Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

The Port of Veracruz

Veracruz, Mexico

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Currency Exchange

VesselFinder

We continue to travel around Mexico, as intra-country flights are so reasonable.

In fact, we spent 2,810 Pesos (about $140USD) for two round trip tickets from Guadalajara to Veracruz, located on the Gulf of Mexico.

We had never been to this city, so it was a new adventure for us.

Map showing the Port of Veracruz

This map shows the Port of Veracruz very clearly.

You will also notice in the center right - San Juan de Ulua - which is the fort that Hernan Cortez built here in the 1500s.

In the very center of this map, you will notice a large mass of grey lines coming from the port inland. These are the railways bringing items from the ships transporting them into the main part of Mexico.

At the lower right hand side you will see our hotel, Doubletree by Hilton, also marked.

The view of the port from our hotel

This was the view from our hotel, showing you the physical port.

It was mesmerizing to watch the ships come and go every day.

A ship leaving through the man-made jetty

This ship is leaving the port, and it's riding higher on the water than when it came in.

It most likely dropped off its cargo here, and is on its way to another port to pick something up.

A different ship leaving the port

This ship looks a bit heavier in the water, so he might have picked up more cargo and is going to another port to deliver.

All day long, ships came and went.

Really fascinating.

Grimaldi Lines Shipping Company

The ships changed daily. This Grimaldi Lines ship is part of an international maritime company that transports cars, rolling cargo, containers and passengers.

Every day we utilized VesselFinder to get information on the ships' comings and goings, where they were registered, what they were carrying, and where their next destination was. 

It made the whole experience of being here very educational.

Grimaldi Lines ship docked in the port

We'd go to the docks on our daily walk just to check out the action.

We saw cars being driven up into this ship and some were driven down onto the dock.

A ship like this can hold 7,000 new cars!

Imagine that for a few moments...

Malecon by the dock

This malecon extends from long past our hotel and aquarium on one side and all the way to the docks on the other.

It makes it easy to walk next to the water and enjoy the sites.

People run, walk, roller blade, walk their dogs, and bring their babies in strollers all along this walkway.

To the right, outside the photo, are restaurants lining the street.

Tugboat

Here's a close look at one of the several tug boats that were consistently busy here at the Port.

They were quite impressive in the work they did, turning ships around while inside the port, and helping them get past the man-made jetties.

One day the winds were at gale force, and no ships went in or out that day!

Mount Athos ship

This container ship is 1,147 feet long and 150 feet wide.

We saw her in Veracruz when this photo was taken, and this morning when I looked her up, she had just arrived in Vancouver, Canada 3 minutes ago!

You can see the tug boat alongside the ship.

The colorful letters of Veracruz

It's a very popular custom in Mexico to have the name of the town spelled out in colorful letters. Tourists love to have their photos taken in front of these letters to "prove" they have been there!

These are very festive, aren't they?

Atlantic Altamira

This ship's current value is about $25 million dollars.

These babies aren't cheap!

Ocean Breeze

This bulk carrier is registered under the Marshall Islands flag and is 453 feet long.

Look at that hefty anchor!

Ship coming in

This ship is coming into the harbor in the early morning.

Ship leaving port

A tugboat is close by for assistance.

It was very impressive to see the massive organization it took for these ships to call ahead, get clearance, have a tug ready, be sure the weather conditions were right, and have the dock workers ready to load or unload. Honestly, it made one proud of humanity to watch this professionalism every day.

As I mentioned above, there was one day where the winds (called Northerlies) were at gale force and all activity in and out of the port stopped. No one was on the streets, and if there were, it was quite the challenge to walk a straight line.

Billy and I never experienced winds at this power before and truly, it was a memorable experience.

If you have never been to the Port of Veracruz, it's worth putting on your list.

For more stories and photos about Veracruz, Mexico, CLICK HERE

For more stories and photos about Mexico CLICK HERE

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

HOME   Book Store

Retire Early Lifestyle Blog      About Billy & Akaisha Kaderli      Press     Contact     20 Questions     Preferred Links    

Retirement     Country Info     Retiree Interviews      Commentary     REL Videos