Boca del Río is a municipality that effectively forms the southern beachside extension of Veracruz, separated from the city by the Jamapa River. Most of the seafood restaurants, beach clubs, and weekend leisure facilities that serve the Veracruz metropolitan area are actually on the Boca del Río side of the river. For travellers, the two cities are practically one.
The malecón along the coast is lively on weekends, lined with mariscos restaurants serving the Gulf Coast's excellent seafood: huachinango a la veracruzana (red snapper in tomato sauce), fresh crab, and ceviche. Playa Mocambo, with its long stretch of brown sand and a famous old hotel sitting back from the dunes, is the most pleasant of the local beaches. The Aquarium of Veracruz, just across the river on the Veracruz side, is one of the largest in Latin America and is worth a visit if you have a day in the metropolitan area.