By evening, the centre of Xico, Veracruz, fills with the smell of roasting coffee. The town sits in the heart of Veracruz coffee country, and several local coffee shops brew fresh roasted, locally grown beans, which makes an evening out here feel less like a big night on the town and more like a slow, warm one.
Xico's nightlife is built around its coffee houses and its festival calendar rather than around bars and clubs. It suits visitors who want a quiet evening of good coffee, conversation and pastries, and who are willing to plan a trip around the town's biggest annual celebration if they want music, parades and crowds.
Where to go out in Xico
1. The coffee shops of the centre
The town's evening scene centres on its coffee houses, several of which stay open into the night. They range from small spots serving hot and iced drinks with a short pastry selection to long-standing local fixtures that roast and grind their own coffee, where you can also buy beans to take home.
This suits a low-key evening: a late coffee, a dessert, and an early night. Note that opening days vary, and at least one of the local coffee shops is closed on Mondays.
2. Avenida Miguel Hidalgo
Several of Xico's coffee shops sit along Avenida Miguel Hidalgo in the centre, making this the most practical street for an evening out on foot. You can move between them without needing to plan transport.
It suits anyone who wants choice within a short walk. Check days before you set out, since individual shops on the street keep different closing days.
3. Terraza Cafe
A local evening coffee house on Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, open from 19:30 to 23:30. It is the latest-running of the coffee options, which makes it the natural stop if you want your evening to extend past dinner.
It suits a nightcap of coffee rather than alcohol. Confirm current hours before relying on them.
4. Maharba's
A coffee shop in the centre where you can watch the baristas prepare coffee in a variety of ways, from a press to an espresso, latte or cappuccino, with cold pressed coffees also available. It opens in the afternoon and closes in the evening, and is closed on Mondays.
It suits anyone interested in how the local beans are brewed. Arrive earlier in its window if you want to watch the preparation.
5. Cafe Texolo
A long-standing local fixture rather than a new-style coffee shop, it has roasted and ground local coffee for decades. You can have a cup there or pick up a half kilo to take home as a souvenir. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
It suits a weekday evening and anyone who wants to bring the region's coffee home. Its weekend closure makes it the one to plan around.
6. Real Cafecito
A small coffee shop with hot and iced coffee drinks and a small selection of pastries. It opens in the afternoon and closes in the evening, and operates Friday to Sunday only, closed Monday through Thursday.
It suits a weekend evening and a light, sweet finish to the day. Its limited days make it worth checking before you go.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe Xico's evening venues as opening in the late afternoon or early evening and closing between roughly 22:00 and 23:30, with the latest of the coffee houses running from 19:30 to 23:30. That means an evening here starts after dark and ends well before midnight. Several places close one or more days a week, so the shape of your night depends on which day you visit. The sources do not describe dinner times or bar culture in Xico.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- La Xiqueñada (Fiesta de la Magdalena) — held every year in July or early August, running for one week. On the Wednesday, artists create colourful carpets of sawdust known as tapetes de aserrín. The week includes parades, music, folk dances and food, and culminates in a running of the bulls in the Pamplona style.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Xico at night?
The main evening activity described is visiting the town's coffee shops, several of which stay open into the night and serve locally grown, freshly roasted coffee along with pastries.
How late do places stay open in Xico?
Based on the listed coffee shops, closing times run from about 22:00 to 23:30, with the latest opening at 19:30 and closing at 23:30.
When is the best time to visit Xico for its festival?
The town's biggest festival, La Xiqueñada or Fiesta de la Magdalena, is held every year in July or early August and lasts one week.
Do Xico's coffee shops keep regular hours every day?
No. Several are closed on specific days, including one closed on Mondays, one closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and one open only Friday to Sunday, so it is worth checking before you set out.
Check the days each coffee house is open, pick your evening accordingly, and if your dates allow, time your visit to the week of La Xiqueñada.