Zacatlán, Tepoztlán, Oaxaca & Atlixco
Apr 2nd, 2023, 11:02 PM
#1
Original Poster
Zacatlán, Tepoztlán, Oaxaca & Atlixco
This was a trip we had in the works for a while. We wanted to visit friends we'd known for years in Oaxaca plus some friends that recently moved to Tepoztlán from San Miguel.
Since I don't really like to drive more than 4 hours a day, our first night was in Huichapan, Hidalgo, a Pueblo Mágico we'd driven by, but never visited. It's a pleasant enough city as most PM's usually are. I didn't take many pictures because there really wasn't anything outstanding about Huichapan, other than the typical: Some nice churches, some colonial architecture, clean plaza. For most travelers, I don't think it would be good as a destination city, but for us it was a perfect place to spend a night on the way to somewhere else. It was only 2 hours from San Miguel, and 4 hours or so to Zacatlán de Las Manzanas, our next stop.
Huichapan
Huichapan again
We originally wanted to visit Cuetzalan, a place we've heard much about and has been on our radar for some time now. But it was going to be too far out of the way to other places we wanted to visit. When we travel Mexico, we try to include Pueblo Mágicos on our itinerary, either as a destination or for an overnight stop on the way to somewhere else. On occasion, PM's disappoint, but Zacatlán was not one of those times. It is an absolutely lovely city, and its setting on the rim of the Barranca del Jilguero (Goldfinch Canyon) is simply a stunning sight. As one might guess from the name of the town, one of its claims to fame is the harvest and production of apples & apple related products. Another is that it is home to the oldest clock factory in Latin America, Relojes Centenario. The canyon can be foggy, giving the town an eery ambiance at times, not unlike other areas in the Sierra Norte. Our first morning that was the case, but the next day was fog free. Which was the day we planned to see the Tuliman falls, one of the taller waterfalls in Mexico. To take it all in, you really need to see them from both the top & the bottom. There are 365 stairs down the mountain to take in the upper part of the falls. The lower part is a pretty flat walk once you get to the parking area if you're in a taxi or have your own vehicle. Otherwise, it's a pretty long walk down the access road. In Zacatlán itself, you'll find attractive colonial architecture, tile roofs, and whitewashed walls ubiquitous to the area. One interesting feature was the long, painstakingly & intricately tiled, continuous mural, depicting various aspects of both the religous & secular aspects of life in Mexico. My phone camera really didn't do it justice, so I downloaded the attached pics. Summing it up, Zacatlán is an absolutely beautiful town, well worth the effort to visit.
Lower Tuliman Falls
Upper falls
View of Goldfinch Barranca from the mirador
Tiled mural
Apple stuff
Next stop was Chignahuapan, where we essentially just ended up doing a drive-by. We wanted to spend at least a couple of hours there, but the place was swarming with van loads of older ladies shopping (I assume) for Christmas ornaments and the like since it was December. Traffic was heavy and we couldn't even find a place to park. It's a center for such products, as there are a number of glass blowing fábricas dedicated to the craft. Maybe next trip to the area we'll get to spend more time there, but it didn't look as attractive (to us) as Zacatlán. But again, maybe that was because we didn't spend enough time there, other than being stuck in traffic. Also unsuccessfully tried to park to find an ATM for cash for the toll roads to Puebla & Tepoztlan.
Next 'drive-by' was Tlaxco, Tlaxcala, where we did successfully access an ATM. While I realize a drive-by is nothing like spending a night or 2, it does kind of give me a feel if it's a place I'd want to return to for a longer visit or for more research. Tlaxco looked nice enough, but similar to Huichapan, I don't know if I'd make it a destination town. At least according to what additional research I did.
Next stop, Tepoztlán, Morelos. It's a place we've always been curious about, and since some long time expat friends recently moved there, it was a good excuse to go. The town is known, for lack of a better description, for it's "energy". Thus it attracts an eclectic mix of visitors, from those looking for some sort of spiritual experience to those looking to provide it. There was a bit of an indigenous influence, but that seemed mostly to be in the form of those offering cures & potions or foods supposedly of indigenous origins. I have to admit, other than its setting near the mountains, which was beautiful, we didn't much care for the place. Really packed with people on the weekends, and it lacked the colonial ambiance of other Pueblos Magicos. Plus I guess I'm Too Old for New Age.
Next stop, Oaxaca, where we've been many times. We arrived late Saturday afternoon and after resting up a bit, decided to have dinner at Danzantes, one our favorite restaurants in Oaxaca. Our Airbnb was about 8 blocks from the Zócalo, so we decided to drive. Mistake. The city was packed with people & cars. Parking lots were full, and incredibly enough, I found a spot on the street about 2 blocks from Santo Domingo. Walked to the restaurant, only to find it not open to the public because it was rented out for a wedding reception. Walked back outside figuring there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. But we took one look at the throngs of people on Macedonio Alcalá and decided to eat upstairs from Danzantes. It was some type of German restaurant, whose name escapes me. I had a turkey sando, not exactly what you look for while in Oaxaca. I don't remember what my wife had. Noise from the reception below us was loud. I can honestly say, that as many times as we've been to Oaxaca, I've never seen it so crowded. And it wasn't even a holiday weekend. But we've never been during Guelaguetza or DoD or Semana Santa. Having been there a number of times, we didn't do the typical touristy stuff. Went to Benito Juarez market, stocked up on coffee from Grano De Oro, and some creama de mezcal. We did enjoy the orchestra on Sunday in the Zocalo. Although we miss when the State Marimba band used to play. Also people watching at Cafe Terranova, enjoying Nachos Terranova and cold Negra Modelo on tap. We had a couple meals in Reforma rather than in centro, and another at the home of friends. A major disappointment was how what once was considered the most beautiful Zocalo in all of Mexico, is now literally half occupied by tacky vendor's stalls as is half of the adjacent Alameda. I think what happened is that after the 2001 teacher's strike, various factions sympathetic to the teacher's union occupied the portales in front of the Presidencia as a continued protest of their issues. The govt just let them stay, not having the political will to evict them. But they didn't give in either. So they (protesters) just stayed instead of going to work. So they started selling stuff to support themselves. And it snowballed from there. At least that's what I think. Then there was the garbage situation. Friends told us that the landfill where Oaxaca's trash was taken was closed. And the garbage workers then went on strike. So trash just piled up on street corners until it could be hauled away. Oaxaca is nothing if not unpredictable.
Sad scene from the Zócalo
Next stop, Atlixco, Puebla on the return trip to San Miguel. Somehow, we just never managed visit this Pueblo Mágico, but so glad we made time for it this trip. Known as the "City of Flowers" for it's commercial flower industry. It's not far from the outskirts of Puebla, so it would be well worth a stop or day trip if you're in the bigger city. First impression was that it was absolutely charming. Beautiful Zócalo, streets lined with baskets of flowers, plus a good view of Popo. We stayed a Casa de la Audiencia, a 1500's vintage building restored as a luxury hotel. Often on our road trips we try to splurge at least 1 night somewhere. We did that here. We only planned on one night, but liked the town so much we stayed an extra night. Nice shared terrace overlooking the Zócalo, but surprisingly quiet. The hotel withstood the 2017 earthquake with minor damage. Other buildings are still being repaired and thus still have some scaffolding. We seriously gave thought to making a move to Atlixco, but decided that at our age, it might be a bit too much.
The coolest Italian Coffee Company in Mexico
Our hotel terrace
Mole Poblano & Pibil pizza
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Since I don't really like to drive more than 4 hours a day, our first night was in Huichapan, Hidalgo, a Pueblo Mágico we'd driven by, but never visited. It's a pleasant enough city as most PM's usually are. I didn't take many pictures because there really wasn't anything outstanding about Huichapan, other than the typical: Some nice churches, some colonial architecture, clean plaza. For most travelers, I don't think it would be good as a destination city, but for us it was a perfect place to spend a night on the way to somewhere else. It was only 2 hours from San Miguel, and 4 hours or so to Zacatlán de Las Manzanas, our next stop.
Huichapan
Huichapan again
We originally wanted to visit Cuetzalan, a place we've heard much about and has been on our radar for some time now. But it was going to be too far out of the way to other places we wanted to visit. When we travel Mexico, we try to include Pueblo Mágicos on our itinerary, either as a destination or for an overnight stop on the way to somewhere else. On occasion, PM's disappoint, but Zacatlán was not one of those times. It is an absolutely lovely city, and its setting on the rim of the Barranca del Jilguero (Goldfinch Canyon) is simply a stunning sight. As one might guess from the name of the town, one of its claims to fame is the harvest and production of apples & apple related products. Another is that it is home to the oldest clock factory in Latin America, Relojes Centenario. The canyon can be foggy, giving the town an eery ambiance at times, not unlike other areas in the Sierra Norte. Our first morning that was the case, but the next day was fog free. Which was the day we planned to see the Tuliman falls, one of the taller waterfalls in Mexico. To take it all in, you really need to see them from both the top & the bottom. There are 365 stairs down the mountain to take in the upper part of the falls. The lower part is a pretty flat walk once you get to the parking area if you're in a taxi or have your own vehicle. Otherwise, it's a pretty long walk down the access road. In Zacatlán itself, you'll find attractive colonial architecture, tile roofs, and whitewashed walls ubiquitous to the area. One interesting feature was the long, painstakingly & intricately tiled, continuous mural, depicting various aspects of both the religous & secular aspects of life in Mexico. My phone camera really didn't do it justice, so I downloaded the attached pics. Summing it up, Zacatlán is an absolutely beautiful town, well worth the effort to visit.
Lower Tuliman Falls
Upper falls
View of Goldfinch Barranca from the mirador
Tiled mural
Apple stuff
Next stop was Chignahuapan, where we essentially just ended up doing a drive-by. We wanted to spend at least a couple of hours there, but the place was swarming with van loads of older ladies shopping (I assume) for Christmas ornaments and the like since it was December. Traffic was heavy and we couldn't even find a place to park. It's a center for such products, as there are a number of glass blowing fábricas dedicated to the craft. Maybe next trip to the area we'll get to spend more time there, but it didn't look as attractive (to us) as Zacatlán. But again, maybe that was because we didn't spend enough time there, other than being stuck in traffic. Also unsuccessfully tried to park to find an ATM for cash for the toll roads to Puebla & Tepoztlan.
Next 'drive-by' was Tlaxco, Tlaxcala, where we did successfully access an ATM. While I realize a drive-by is nothing like spending a night or 2, it does kind of give me a feel if it's a place I'd want to return to for a longer visit or for more research. Tlaxco looked nice enough, but similar to Huichapan, I don't know if I'd make it a destination town. At least according to what additional research I did.
Next stop, Tepoztlán, Morelos. It's a place we've always been curious about, and since some long time expat friends recently moved there, it was a good excuse to go. The town is known, for lack of a better description, for it's "energy". Thus it attracts an eclectic mix of visitors, from those looking for some sort of spiritual experience to those looking to provide it. There was a bit of an indigenous influence, but that seemed mostly to be in the form of those offering cures & potions or foods supposedly of indigenous origins. I have to admit, other than its setting near the mountains, which was beautiful, we didn't much care for the place. Really packed with people on the weekends, and it lacked the colonial ambiance of other Pueblos Magicos. Plus I guess I'm Too Old for New Age.
Next stop, Oaxaca, where we've been many times. We arrived late Saturday afternoon and after resting up a bit, decided to have dinner at Danzantes, one our favorite restaurants in Oaxaca. Our Airbnb was about 8 blocks from the Zócalo, so we decided to drive. Mistake. The city was packed with people & cars. Parking lots were full, and incredibly enough, I found a spot on the street about 2 blocks from Santo Domingo. Walked to the restaurant, only to find it not open to the public because it was rented out for a wedding reception. Walked back outside figuring there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. But we took one look at the throngs of people on Macedonio Alcalá and decided to eat upstairs from Danzantes. It was some type of German restaurant, whose name escapes me. I had a turkey sando, not exactly what you look for while in Oaxaca. I don't remember what my wife had. Noise from the reception below us was loud. I can honestly say, that as many times as we've been to Oaxaca, I've never seen it so crowded. And it wasn't even a holiday weekend. But we've never been during Guelaguetza or DoD or Semana Santa. Having been there a number of times, we didn't do the typical touristy stuff. Went to Benito Juarez market, stocked up on coffee from Grano De Oro, and some creama de mezcal. We did enjoy the orchestra on Sunday in the Zocalo. Although we miss when the State Marimba band used to play. Also people watching at Cafe Terranova, enjoying Nachos Terranova and cold Negra Modelo on tap. We had a couple meals in Reforma rather than in centro, and another at the home of friends. A major disappointment was how what once was considered the most beautiful Zocalo in all of Mexico, is now literally half occupied by tacky vendor's stalls as is half of the adjacent Alameda. I think what happened is that after the 2001 teacher's strike, various factions sympathetic to the teacher's union occupied the portales in front of the Presidencia as a continued protest of their issues. The govt just let them stay, not having the political will to evict them. But they didn't give in either. So they (protesters) just stayed instead of going to work. So they started selling stuff to support themselves. And it snowballed from there. At least that's what I think. Then there was the garbage situation. Friends told us that the landfill where Oaxaca's trash was taken was closed. And the garbage workers then went on strike. So trash just piled up on street corners until it could be hauled away. Oaxaca is nothing if not unpredictable.
Sad scene from the Zócalo
Next stop, Atlixco, Puebla on the return trip to San Miguel. Somehow, we just never managed visit this Pueblo Mágico, but so glad we made time for it this trip. Known as the "City of Flowers" for it's commercial flower industry. It's not far from the outskirts of Puebla, so it would be well worth a stop or day trip if you're in the bigger city. First impression was that it was absolutely charming. Beautiful Zócalo, streets lined with baskets of flowers, plus a good view of Popo. We stayed a Casa de la Audiencia, a 1500's vintage building restored as a luxury hotel. Often on our road trips we try to splurge at least 1 night somewhere. We did that here. We only planned on one night, but liked the town so much we stayed an extra night. Nice shared terrace overlooking the Zócalo, but surprisingly quiet. The hotel withstood the 2017 earthquake with minor damage. Other buildings are still being repaired and thus still have some scaffolding. We seriously gave thought to making a move to Atlixco, but decided that at our age, it might be a bit too much.
The coolest Italian Coffee Company in Mexico
Our hotel terrace
Mole Poblano & Pibil pizza
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Last edited by baldone; Apr 2nd, 2023 at 11:32 PM.
Apr 3rd, 2023, 10:30 AM
#3
Interesting report highlighting some unfamiliar (to me) places, nice photos too. I was also disappointed in the Zocalo in Oaxaca compared to my first visit twenty years ago. Back then it seemed like the dream version of Mexico, but on our last visit it was kind of neglected and overrun. Our fault for not getting back sooner!
Apr 4th, 2023, 03:33 AM
#5
Thanks for a lovely trip report! That tiled mural - wow!
When we were in Oaxaca (first time) 1 1/2 months ago, I don’t recall the garbage being that bad. Perhaps it was, but we just didn’t notice it. It’s true, the Zocalo was sometimes busy with political activity and speeches during the day (and we were told that these were the teachers), though not sure if the vendors were also teachers. I don’t know, the political activity seemed to make the Zocalo a living central place, which appealed to me.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth. Thanks for your continued explorations of Mexico!
When we were in Oaxaca (first time) 1 1/2 months ago, I don’t recall the garbage being that bad. Perhaps it was, but we just didn’t notice it. It’s true, the Zocalo was sometimes busy with political activity and speeches during the day (and we were told that these were the teachers), though not sure if the vendors were also teachers. I don’t know, the political activity seemed to make the Zocalo a living central place, which appealed to me.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth. Thanks for your continued explorations of Mexico!
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