The most important port in the Mexican Northeast is called Tampico and is located to the south of Tamaulipas State on Mexico's east coast. It is located alongside Rio Panuco, through which it has access to the Gulf of Mexico.

The original residents of the "“water dogs"” land, referring to the otters that inhabited these lands during the prehispanic era, were the Huasteca tribes. In the XVI the zone alongside Rio Panuco was constantly threatened by pirate attacks and so in 1532 Franciscan missionary Friar Andres de Olmos offered the natives his protection and thus started the evangelization and "“transformation"” of Indian lifestyle.

On the 26th of April 1554, the Villa San Luis de Tampico was founded with the construction of a Franciscan convent under the guidance of Friar de Olmos; however, pirate attacks still continued so the population eventually decided moving to a safer place alongside Rio Tamesi for founding the town of Tampico Joya.

With the development of the Colony, the region's abundance of salt mines and its strategic coastal position, the region surrounding Tampico started to develop commerce and soon needed a customs house in the area of the original villa. This is why in the year 1823, modern Tampico was founded.

The quick peak of the new port gave it a leading role in great events of the country's history, here is where Mexico's first pharmacy opened its doors, Farmacias Fénix; and it is also here where the first Spanish Beneficence hospital was inaugurated, in the XIX century.

A century later, being the first continued and Tampico started operating the first Mexican airline, called Mexicana de Aviación, still functioning; as well as the first soft drink bottling plant of the country, Coca Cola Bottling Plant, also still active.

Currently, the modern port of Tampico communicates Mexico's northeast with the world and is one of the country's most important customs house.

Tampico has a humid tropical climate with an average temperature of 75.2º F, reaching 98.6º F in the summer. Rainfall occurs during July and the last trimester of the year is a constant victim of strong winds from the north that can transform into devastating cyclones.

In addition to its commercial vocation and port services, the city of Tampico has undergone great efforts to develop another important industry, the tourism industry. Because of this, the government allocates numerous resources to the development of tourist attractions as sports fishing and ecotourism activities.