Catemaco, Veracruz: Cradle of Sorcery and Civilization in Mexico: A Morbid Anatomy Grand Tour with Salvador Olguín
April 24 - 28, 2025 (Arrive April 24, depart morning of April 29)
$2,200 single room / $4,200 double occupancy; includes 5 nights hotel, airport/hotel ground transportation, ground transportation to destinations, museum admissions, guided visits, most meals and other amenities. Airfare is not included.
Please note: Refunds (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) are available until February 10. After this date, only 50% of the ticket price (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) will be refunded. No refunds available after March 1. Itinerary subject to change.
Limited to 14 guests
This spring, join Morbid Anatomy and Mexican scholar Salvador Olguín for a special visit to Mexico’s Witchcraft Mecca: Catemaco, Veracruz, in a region where Olmec, Aztec, Spanish and African cultures have blended throughout the centuries. Local guides will lead our small party (14 people max) through Colonial churches, fortresses, witchcraft markets, and archeological wonders including Santiago Tuxtla and its colossal Olmec head. We will also learn about traditional sorcery in a session with a curandero (traditional healer).
At the center of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas lie the Catemaco Lake and the small city of Catemaco. This city is the epicenter of witchcraft in Mexico, where practitioners of a wide range of spiritual schools and beliefs offer their services to people from all walks of life, including politicians and businessmen asking for favors, health, wealth, and spiritual enlightenment. In this tour, you will experience Catemaco first hand, learn about its different magical schools directly from local practitioners, purchase supplies for your own personal practice from witchcraft vendors, and stay in a picturesque Posada Hotel (inn) by the lake. The tour also includes a stop in the city of Veracruz (it has an international airport), a port and colonial city founded by conquistador Hernan Cortes upon his arrival to Mexica-ruled Mexico. See details below.
Located along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, the State of Veracruz is home to the mystical Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, a volcanic belt abundant in natural resources, associated with magic since ancient times. This mountainous region, filled with natural wonders like lakes, waterfalls and an exuberant jungle, was once inhabited by a highly advanced civilization known to us as the Olmecs. Considered to be Mesoamerica’s Mother Culture by scholarly consensus, the Olmec civilization flourished between 1200 and 400 BCE, and was the first one to achieve developments such as the Mesoamerican system of writing, the concept of zero, the ritual ball game, and the Long Count calendar, which later became associated with cultures like the Maya, the Zapotec and the Mexica, among others.
HOTELS
Gran Hotel Diligencias
This historic hotel, overlooking the Veracruz Cathedral and Veracruz Zócalo Square, is located in a large and colorful building dating from 1795, 4 km away from the San Juan de Ulúa fortress. The rooms and suites are warm and elegant, and are equipped with free Wi-Fi and cable TV. The suites also have a sitting area, and a bathtub with hydromassage. A themed suite with antique-style furniture is also offered. Room service. There's an elegant seafood restaurant, a wood-panelled lounge and a bar with a terrace. Other amenities are included, such as an outdoor rooftop pool, hot tub, and 24-hour workout room, as well as a sauna and massage service. Parking is offered.
Facing Catemaco Lagoon, this whitewashed hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Virgin of Carmen baroque basilica. The simple rooms have balconies, cable TV, and Wi-Fi for an additional fee. Some rooms include additional beds. A buffet breakfast is offered. There is also an outdoor swimming pool and a children's play area in the garden. Parking is free.
Salvador Olguín is a writer and scholar who has focused much of his work on the visual culture of death in Mexico. His work has been published in print and online media in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, the UK and the United States. He has a master’s degree in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU. His first poetry book, La carabela portuguesa (The Portuguese Man O’War), received the Carmen Alardin National Poetry Award in Mexico. He currently lives in the Mayan Riviera.
*This trip isn’t appropriate for children under the age of 14 - please consider our October Dia De Los Muertos trip to Mexico if you’re looking to bring a younger curious soul - details to be announced soon!
Images: Tourist map/sign at the Plazuela del Brujo (Witch Plaza) in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica Olmec ceramic piece at the Nanciyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica of an archeological piece at the Nanicyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, , Alejandro Linares Garcia.
April 24 - 28, 2025 (Arrive April 24, depart morning of April 29)
$2,200 single room / $4,200 double occupancy; includes 5 nights hotel, airport/hotel ground transportation, ground transportation to destinations, museum admissions, guided visits, most meals and other amenities. Airfare is not included.
Please note: Refunds (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) are available until February 10. After this date, only 50% of the ticket price (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) will be refunded. No refunds available after March 1. Itinerary subject to change.
Limited to 14 guests
This spring, join Morbid Anatomy and Mexican scholar Salvador Olguín for a special visit to Mexico’s Witchcraft Mecca: Catemaco, Veracruz, in a region where Olmec, Aztec, Spanish and African cultures have blended throughout the centuries. Local guides will lead our small party (14 people max) through Colonial churches, fortresses, witchcraft markets, and archeological wonders including Santiago Tuxtla and its colossal Olmec head. We will also learn about traditional sorcery in a session with a curandero (traditional healer).
At the center of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas lie the Catemaco Lake and the small city of Catemaco. This city is the epicenter of witchcraft in Mexico, where practitioners of a wide range of spiritual schools and beliefs offer their services to people from all walks of life, including politicians and businessmen asking for favors, health, wealth, and spiritual enlightenment. In this tour, you will experience Catemaco first hand, learn about its different magical schools directly from local practitioners, purchase supplies for your own personal practice from witchcraft vendors, and stay in a picturesque Posada Hotel (inn) by the lake. The tour also includes a stop in the city of Veracruz (it has an international airport), a port and colonial city founded by conquistador Hernan Cortes upon his arrival to Mexica-ruled Mexico. See details below.
Located along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, the State of Veracruz is home to the mystical Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, a volcanic belt abundant in natural resources, associated with magic since ancient times. This mountainous region, filled with natural wonders like lakes, waterfalls and an exuberant jungle, was once inhabited by a highly advanced civilization known to us as the Olmecs. Considered to be Mesoamerica’s Mother Culture by scholarly consensus, the Olmec civilization flourished between 1200 and 400 BCE, and was the first one to achieve developments such as the Mesoamerican system of writing, the concept of zero, the ritual ball game, and the Long Count calendar, which later became associated with cultures like the Maya, the Zapotec and the Mexica, among others.
HOTELS
Gran Hotel Diligencias
This historic hotel, overlooking the Veracruz Cathedral and Veracruz Zócalo Square, is located in a large and colorful building dating from 1795, 4 km away from the San Juan de Ulúa fortress. The rooms and suites are warm and elegant, and are equipped with free Wi-Fi and cable TV. The suites also have a sitting area, and a bathtub with hydromassage. A themed suite with antique-style furniture is also offered. Room service. There's an elegant seafood restaurant, a wood-panelled lounge and a bar with a terrace. Other amenities are included, such as an outdoor rooftop pool, hot tub, and 24-hour workout room, as well as a sauna and massage service. Parking is offered.
Facing Catemaco Lagoon, this whitewashed hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Virgin of Carmen baroque basilica. The simple rooms have balconies, cable TV, and Wi-Fi for an additional fee. Some rooms include additional beds. A buffet breakfast is offered. There is also an outdoor swimming pool and a children's play area in the garden. Parking is free.
Salvador Olguín is a writer and scholar who has focused much of his work on the visual culture of death in Mexico. His work has been published in print and online media in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, the UK and the United States. He has a master’s degree in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU. His first poetry book, La carabela portuguesa (The Portuguese Man O’War), received the Carmen Alardin National Poetry Award in Mexico. He currently lives in the Mayan Riviera.
*This trip isn’t appropriate for children under the age of 14 - please consider our October Dia De Los Muertos trip to Mexico if you’re looking to bring a younger curious soul - details to be announced soon!
Images: Tourist map/sign at the Plazuela del Brujo (Witch Plaza) in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica Olmec ceramic piece at the Nanciyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica of an archeological piece at the Nanicyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, , Alejandro Linares Garcia.
April 24 - 28, 2025 (Arrive April 24, depart morning of April 29)
$2,200 single room / $4,200 double occupancy; includes 5 nights hotel, airport/hotel ground transportation, ground transportation to destinations, museum admissions, guided visits, most meals and other amenities. Airfare is not included.
Please note: Refunds (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) are available until February 10. After this date, only 50% of the ticket price (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) will be refunded. No refunds available after March 1. Itinerary subject to change.
Limited to 14 guests
This spring, join Morbid Anatomy and Mexican scholar Salvador Olguín for a special visit to Mexico’s Witchcraft Mecca: Catemaco, Veracruz, in a region where Olmec, Aztec, Spanish and African cultures have blended throughout the centuries. Local guides will lead our small party (14 people max) through Colonial churches, fortresses, witchcraft markets, and archeological wonders including Santiago Tuxtla and its colossal Olmec head. We will also learn about traditional sorcery in a session with a curandero (traditional healer).
At the center of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas lie the Catemaco Lake and the small city of Catemaco. This city is the epicenter of witchcraft in Mexico, where practitioners of a wide range of spiritual schools and beliefs offer their services to people from all walks of life, including politicians and businessmen asking for favors, health, wealth, and spiritual enlightenment. In this tour, you will experience Catemaco first hand, learn about its different magical schools directly from local practitioners, purchase supplies for your own personal practice from witchcraft vendors, and stay in a picturesque Posada Hotel (inn) by the lake. The tour also includes a stop in the city of Veracruz (it has an international airport), a port and colonial city founded by conquistador Hernan Cortes upon his arrival to Mexica-ruled Mexico. See details below.
Located along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, the State of Veracruz is home to the mystical Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, a volcanic belt abundant in natural resources, associated with magic since ancient times. This mountainous region, filled with natural wonders like lakes, waterfalls and an exuberant jungle, was once inhabited by a highly advanced civilization known to us as the Olmecs. Considered to be Mesoamerica’s Mother Culture by scholarly consensus, the Olmec civilization flourished between 1200 and 400 BCE, and was the first one to achieve developments such as the Mesoamerican system of writing, the concept of zero, the ritual ball game, and the Long Count calendar, which later became associated with cultures like the Maya, the Zapotec and the Mexica, among others.
HOTELS
Gran Hotel Diligencias
This historic hotel, overlooking the Veracruz Cathedral and Veracruz Zócalo Square, is located in a large and colorful building dating from 1795, 4 km away from the San Juan de Ulúa fortress. The rooms and suites are warm and elegant, and are equipped with free Wi-Fi and cable TV. The suites also have a sitting area, and a bathtub with hydromassage. A themed suite with antique-style furniture is also offered. Room service. There's an elegant seafood restaurant, a wood-panelled lounge and a bar with a terrace. Other amenities are included, such as an outdoor rooftop pool, hot tub, and 24-hour workout room, as well as a sauna and massage service. Parking is offered.
Facing Catemaco Lagoon, this whitewashed hotel is a 5-minute walk from the Virgin of Carmen baroque basilica. The simple rooms have balconies, cable TV, and Wi-Fi for an additional fee. Some rooms include additional beds. A buffet breakfast is offered. There is also an outdoor swimming pool and a children's play area in the garden. Parking is free.
Salvador Olguín is a writer and scholar who has focused much of his work on the visual culture of death in Mexico. His work has been published in print and online media in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, the UK and the United States. He has a master’s degree in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU. His first poetry book, La carabela portuguesa (The Portuguese Man O’War), received the Carmen Alardin National Poetry Award in Mexico. He currently lives in the Mayan Riviera.
*This trip isn’t appropriate for children under the age of 14 - please consider our October Dia De Los Muertos trip to Mexico if you’re looking to bring a younger curious soul - details to be announced soon!
Images: Tourist map/sign at the Plazuela del Brujo (Witch Plaza) in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica Olmec ceramic piece at the Nanciyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, Alejandro Linares Garcia; Replica of an archeological piece at the Nanicyaga Ecological Park in Catemaco, Veracruz, , Alejandro Linares Garcia.