Huamantla, Mexico.
The Municipal Palace on Parque Juárez in Huamantla.
Tucked in a corner of the smallest state in Mexico, this magical town is well worth the trip from the federal capital.
There are more than one hundred pueblos mágicos (or magical towns) in Mexico: these are village designated by the Mexican government as having unique cultural, historical, or natural significance, representing an authentic slide of Mexico. My goal is to visit all of them at some point.
I had recently come back from a five-day trip in the state of Aguascalientes, in the north of the country, where I visited the city of Aguascalientes, Calvillo, and one of my favorite pueblos mágicos so far, Real de Asientos. I felt like I could try to discover another pueblo, closer to Mexico City, where I am currently based.
Huamantla, in the state of Tlaxcala, would be a perfect mid-week escape from the hustle and bustle of the capital. It was also among the first Mexican towns awarded the title of pueblo mágico, back in 2007, which meant it was surely worth a visit.
And so here I was, on a cloudy Wednesday morning in June, heading to the TAPO bus station in Mexico City, to hop on a first-class Supra bus service to Huamantla.
La Malinche volcano, seen on the way to Huamantla.
Tlaxcala is the smallest state in Mexico, representing just 0.2% of the federal territory, and there is a long-running joke among Mexicans asking whether the state truly exists. This gained so much traction that, in 2021, the Tlaxcalan authorities came up with an awareness campaign whose slogan was “Tlaxcala, sí existe” (“Yes, Tlaxcala does exist”) to counteract the memes.
The rhetorical question as to whether Tlaxcala really exists runs much deeper than internet memes, however. It is a testament to the state’s pivotal role in Mexico’s history. Five hundred years ago, the Tlaxcalans were embattled in war after war against their powerful neighbors, the Mexicas, Aztec rulers of the area around Mexico City, then known as Tenotchitlán.
Furiously independent, the Tlaxacalans refused to be submitted by their neighbor. When he arrived on American shores, Hernán Cortés, the Spanish general tackled with conquering America for the kingdom of Spain, leveraged the divisions between indigenous groups to gain power: the Tlaxcalans agreed to help Cortés subdue the Mexicas, and, in 1521, Tenotchitlán fell, marking the beginning of almost three centuries of Spanish rule over what would become Mexico.
The town revealed itself in all its gloss-less simplicity.
As a reward for helping Cortés, Tlaxcalans negotiated a special place for their territory under their Spanish rulers, and although Cortés reneged on some of that agreement, Tlaxcala was able to be recognized as its own, separate entity, with relatively more freedom than other parts of New Spain. The agreement also prevented Spaniards from establishing themselves in the city-state, explaining why, still today, Tlaxcala counts with a higher percentage of indigenous people in its population than other surrounding states.
It hasn’t been easy for Tlaxcalans to embrace their role in the Mexican colonization. Some Mexicans see them as original traitors to Mexico (understanding, of course, the concept of Mexico as a country wasn’t a thing back then). That reason, and also because the state is so small, may explain why it was annexed twice: once before the independence, in 1785, by the then-province of Puebla, and once right after it, by the newly-established state of Puebla. It became a federal territory soon after, in 1824, and a full state in 1857.
I have to confess the important place Tlaxcala took in the Spanish conquest of Mexico fascinated me, and as the bus was zipping through federal highway 150D, I hoped I would enjoy Huamantla, and that it would encourage me to see other parts of the diminutive state down the line.
The patio inside the Huamantla Cultural Center.
The road to Huamantla passes by the eponymous capital city, where almost all bus services to Huamantla stop to pick up and drop off passengers. I quickly understood why, as about three-quarters of the bus passengers left us there, and only a few new riders came up. After the city of Tlaxcala, the bus felt very empty, and we drove the last forty-five minutes of the trip in quasi-silence.
Tlaxcala state is located in the Mexican highlands, and although the scenery feels somewhat similar to other altiplano states like Guanajuato, the big difference lies to the right of the road going to Huamantla. Because the weather was cooperating, I was able to see the majestic Matlalcuéyetl volcano (also called La Malinche, to honor Hernán Cortés’ indigenous wife). The volcano separates the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla, and rises to 14,636 ft (4,461 m), the sixth-highest summit in Mexico. It is at the heart of a national park, which I promised myself I would come back to check out another time.
After a little over three hours, our bus arrived in Huamantla. A far cry form the modern and spacious TAPO station in the capital, Huamantla’s Supra terminal was nothing more than a concrete lot where buses could park, and a small glass building that served as a ticket office and waiting room. It was located smack in the center of town, which made walking to my hotel (and the main attractions) fairly easy.
Huamantla was named a pueblo mágico for two main reasons: its well-preserved colonial architecture, especially around its main square, Parque Juárez, and its strong cultural traditions, among which the Feria de Huamantla (Huamantla Fair). Occurring in August every year, the fair likely has deep origins in pre-Hispanic times, when it was an opportunity to worship Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility, flowers and arts. The Spaniards kept the tradition, but encouraged locals to celebrate the Virgin Mary instead (as a side note, Tlaxcalans embraced Christianity as part of their agreement with Cortés, and the evangelization of the state happened with much less violence than in other parts of New Spain).
The three weeks of the fair are dedicated to various celebrations, with the highlight being “The Night No One Sleeps”. It follows the making of carpets built from colored sawdust and flowers that are laid out over almost five miles of the town’s streets in honor of the Virgin Mary. A few days later, comes the Huamantlada, a Mexican version of the running of the bulls during the San Fermín festival, in Spain. Bullfighting is actually a Huamantla tradition, as the bullring and bullfighting museum can attest.
Bulls weren’t the reason I was in Huamantla, however. What I really wanted to see was the colonial architecture of the village, and immerse myself, for a couple of days, into its life. Unlike other magical towns I had visited, like Tepoztlán or Bernal, Huamantla is a big enough city that its streets are busy even on a slow weekday. I didn’t feel like this was a town whose activity relied on weekend tourists from Mexico City or Puebla, and I liked the fact this wasn’t a town made for the benefit of visiting outsiders.
A colorful street close to downtown Huamanta.
That being said, it never bothered me in other off-the beaten-path pueblos mágicos, where I seldom saw any foreign tourists. In Tepoztlán, Real del Monte or Malinalco, tourists were overwhelmingly Mexican, and as a result, the towns seemed to cater to their needs - that meant no Starbucks, or no menu in English, as you’re bound to see in San Miguel de Allende or Puerto Vallarta, for instance.
In Huamantla, I reveled in the fact I could walk around town almost as if I were a local. The center of town is laid out around Parque Juárez, a small but beautiful square almost entirely filled by a park. Aside from the one side where Calle Juárez welcomed quite a bit of vehicular traffic, the rest of the square felt eerily quiet. Only a few street vendors and souvenir shops were set up, which meant I felt I could have most of the square and its greenery to myself.
Parque Juárez is home to four of the most remarkable buildings in Huamantla: the city hall, the National Puppet Museum, the Cultural Center and last but not least, the magnificent San Luis Obispo church.
While the church’s main entrance wasn’t technically on the square but just to the side, it was hard to miss it once you stepped into Parque Juárez. Built during the colonial era, it featured a gray stone facade decorated with a series of niches filled with alabaster sculptures. It was also especially stunning for the bright yellow paint with white accents of his outside walls, on each side of the facade, which made it entirely iconic.
The second most interesting building in Parque Juárez was Huamantla’s city hall. Its role, its position on the city’s main square next to the photo-friendly Huamantla letters sign and its beautiful colonial architecture made it one of my favorite buildings in town. Housing the municipal administration, the building is two-stories tall, with balconies running along its length. Inside, the building showcases murals by Tlaxcalan artist Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin and a reproduction of the Códice de Huamantla manuscript.
Huamantla's main church as seen from Parque Juárez.
During my visit, the building was painted in a lush sage green that stood out against other vibrant hues along the square. Funny enough, most pictures of the building online show it as blue, pink or eggshell-white. I wasn’t able to find an explanation for what seemed to be a willingness to espouse color trends on such an emblematic building, but I will continue to search, as I found this quite puzzling. In any case, the green color, with red and white accents, made the building look absolutely gorgeous.
I didn’t get into the Puppet museum - puppetry has never been my thing, but instead, chose to check out the Casa de la Cultura, a burned Sienna-colored building located between the city hall and the church. As in many buildings in Mexico, the outside, however beautiful, couldn’t hold a candle to the inside.
An old colonial house, it was acquired by the INBA (Mexico’s National Institute of Art and Culture) in 1987 and renovated to house the Huamantla Cultural Center. Once I stepped inside, I was wowed by the rectangular patio, painted bright orange, that contrasted with the grey stone floor. Under a stormy sky, it reminded me of more vivid yet smaller version of the Clavijero Palace, in Morelia, that I had visited about a year before.
There is a long-running joke among Mexicans asking whether the state of Tlaxcala truly exists.
I spent the rest of the day wandering about Huamantla streets, walking almost aimlessly, ready to be surprised by a colorful house or a colonial church. It felt safe, and although I feared it might rain, it didn’t (summers in Mexican highlands usually bring late afternoon rain, but that day was an exception).
After a quiet night in a hotel close to the center of town (all independently reviewed places on this trip feature in the Practical Information section at the end of the article), I woke up to a sunny morning. I quickly had breakfast and went out again into town, this time daring to go a little further away from the areas I was already familiar with.
A pedestrian street leading to Parque Juárez.
I wrote above that I never felt Huamantla was too touristy - yet on Parque Juárez, I could see a bit of tourism infrastructure, like souvenir shops and food stands. Once I walked a couple of blocks further, there was no more of this, and the town revealed itself in all its gloss-less simplicity.
I encourage you to explore beyond the few blocks of historical value, to see Huamantla like a local. The town is very safe, and you don’t need to go very far to feel like you have landed in a complete different place, one tourists rarely see. I really enjoyed my somewhat random walks around town.
My only regret was to not having dared to walk all the way to the Hacienda Soltepec, south of town. In existence since at least the 18th century, the hacienda is a beautiful testimony of 19th century architecture, for the property was significantly expanded around 1880 to become what it is today.
The hacienda was made into a school in 1938, before being converted into a hotel and restaurant, which it still I today. If you’re going to Huamantla and check it out, send me a note - it will be a good reason to go back into Tlaxcala state to visit it.
No visit of Huamantla would be complete without mentioning the delicacies the town is known for, chief among them the muéganos. A muégano is a traditional pastry made with pieces of fried dough mixed together and covered with caramel syrup (piloncillo, a very Mexican ingredient). It is crunchy on the outside and soft, almost powdery on the inside. Presented as a small rectangle, this sweet treat is delicious (dangerously so!) and typical from Tlaxcala state.
Parque Juárez at night.
When it was time to leave Huamantla, I headed back to the bus station, bought a ticket back into Mexico City. The fine weather we were blessed with for two days didn’t last long, and we had to endure a pretty strong rainstorm on the highway, which made our travel time significantly longer. I was fine, nibbling on muéganos and watching the rain fall from my window.
Huamantla is a great day or weekend trip from Mexico City, to see a small colonial town that has kept its authenticity and character, a world away from the bustling Mexican capital.
Keep reading below for every bit of practical information you may need to enjoy Huamantla.
Practical information (updated as of July 2025)
Getting to Huamantla
How to get to Huamanta from the United States: From the US, your best bet is to fly into Mexico City’s main airport. Benito Juarez (IATA code: MEX) and take an Uber to the TAPO bus terminal where you’ll take a direct bus to Huamantla. It is technically possible to take the subway to get to the TAPO terminal, especially from MEX’s Terminal 1, but I wouldn’t recommend it, especially with luggage, as you’ll have to connect once and be ready for extremely crowded subway platforms and cars at certain times of the day. The Uber trip to TAPO should last between 15 and 30 minutes depending on traffic. From there, see directions below to get to Huamantla from Mexico City.
A Supra bus parked at the Huamantla ATAH terminal.
How to get to Huamantla from Mexico City: the state of Tlaxcala is close to Mexico City, so much so that your options will be to drive yourself to Huamantla, or to take an intercity bus service. Grupo ATAH, through its brand Supra, serves Huamantla from the capital. Buses leave every hour or so from 6am until 11.15pm from Mexico City’s TAPO bus terminal, which is easily reached by subway (San Lázaro station on line 1, or linea rosa) or by calling an Uber. Supra buses offer first-class service (seat reservation, nice legroom, air-conditioning - if you’re not sure about the differences between bus classes in Mexico, check this article). The trip lasts between 2h15 and 3h, depending on the traffic getting in or out of the city. Most buses will stop in Tlaxcala, the capital of the eponymous state, before continuing to Huamantla. A one-way ticket costs MXN286.
Bear in mind that it isn’t possible to book Supra bus tickets online, and that the ATAH ticket office in the TAPO station doesn’t accept credit cards, so bring cash with you. Also note that the Supra timetable shown online on the ATAH website isn’t correct. I am adding the latest timetable as shown (and operated) as of June 2025 below.
The Supra timetable for buses to Huamantla
The Supra timetable for buses to TAPO, Mexico City.
When to go to Huamantla
Being somewhat close to Mexico City and Puebla, Huamantla sees roughly the same weather patterns as these two cities: gorgeous weather that’s never too hot or too cold all year round. That being said, it can get a little chilly at night between November and January, and the rainy season (June-September) brings afternoon showers pretty much every day. You can still enjoy Huamantla then, since mornings will be sunny, afternoons cloudy, and rain will come around 5pm and only last a couple of hours. That being said, February to May and October to November would be ideal from a weather perspective.
Huamantla is famous in Mexico for its annual fair (la Feria de Huamantla) which happens during the first few weeks of August every year. Thousands of people come to enjoy the celebration and its displays of flower carpets throughout town. This would be a good reason to travel to Huamantla in August, although you’d have to share the town with thousands of visitors from all over Mexico and beyond.
Safety in Huamantla
Although many tourists associate Mexico with cartel violence and kidnappings, the dangerous areas are limited to a few states, that are listed on the Department of State website and slapped with a level 3 or 4 advisory. Tlaxcala is considered one of the safest states in the country, being small and away from the main drug transiting routes. As such, the US Department of State deems it as safe as major European countries, with a level 2 travel advisory, meaning “Exercise increased caution when traveling”. There are no more precautions to take while you visit the state than whatever you would in The Netherlands or, closer, Costa Rica.
Huamantla is a small town with a laid-back vibe, where I never felt unsafe at any point, whether during the day or at night. Most attractions are close to the town center, which is easy to navigate and always fairly busy. It’s always good to know where you’re headed before getting out on the street and, as a general advice, to not flash expensive clothing, cameras or phones. Don’t make yourself a target, but, on the other hand, you won’t need to look over your shoulder every second or so.
Inside a first-class Supra bus to Huamantla.
Food & lodging in Huamantla
Tacos El Delirio: a well-rated restaurant on Google, that gets busy in the evening but which was fairly quiet earlier in the day. Really good tacos and drinks, nice atmosphere. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Hotel Malinalli: housed in an old colonial house painted in bright, contrasted colors, this hotel is quiet, although just a block or so from Parque Juárez. You can have breakfast in the beautiful, preserved patio before heading out. Rooms are a bit dark, especially on the ground floor, because of the thick walls, but wifi works correctly. A room cost me close to USD90 in June. The hotel is available to book on major travel platforms.
Grab muéganos at any bakery in town, or in a food stall on Parque Juárez, where the delicacies are sold in pre-wrapped packages that are easy to carry on the bus with you. One muégano cost MXN10 when I went.
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