Coming Up for Air: Returning to Veracruz

Visiting my family in Veracruz felt like finally breaking the surface after holding my breath for far too long, just enough oxygen to remember who I am at my core.

Miguel Vazquez Rodriguez

My 93 year old grandpa after surviving a stroke.

A book store made out of corals!

Coral ingrained in the wall.

The book store kids section, this place is called Mar Adentro.

My childhood best friend walking with my son.

My son playing with his cousins for the first time!

My dad has been a volunteer firefighter since I can remember, so we went to visit his friends and got to see the amazing, and award winning Fire House in Boca del Rio, Veracruz.

Growing up, my world was shaped by three things: my family, the food, and the ocean. They were constants, steady, grounding, alive. After three years without full, uninterrupted conversations in Spanish, without lingering over coffee with people who knew me before adulthood rearranged my life, returning wasn’t just nostalgic. It was necessary. Being seen by people who understand your roots, and who can acknowledge the ways you’ve changed without questioning your essence, is a rare kind of medicine.

Sitting at cafés with friends and family who watched me grow up, laughing in my first language, sharing stories that didn’t need translation, I realized how much of myself I had been carrying quietly. Veracruz reminded me that I don’t have to earn belonging. It already exists. It always has.

More than ever, I am deeply grateful to return to my core, to my forever collective of Mexican friends and family who hold history, humor, warmth, and resilience in equal measure.

Gran Cafe de la Parroquia

You can’t leave without having a lechero and a platillo volador o huevos tirados.

Veracruz: A Coastal Gem That Breathes Life

Veracruz is a gem resting right along the Gulf of MEXICO, equal parts soulful and electric. It’s a growing city that feels on the edge of becoming a true metropolis, yet it hasn’t lost its ease. Life here spills outdoors. The beaches are open 24/7, not fenced in by rules but held by rhythm: sunrise walks, midday swims, sunset conversations, and late-night laughter carried by ocean air.

There’s something grounding about a place where the sea is always accessible. You don’t schedule it, you just go. Bare feet in the sand, salt on your skin, the sound of waves reminding your nervous system how to soften.

And then there’s the nightlife. Veracruz comes alive after dark in a way that feels joyful rather than chaotic. Music drifts from open doors. Salsa, reggaetón, live bands, and spontaneous dancing coexist effortlessly. You can dress up or show up as you are. Either way, you belong.

Shopping, local markets, sports, and community events weave through everyday life. It’s a city that moves, but not in a rush. It invites you to participate instead of perform.

Emilia, 73

My grandma, cooking “empipianadas.” One of the meals you probably will never have, unless you visit Veracruz.

Food That Tells a Story

The food alone is reason enough to visit.

Emilia Esparza

Cooking has been passed down generation by generation, I cook because my grandma cooked for my mom and my mom cooked for me. I now cook for my kids.

Veracruz cuisine is bold, fresh, and unapologetically rooted in the sea. Every meal feels like a conversation between land and water, fish pulled from the Gulf that morning, shrimp cooked simply and perfectly, octopus that melts, ceviches bright with citrus and heat.

There’s an ease to eating here. Long lunches stretch into afternoons. Breakfasts are savory, rich, grounding. Street food competes with sit-down restaurants in flavor and soul. You don’t eat quickly, you eat fully.

One of my favorite rituals was coffee. Café de Altura holds a special place in my heart. High-quality, thoughtfully sourced Mexican coffee, deep, aromatic, and grounding. Coffee in Veracruz isn’t rushed. It’s social. It’s reflective. It’s an invitation to sit, talk, remember, and dream.

Adventure, Water, and Wild Beauty

For those craving adventure, Veracruz delivers quietly but powerfully.

The wind and open coastline make it ideal for kiteboarding. Fishing is woven into daily life, whether you’re casting lines at sunrise or heading out on a boat with locals who know the water like family. There’s snorkeling, swimming, and long stretches of beach where you feel like time has loosened its grip.

Beyond the coast, the landscapes shift, lush greenery, rivers, and places that still feel untouched. There’s an undeniable pull toward nature here, one that makes movement feel organic rather than forced.

It’s the kind of place where your body naturally wants to move, stretch, breathe, and rest.

A Vision for the Future

As I walked along quieter, more untouched beaches, I felt a vision forming, one that’s been whispering to me for years.

At some point, I would love to create a yoga retreat experience in Veracruz. Virgin beaches. Ocean air. Slow mornings. Deep practice. Outstanding hospitality rooted in warmth and generosity. A space where people can reconnect to themselves, to nature, to community, without distraction or pressure.

I’m holding 2027 as the year this vision comes to life. If that speaks to you, keep your eyes open. It won’t be about luxury in the traditional sense, it will be about presence, authenticity, and returning to what matters.

Returning Changed, Yet Whole

Veracruz didn’t just welcome me back, it reminded me that growth doesn’t mean disconnection. That evolving doesn’t require erasing where you came from. That rest can be found in familiarity, and inspiration often lives in our earliest memories.

This trip was oxygen.

And I’m breathing deeper because of it

With love, always,

Jackie Bravo, Founder of Sol Space