The town of San Rafael was founded as part of a colonization effort by French immigrants in the first half of the 19th century.

[1] Another indicator is French style names on some of the businesses, as well as a European style local bread sold in stores called “pan de agua.” The entrance to the town from the highway is marked by the Plaza del Reloj (Clock Square).

It contains a collection of tools, utensils, photographs and more related to the immigrants as well as a room with pre Hispanic artifacts from the region.

[2] The descendants of these immigrants still make cheese and a type of bread locally known as “pan de agua.” Much of the food served here is French influenced.

[2] The hotel in the main building has a total of nine rooms all with private terraces and antique furnishing details.

Other amenities include massages, private chapel, pool, in-house French movies, event hall for 120 people, and tours to a local archeological site and Jicaltepec.

[3] As municipal seat, the town of San Rafael is the local governing authorities for various other communities, which cover a territory of 291.14km2.

[1] The most important community outside of San Rafael proper is Jicaltepec just across the Bobos River from the municipal seat.

[2] The Capitaine Drouaillet Family Museum is located on the Nautla-Jicaltepec road in a community called La Peña.

Unlike Mexican churches, the stained glass windows do not have images of human figures because of French religious beliefs.

[2] The first group of French arrived in 1833 due to one of Mexico's first efforts to attract European immigration to Veracruz.

While visiting Mexico he met another Frenchmen, Dr. Chabert, who convinced him to buy a large plot of land in Jicaltepec.

Many others left too, but enough stayed on and decided to divide the land into private ranches to survive, but they remained a more-or-less isolated community in the Nautla region.

For the next thirty years, the goal was survival, but from the mid 19th century the colony began to grow as they learned to exploit native crops such as corn and vanilla, with the latter exported to France.

The colony grew as the French acquired more land and by the 1890s possessed about 23,000 hectares, with about one quarter cultivated and the rest pasture.

The Revolution changed the community as foreign presence and especially land ownership was seen as a threat to Mexico, rather as something to help it develop, meaning that “being French” no longer had advantages.

While they still held economic power and still were innovating, for example introducing banana production during this time, they needed to integrate more with the local mestizo elite in order to preserve their lands and businesses.

[1] These French introduced modern methods of pollinating vanilla to Mexico which they then exported to France for many years.

The municipality has partnered with the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana to study and remedy environmental problems in the area.