The Northeastern state of Tamaulipas is one of the most prosperous states in Mexico. Its original name "Tamaholipa" has become a controversy among the experts. Some say it means "Place of prayer", while others believe it means "Place of high mountains". Facing the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the East, and bordering Texas to the North, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí to the South, and Nuevo León to the West, Tamaulipas is the cross road between Northeastern and Central Mexico. In colonial times, the state was part of the Spanish province of Nueva Santander, which included Southeastern Texas. Tamaulipas boasts a poweful economy based on oil, cattle, agriculture an tourism.

Another "norteño" marvel is the biosphere reserve of El Cielo (The Heavens), located in the southeastern part of the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, amidst the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. Declared an international biosphere reserve by the United Nations in 1987, the 284,000-acre reserve boasts the northernmost cloud forest in the North American continent.Activities abound for nature lovers, including kayaking, boat trips, rappel, bird-watching, mountain cycling and camping. Forty varieties of orchids can be found here, mostly within the cloud forest zone between 800 and 1400m. The reserve is also habitat to half the bird species in Mexico and 40 kinds of bats. The paths and roads are ideal for mountain cycling, where you can appreciate the beautiful landscapes while taking in some clean air.
Each year, the state of Tamaulipas hosts the El Cielo International Nature Festival to be held next on Feb. 19-22, 2006. Hundreds of visitors gather to interact with nature, enjoy dance performances, art and photo exhibits, as well as participate in workshops and conferences dedicated to the topic of nature and its preservation. Festival proceeds go towards the conservation and sustainable development of rural communities within the El Cielo Biosphere.
The Metropolitan Zone (Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira) retains most of the tourism since it is the only place in Mexico and one of the fewest in the world that has two seaports so closet o each other: Port of Tampico (commercial activities) and Port of Altamira (industrial activities). The main water bodies in this area are the Tamesi and Panuco Rivers, and the Cairel, Champayan, and Vega Escondida Lagoons. It is also an excellent place for recreation: water parks such as Lagartomania, Paradise Beach, and El Solito, a natural reserve where different animal species live in their natural habitat, and amusement parks such as Venturerland and Hollywood Park.