Cuetzalan
Pueblo MáGico / Sierra Norte De Puebla · Cuetzalan, Puebla
A cobbled mountain town in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, about 900 metres up where the highlands fall away toward the Gulf. It rains or drizzles most of the year and the streets are steep enough to hurt, so bring grippy shoes. Cuetzalan is Nahua and Totonac country and it is a working town, not a museum: on Sunday people come down from the surrounding villages to trade in the market in their own dress, and the large Tosepan cooperative is genuinely owned by the coffee and pepper growers. Women voladoras take part in the flying rite here, which is unusual in a tradition that is overwhelmingly male. The zocalo is the flattest ground in town and the pole stands there. Around Cuetzalan are caves, waterfalls, coffee farms and Yohualichan, a quiet Totonac ruin with niched pyramids in the El Tajin style. It is three and a half hours from Puebla on a winding mountain road, so a day trip does not work. Stay Saturday night.
Zócalo, Cuetzalan del Progreso, Cuetzalan, Puebla, 73560, Mexico
An open town - free, no gate. ⚠ THE SUNDAY MARKET IS THE REASON TO TIME A VISIT: it starts early and thins by early afternoon, so arrive Saturday night. ⚠ THE VOLADORES - INCLUDING WOMEN FLYERS, WHICH IS UNUSUAL - PERFORM AT THE ZÓCALO at set times, especially at weekends and festivals; ask locally, and give properly when the hat is passed. Yohualichan archaeological site, 20 minutes away, keeps INAH daytime hours; INAH Sunday free admission applies to Mexican nationals and residents only. ⚠ THE CAVES AND WATERFALLS ARE COMMUNITY-RUN, each charging its own fee, and several require a guide - conditions change with the rain. ⚠ THE STREETS ARE WET COBBLES ON EXTREME GRADIENTS and there is no level route through the town; falls are the commonest injury. ⚠ IT RAINS ALMOST ALL YEAR at about 900 metres in cloud forest - bring warm waterproof clothing whatever the month. ⚠ IT IS 3.5 HOURS OF WINDING MOUNTAIN ROAD FROM PUEBLA. ⚠ HOURS AND PRICES NOT VERIFIED FOR THIS FILE.