Catemaco () is a city in the south of the Mexican state of Veracruz. It serves as the municipal seat for the municipality of the same name. The city is located on Lake Catemaco, with the municipality stretching north to the Gulf of Mexico. Catemaco is a tourist destination, with its main attractions being the lake, remnants of the region's rainforest and a tradition of sorcery/witchcraft that has its roots in the pre-colonial period and is mostly practiced by men. This tradition is well-known in Mexico and attracts clients from various walks of life, including businessmen and national-level politicians. Catemaco holds an annual event in March dedicated to sorcery, which can draw up to 5,000 visitors.
The city
left|thumb|Breakwater/boardwalk along Lake Catemaco
The city of Catemaco is located in southern Veracruz, about 160 km from the port of Veracruz and 220 km from the state capital at Xalapa. It is located inland, extending 2.5 km along the shore of Lake Catemaco, a large freshwater lake, which is one of the city's main tourist attractions, along with its cuisine and its tradition of sorcery. The city's docks are located in the center of this area, classified as a fishing and tourism port by the federal government. Most of the boat traffic is for tourism, especially during vacation periods. This basilica contains an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been credited with miracles. The history of magical practices here extends back to the pre-Hispanic period and may have survived because of its relative isolation, but Lake Catemaco is said to emit a kind of energy, along with the Mono Blanco Mountain that rises above it.
Although the sorcery is a main attraction, it is not promoted as part of Halloween or Day of the Dead. There have been disputes among the practitioners over clients, tourism, and who leads the rites at the annual gathering. There has also been controversy related to those who sacrifice animals or petition Santa Muerte or the Devil. Another but less likely idea is that Catemaco is from Nahuatl cal-temactli ‘a house/houses that is/are given to someone’. Caltemaco would then be the nonactive form of the verb.
From the 16th century, the area was part of the province of Santiago Tuxtla, which became a municipality after Independence. The city itself was founded in 1774. In 1881, it officially became a town and in 1966 it was declared a city.