Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Tlatlauquitepec is a Pueblo Mágico in the green hills of northern Puebla, and its appeal is the landscape around it more than the town itself. Rivers drop into aquamarine pools, waterfalls sit at the end of forest trails and cloud forest covers the slopes.
The name comes from Nahuatl words meaning "hill that colors", and the surrounding country does feel vividly green.
Come for rivers, waterfalls, caves and climbing rather than for museums or grand colonial streets. Wikivoyage is frank that the town is small and sees few visitors, which is exactly why the trails and swimming spots feel quiet.
Because services are limited, the smartest approach is to treat Tlatlauquitepec as the outdoor core of a wider Sierra Norte trip, linking it with the market towns of Teziutlán and Cuetzalan, which have more places to eat and sleep.
The 18th century neoclassical church on Calle Benito Juárez is simple and bright inside, with a single nave and two belfries, one noticeably larger than the other. It is modest rather than spectacular, so allow about twenty minutes.
The town is too small for a permanent market, but on Sundays local farmers fill the main plaza with fresh produce in a traditional tianguis. It is the best moment to see the town at its liveliest and to buy fruit for a picnic.
The 18th century church of Santa María Magdalena has two belfries of different sizes. Photo: Peterxolotl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
This mountain is the area's adventure hub. Climbers and mountain bikers use its slopes, and cavers explore the natural caves that run deep into the rock.
Cerro Cabezón draws rock climbers, mountain bikers and cavers. Photo: Mama-ines, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Drive as close to the falls as the road allows, then walk through rain forest for about thirty minutes to reach tall, impressive falls.
A scenic stretch of river where narrow side streams carve small chutes and waterfalls into pools of aquamarine water. After parking you walk a rocky trail down to the river for ten to fifteen minutes.
The visitor centre in the rain forest has exhibits on the local ecosystem and rents bikes and horses for the backcountry trails. It is the easiest place to learn what you are looking at before you head out.
Cloud forest covers the slopes around Tlatlauquitepec and Teziutlán. Photo: John Leszczynski from Washington, DC, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Teziutlán is a larger Pueblo Mágico in the highlands of western Puebla. Its 1952 cathedral is built of pink limestone with neoclassical and baroque touches, and the Teatro Victoria, dating from 1882, has French influences and a colorful past as a ballroom, circus and cinema.
The Teziutlán cathedral was built in 1952 from pink limestone. Photo: Ehécatl Cabrera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This 18th century church has four identical bell towers, which Wikivoyage describes as unique in Latin America. On July 6 a procession carries the Virgin through town.
Nine natural springs feed clear, cold pools in a small park near Teziutlán. Swimming is allowed and vendors sell snacks.
Nine natural springs feed the cold pools at Chignautla. Photo: Mama-ines, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cuetzalan, another Pueblo Mágico further into the Sierra Norte, has jungle waterfalls and coffee plantations. The best known is La Cascada de las Brisas, reached by a trail from the end of a jeep road.
La Cascada de las Brisas lies in the jungle around Cuetzalan. Photo: Adam Jones, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Be ready to eat outside town, because Wikivoyage reports no restaurants in Tlatlauquitepec itself. Pack lunch from the Sunday market and plan meals in Teziutlán or Puebla.
In Teziutlán, Mercado Victoria is a good place to try tlacoyos, and the versions stuffed with chickpeas are a local favorite. Puebla state is home to mole poblano, a sauce built from chilies, fruit, nuts and spices that you can find in regional restaurants. The Sierra Norte is also a coffee-growing region, so try a cup of café de la Sierra Norte when you stop in a town cafe.
Popular dishes to try in Tlatlauquitepec
Wikivoyage reports no hotels in Tlatlauquitepec, so base yourself elsewhere and check locally for any rooms or cabins that have opened.
Teziutlán is the most practical choice: it has a range of hotels, restaurants and a bus terminal, and it suits travelers who want services and an early start. Cuetzalan is better for visitors who want a more atmospheric mountain town with cobbled streets, handicraft markets and waterfalls, though it is farther.
Where to stay in Tlatlauquitepec
The Sierra Norte is one of the rainiest parts of Puebla, and heavy rain can make streams torrential and trails slippery.
Mornings are often foggy around Teziutlán, which is among the foggiest places in Mexico, so start early. Festival dates add colour: Teziutlán holds its largest fair in the first weeks of August, and the Carmen procession takes place on July 6.
Autobuses Via runs frequent buses from the CAPU terminal in Puebla to Tlatlauquitepec, leaving about every fifteen minutes on a journey of roughly two hours. Teziutlán is about two and a half hours from CAPU on the same company, and ADO also runs first-class buses there.
Most visitors fly into Mexico City and continue by bus. A rental car or a hired driver makes the trailheads much easier, because waterfalls and pools involve driving as close as possible and then walking.
Take an early bus from Puebla to Tlatlauquitepec. Visit the church, then head to the pools at Tlacayotlan y Quiquiyahuac for a swim.
Hike to Cascada de Puxtla Tepantzol with plenty of water, then stop at the cloud forest visitor centre.
See the cathedral, the Teatro Victoria and the Carmen church in Teziutlán, then cool off at the Chignautla springs.
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