Tlacotalpan means “in the middle of the Earth” and is situated on the southeast of Veracruz State, on the seashore of the Gulf of Mexico. It is a river port bounded by the Papaloapan River and was affirmed World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. It is well-known for its fishing tradition and the annual jarocha music festival, a blend of rhythms from Andalucía, Africa and Mesoamerica. Even though the plains of the Papaloapan River have been colonized since ancient times by the Totonaca and Olmeca, it frequent floods stopped the development of significant prehispanic settlements. Some of its most adored cultural sites are the Museum Agustín Lara and the Art Garden.