Cascada de Texolo, Veracruz, Mexico (photo from Wikimedia)

2 October 2026, WINGS Veracruz: Migration is a Moving Experience: Day 4, Travel from Veracruz to the highlands at Xalapa

After birding in the lowlands this morning we travel from Veracruz city to the highlands at Xalapa, a trip that takes just over an hour and a half.

As you can see from the following maps we will be much closer to the place where the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt joins the Sierra Madre Oriental …

Maps of Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and Sierra Madre Oriental from Wikimedia

… and the two volcanoes that mark the location.

• Pico de Orizaba (native name: Citlaltépetl), a dormant volcano and the third highest mountain in North America at 18,491 ft (5,636 m). Bottom left of topo map.
• Cofre de Perote, an inactive volcano and Mexico’s 8th highest peak at 14,049 ft (4,282 m). Top left of map; Cofre de Perote is closer to Xalapa.

topographic map of Mexico from the eastern end of the Trans-Mexico Volcanic Belt to the coast at Veracruz city (from topographic-map.com)

Pico de Orizaba has a classic volcano shape.

View of Pico de Orizaba from Xalapa (photo from Wikimedia)

Cofre de Perote is a shield volcano with a volcanic outcropping — a coffer — that is the highest point on the mountain. In this photo it’s possible to see that the coffer is formed by columns of volcanic rock, similar to the Devils Tower in Wyoming. It must be flat up there; the coffer is dotted with communication towers.

Cofre de Perote in winter. Note: communication towers on its coffer (from Wikimedia)

Soon we will travel to Cascada de Texolo waterfalls area, located between the towns of Xico and Tecolo, where the Rio Matlacóbatl meets Rio Tecolo. Both rivers originate on the slopes of Cofre de Perote.

base map of Casacada de Texolo from topographic-map.com

The main waterfall is at the end of the Rio Matlacobatl where it joins Rio Tecolo. Visible from the main overlook, it drops 60-80 feet after passing through the Matlacobatl Ravine’s sheer rock walls up to 650 feet high.

In this video you can see birds in the airspace above the main waterfall. I imagine they are catching flying insects.

The waterfall on Rio Tecolo is upstream from the main pool in another narrow ravine. This video tells some of the history.

These waterfalls are shaped by volcanic activity. The riverbeds and tops of the cliffs are hard volcanic rock that is very resistant to erosion but the layers underneath are made of sediments and less consolidated pyroclastic materials that are easy to erode.

Besides the waterfalls’ natural beauty, moisture in the valley promotes a lot of plant and animal life including birds. Tomorrow I’ll write about a surprising insect we’ll be looking for at the falls.