Tlayacapan

About Tlayacapan

Tlayacapan is a small town in northern Morelos at the foot of rugged volcanic hills. Its sixteenth-century Augustinian monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the early monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, and the town is dotted with chapels that once served its individual neighborhoods. Pottery making and festival traditions remain central to local life.

The Ex-convento de San Juan Bautista is the main landmark, a fortress-like complex whose museum displays frescoes and other colonial-era finds. La Cerería, a former candle workshop, now operates as a museum and cultural center. Walking the streets reveals a remarkable number of small chapels, including El Rosario, Santa Ana, La Exaltación and Santiago, the last of which sits in an area long associated with potters. The Plaza del Alfarero and the shops along Calle Emilio Carranza sell clay pots, cookware and decorative pieces, and the Museo del Alfarero explains the craft.

Tlayacapan claims a role in the origins of the chinelo dance, whose masked, costumed performers fill the streets during Carnival. Outside festival days the town is calm and unhurried, suiting travelers who enjoy architecture and crafts. It combines easily with Tepoztlán or Oaxtepec. Weekends bring more visitors and food stalls.