Mexico’s Capital of Olmec Culture : Jalapa, near Veracruz, is known for its flowers and a modern museum of pre-Maya civilization.

JALAPA, Mexico — With all the rightful attention and study given the Mayan cultural centers of Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Palenque on the Yucatan Peninsula, much less is known about the Olmecs, considered to be the mother culture of Mesoamerica, probably because their Mexican temple sites (dating to 1300 BC) pre-date those of the Maya by almost a millennium.

Olmecs receive their just due and more at the Jalapa Anthropology Museum in this capital city of Veracruz state, just inland from the Gulf of Mexico coast. This stunning and very contemporary stone museum is one of the most architecturally magnificent and visitor-friendly we have ever seen, and alone worth a journey to this lovely old town.

Veracruz, a few miles down the coast, was the first city founded in Mexico by Hernando Cortes in 1519 and became the major port and gateway for shipping silver and other riches to the court and churches of Spain.

But in the 18th Century, Jalapa (ha-LAH-pa; often spelled Xalapa in Mexico) took over this role, thanks to the epidemics, civil unrest and pirate raids on Veracruz.

Jalapa’s economic activity and resulting prosperity established the character of the town during this period of fascination with neo-classic architecture, and while it is a true colonial town, there is still a neo-classic aura to its buildings, particularly the cathedral.

Jalapa is a hilly inland city, noted throughout the country for its beautiful parks and flowers, with great stands everywhere of noche buena , the Mexican name for poinsettia (and a superb Christmastime beer). It is also the cultural capital of Veracruz and home of Veracruz University, with its beautiful campus, fine folkloric dance group, numerous concerts, theater and other performances and exhibitions.

This part of Veracruz provides many of Mexico’s flowers and some tobacco, and is famous for its rich coffee, a tantalizing aroma immediately noticeable on driving into town. All of this is probably due to the chipichipi , a name given by locals to the mist-like drizzle that keeps the upland countryside verdant.

Getting settled in: In a parklike setting on a hill near the university overlooking town, Hotel Jalapa is a large, pink and very modern place built around a swimming pool and terrace. Bedrooms are air-conditioned, and there is a restaurant, coffee shop, disco and a few shops. A scant five miles south of Jalapa, along a pretty drive through groves of mango trees and coffee plantations, the fetching little colonial town of Coatepec has one of the region’s finest hotels. Built almost two centuries ago as a family villa and coffee mill, Posada Coatepec is in the center of the village just two blocks from the main square. It’s built in Andalusian style around a flowery central courtyard, with an old well at the center, a 19th-Century formal carriage parked beneath the arcades.

Bedrooms range from moderate in size to absolutely huge, and the entire place has the feeling of a ranch house in southern Spain. There’s a small pool of blue Talavera tile, a nice little bar with music at night, and a restaurant with a menu of more authentic Mexican dishes than we’ve ever seen in the country.

Hotel Maria Victoria is in the center of Jalapa on a very busy street. It’s a large and very modern place, although bedrooms are on the moderate size, and has all the big-hotel amenities: air conditioning, color TV, VCRs, shops, bar. And it’s near restaurants and downtown shopping. There’s also free parking, and Maria Victoria’s suites are a real bargain.

Regional food and drink: One of Mexico’s best-kept culinary secrets is huitlacoche (sometimes spelled cuitlacoche), a black fungus that grows on corn, sounds awful and is absolutely delicious when used in a breakfast omelet or in hors d’oeuvres such as empanadas (small turnovers). Jalapa is noted for its use of huitlacoche , and while the moles of Oaxaca and Puebla are more famous, Jalapa’s version of this chiles-and-Mexican-chocolate-sauce is excellent.

All of Veracruz state is famous for its seafood, frequently cooked Veracruz-style with tomatoes, onions, lime and parsley. Gulf shrimp is always plentiful, grilled, boiled or served cold as a first course, with vinaigrette or mayonnaise. Good local dining: La Casa de Mama (Avenida Avila Camacho 113) is a very pretty place built on several levels, with pictures of old Jalapa and its people on the walls. It’s always lively at lunch with a well-dressed crowd, and the Casa’s specialties include many regional dishes.

Empanadas de huitlacoche ($1) make a good starter, made here with huitlacoche , onions and green chiles, and cooked in a corn dough. A main course of chicken grilled with the same sauce is $6. Half a dozen versions of Gulf shrimp are all in the $10 range, and there’s a good selection of steaks and chops at the same price.

Very near the University of Veracruz, La Pergola (Lomas del Estadio) has a modern and sophisticated interior of giant terra-cotta pots spilling with greenery, white-brick walls hung with dramatic poster art, and an outdoor terrace upstairs holding the barbecue grill that turns out the house specialties.

Coming from the grill are Hereford steaks and chicken Lencero, named for a nearby town noted for its flavorful fowl. T-bones were stacked two feet high beside the grill, and they and other steaks run from $9.50 to $11.50. The Argentine grill for two persons ($15.50) includes several kinds of meats, chorizos , beans and tortillas. Eight versions of Lencero chicken are all $6.

The dining room and adjoining patio of Posada Coatepec has the perfect feeling of a Mexican country inn, although the arresting stained-glass windows might well have been designed by Henri Rousseau.

We started with a hot garlic soup ($2) and Serrano ham with melon ($3.25), both absolutely superb, then moved on to grilled octopus ($9.75) and a beef fillet cooked with garlic, onions, mushrooms and sherry ($8.75). A dozen choices on the dessert list could tempt anyone.

On your own: The Jalapa Anthropology Museum is stunning in every respect, outlining the three pre-Hispanic civilizations (Olmec, Huastec and Totonac) that flourished around the Gulf of Mexico.

From the museum’s beautiful courtyard and its 20-ton Olmec stone head, on down the sloping floors through galleries of the three cultures, everything is beautifully displayed either indoors or in connecting gardens. We can’t think of a museum we’ve enjoyed visiting more.

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexican general who captured the Alamo and was later defeated by Sam Houston, built a 19th-Century home just outside Jalapa, his birthplace. It’s enormous, gorgeous and filled with furnishings and memorabilia of Santa Anna’s stay there from 1842 to 1856. The small lake with its black swans beside the house is very tranquil.

GUIDEBOOK

Jalapa, Mexico

Getting there: From Los Angeles, fly Mexicana or Aeromexico to Veracruz via Mexico City. A round-trip ticket (no advance purchase needed) costs $548. Delta also offers service to Veracruz; travelers take Delta to Mexico City, then either Mexicana or Aeromexico on to Veracruz. It’s 71 miles of good highway from Veracruz to Jalapa. Buses run every half-hour and cost about $2.

A few fast facts: Mexico’s peso recently sold for 2.92 to the dollar, making it worth about 34 cents. Stick to bottled water in Mexico, pass on iced drinks and avoid raw fruits and vegetables unless you peel them yourself.

Where to stay: Hotel Jalapa (Calles Victoria y Bustamente, from U.S. phones 011-52-281-82222; $75 double); Posada Coatepec (Calle Hidalgo 9, tel. 800-223-6510; $122 double); Maria Victoria (Zaragoza 6, tel. 011-52-281-86011; $50 double, suites $68).

For more information: For general information on travel in Mexico, call the Mexican Government Tourism Office at (310) 203-8191, or write (10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 224, Los Angeles 90067). Your best bet for anything specific on Jalapa and its region is to purchase “Mexico--A Travel Survival Kit,” published by Lonely Planet.