Xalapa is a college town that enjoys some fine colonial architecture as well as a nice climate in the highlands above the hot and humid Veracruz coast. It is a hilly town with a smart population hence it is sometimes considered to be the San Francisco of Mexico. Home to a considerable number of expatriates and foreign exchange students, the town really isn't on the typical backpacker/tourist path through Mexico. http://wikitravel.org/en/Xalapa