La Malinche National Park

A Dormant Volcano Of About 4,461 M Rising From The Tlaxcala Puebla Plateau, A National Park (1938) With Pine Forest, A Holiday Centre At The Base And A Long Summit Hike Across A Grassy Cone, Often Snowless. Popular With Climbers Acclimatising For The Higher Volcanoes And With Weekend Walkers From Puebla And Tlaxcala · Huamantla, Tlaxcala

La Malinche is a dormant volcano of about 4,461 m rising from the plateau on the Tlaxcala and Puebla border, in a national park of pine forest and high grass. The road ends near the Centro Vacacional Malintzi, a holiday centre with cabins and camping on the mountain's flank, and from there the summit hike is a long, steady climb that commonly takes five to seven hours up across open slopes and a cinder cone. Views reach the big volcanoes of Popocatepetl and Pico de Orizaba on clear mornings. Altitude is the real challenge: the climb starts high, and headaches and nausea are common. Winds are cold, snow is possible in winter, and there is no water on the mountain. It suits fit walkers, climbers acclimatising before Pico de Orizaba or Popocatepetl, and weekend families who stay low. It is worth the detour if you want a long day on a big mountain; it is not for anyone who dislikes cold, thin air or early starts. Access is from Huamantla or Puebla.

La Malinche volcano, about 25 km south of Huamantla on the Tlaxcala-Puebla border, reached from the Centro Vacacional Malintzi; coordinates approximate, Huamantla, Tlaxcala, Mexico

The mountain itself has no fixed hours, but the road gate and the holiday centre keep daytime hours, and summit hikers usually start before dawn to finish before afternoon clouds and storms. Walking in the forest and low meadows is FREE apart from any park entry or parking charge. The Malintzi centre reception is open most days but may be CLOSED on some weekdays or in the low season, so confirm before you drive up. The upper slopes are CLOSED in practice by lightning, snow and ice, and anyone still above the tree line at dusk is in danger. Parking areas are not guarded at night.

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