Blanca is the most popular brand in the region.

Stay safe

Tamaulipas has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous states in all of Mexico. Tamaulipas has long been associated with drug-related violence and crime, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the 21st century, the violence has escalated as drug cartels have become more powerful and criminal organisations have become more sophisticated. Those who do travel to Tamaulipas should take extra precautions and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

As tempting as it may be, do not drive across the US border. Much of the crime in the state occurs in areas near the US border, and passing vehicles are routinely targeted by criminal gangs who often take people hostage, rob people at gunpoint, and demand ransom payments. You will immediately stick out like a sore thumb if you're driving a vehicle registered in a foreign country or a different Mexican state. Many criminal gangs operate in border areas with impunity, and very little law enforcement can do to help out; they're far too powerful to deal with. If you absolutely must drive through the border, get a police escort.

As a general rule, the further you are from the border, the safer you'll be.

Go next

• Nuevo León
• Coahuila
• San Luis Potosi