"Jalapa or Xalapa in the State of... " a Jalapa Enríquez Travel Page by AnnaLupilla

Xalapa, sometimes spelled Jalapa, is a municipality and the capital city of Mexican state of Veracruz. The municipal seat is the city of Xalapa Enríquez; in everyday usage, however, the city is generally referred to by the shorter name Xalapa. It is located on the slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental in a rich agricultural region of fertile valleys.

Its cool climate, beautiful parks and artificial lakes, and the proximity of interesting villages and ruins and of scenic Mt. Orizaba make Xalapa a popular resort.

Its name comes from the Nahuatl roots "Xallapan" which means "spring in the sand." The Totonacas were the first peoples who established around "Macuiltepetl" hill. During the 14th century, four cultures established in the territory today known as Xalapa. Each of them build a small village: Xallitic (in the sand) founded by the Totonacas; Techacapan (river of waste) founded by the Chichimecas; at the northeast Tecuanapan (river of the beasts) founded by the Toltecas and Tlalnecapan founded by the Teochichimecas.

Eventually, the four villages grew and joined forming one big village which was given the name Xallapan.

Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, fifth Aztec Emperor, invaded the territory during the second half of the 15th century; therefore all the land came to possession of the Aztec Empire until the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores.

The local museum has an excellent archaeological collection, notably a group of colossal Olmec heads, which is displayed in the open air.