Ixtenco

Ixtenco is a small, historic town with a rich Otomi indigenous heritage in the Central Mexico state of Tlaxcala. The town has an idyllic colonial core with 16th century churches, cobblestone streets, and a colorful main plaza. It is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos.

Understand

Hacienda Soltepec

The town was originally settled by the Otomo indigenous people. Around the 14th century, it was subsumed by the Tlaxcalan culture. The Tlaxcalan are a Nahuatl-speaking Mexica group that are distinct from the Aztec. When the Spanish colonized Central Mexico, they took over Ixtenco in 1531 and began the process of turning it into a Spanish colonial town by building churches and haciendas. Two churches in Ixtenco date from the 16th century: the parish church of San Juan Bautisto and the Virgin of Guadalupe Chapel. The latter was built by missionaries of the Franciscan order.

The town had several nearby haciendas during Mexico's colonial period. Hacienda San Antonio was a former coffee plantation that now has a 5,000 hectare ranch. It is an exclusive upscale luxury hotel that has been featured in top hotel lists from Conde Nast (so definitely not a place with cheap backpacker digs). Southeast of town in the municipality of Zitlatepec is Hacienda San Juan Bautista, which was a former cattle ranch and where some of old hacienda structures still stand. Hacienda Santiago Ovando hosts weddings and special events with a comfortable hotel and tours of the historic property, which is becoming known for its series of colorful murals. Hacienda Soltepec operates as a comfortable hotel with accessible rates. It is an historic property with an imposing medieval castle-like architecture.

Get in

By plane

The closest airport is in Puebla, though Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City is also convenient and will offer much more flight options. From the airport, you could take a bus (recommended), rent a car and drive, or take a taxi or Uber.

By bus

ATAH operates a bus station for Ixtenco about 5 km north of town. Though it is in the municipality of Huamantla, it's a lot closer to Ixtenco than it is to Huamantla. From Ixtenco, ATAH operates hourly buses to Mexico City (TAPO and Autobuses del Norte) and occasional buses to Tlaxcala and Puebla. Autobuses Texcoco Sierra Plus also has routes from Mexico City. A bus from TAPO to the Huamantla station takes 2 hours 15 minutes and costs about M$250. A bus from Puebla CAPU takes about 50 minutes and costs about M$200.

By car

The drive from Puebla to Ixtenco is via a modern highway with tolls. From Puebla, drive northeast on federal highway MEX-140D for about 30 km, then exit to the north on federal highway 136 into Ixtenco.

Get around

The historic downtown area is perfect for casual walking and is the best way to get to know the town.. There is a taxi sitio at Plaza de la Constitucion if you want to explore some of the places outside the town.

See

Church of San Juan Buatista as seen from the main plaza

• 1 Parroquia San Juan Bautista (Church of St John the Baptist), Plaza de la Constitucion, Centro. The town's main church was built in the 17th century as a large imposing baroque structure with a large stone tower and a somewhat smaller stucco bell tower. Inside, the church contains several 400-year-old paintings and sculptures and an imposing gold altar. 

• 2 Plaza de la Constitucion (Zocalo, Plaza Principal), Plaza de la Constitucion 15, Centro. The town's main plaza is a large urban park with towering shade trees, sculpted shrubbery, a large central bandstand (kiosco), and plenty of benches to sit and people watch for a few hours. On weekends, food vendors set up stands selling cool drinks, fried churros, tacos and various regional treats. 

Mural made of seeds for Day of the Dead

• 3 Casa de la Cultura Yumhu, Juan Ponce de Leon, Centro, ☏ +52 247 174 1073. Daily 09:00 - 16:00. Small regional museum that focuses on Otomi indigenous culture with an emphasis on corn (one of the historic "three sisters" whose cultivation enabled civilization in ancient Mexico). Exhibits include a large number of local artworks, particularly the murals created each year for the town's corn fesival. Guided tours are available (in Spanish) and recommended since the museum has few explanatory signs to help visitors understand what they're seeing. Free. 

Do

• Hike - nearby mountains offer rich opportunities for backcountry hiking with some of the longest and most challenging trails being the routes up to the top of La Malinche (the volcano and its surrounding is a national park)

• 1 Xalapasco. The 2700-meter high volcano is locally referred to as "man of 10 craters" because it offers spectacular views of nearby volcanoes, including 6 that are close enough to explore on a single hike. From Ixtenco, take a cab (or walk) 2½ kilometers west of town to the trailhead. From there, it is an easy ascent on a well marked, groomed trail to the summit. 

Festivals

• Fiesta de Maiz (Fiesta de Matuma, Corn Fair) - June 23-24. The town's corn festival is the biggest celebration of the year and reflects ancient Otomi traditions. Preparations for the festival take place days before the festival itself as locals make colorful "carpets" in city streets using colored grains of corn. Other artworks depicting or using corn are also put on display. The evening of June 23 a procession begins at the Church of San Juan Bautista where a statue of St John is taken out of the church to lead the parade, which winds through the town's streets along the carpets that have been prepared for the event. June 24 is the more secular celebration with traditional music and dance, people dressed in traditional Otomi garb, regional food and drink, and a midway full of games and rides.

Eat

Traditional Tlaxcalan regional specialties can be sampled in the local marketplace or local restaurants. The most famous dish in this town is mole de ladrillo which is flavored with guajillo chiles, cilantro, and cinnamon.

• 1 La Casa Antigua, Pl. de La Constitución 11, San Juan Primero, ☏ +52 247 174 1222. Daily 09:00 - 20:00. Traditional family-run restaurant serving regional dishes. Some dishes, like moles and guisadas rotate seasonally. Known for their chile en nogada. M$250. (updated Oct 2024)
• 2 Cocina "Malintzi", San Juan 1, Carratera Zitlatepec-Ixtenco, ☏ +52 247 121 1546. Daily 08:00 - 18:00. Cozy small restaurant serving traditional Mexican and regional dishes. M$250. (updated Oct 2024)

Drink

Ixtenco is known for serving atole (a somewhat sour, corn-based drink, usually served warm) made from locally grown purple corn.

• 1 Pulqueria y Cerveceria "Dulce Tormenta", C. 5 Sur 22, San Juan Segundo, ☏ +52 556 817 8110. F-Su 10:00 - 03:00, M-Th 12:00 - 20:00. Nice drinking spot with natural and cured pulques. Innovative flavors of cured pulques are often available, like mazipan, or oats with blueberries. A variety of beers and micheladas are also available. Light food (antojitos). (updated Oct 2024)

Sleep

Accommodations are severely lacking in Ixtenco, but the nearby town of Huamantla may have a better selection. There are also several historic haciendas in the area, but they are not in town and often cater to an upscale traveler who doesn't mind "splurge" hotels.

• 1 Hotel Jose Miguel, San Juan Primero, ☏ +52 551 684 7077. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Basic hotel without a lot of amenities, but basically the only realistic option in town. M$600. (updated Oct 2024)
• Hacienda Soltepec, Carr. Huamantla - Puebla Km. 3, Ignacio Zaragoza (7 km north of Ixtenco on federal highway MEX-136), ☏ +52 247 472 1466. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Historic hacienda with comfortable, spacious rooms. M$2000. (updated Oct 2024)

Go next

• La Malinche National Park
• Huamantla