Town 10 km southeast of Aquismón
A small Huasteca town with a 17th-century parish, an ancient tree in its plaza and a cave of offerings nearby.
Huehuetlán is a quiet town of a few hundred people about ten kilometers south of Aquismón, set among the citrus orchards and forested hills of the Huasteca. Its name comes from Nahuatl and is translated either as "place of the old ones" or "place of the drums"; the Tének called it Tamahab. About half of its people identify as Indigenous, and the old church, dedicated to San Diego de Alcalá, dates back to the 17th century.
The plaza is shaded by one of the oldest trees in the Huasteca, which the municipality itself promotes as a sight in its own right. Around six kilometers from town is the Cueva de los Cuatro Vientos, also called the cave of the wind and fertility, where a stalactite said to resemble the goddess Tlazoltéotl still receives offerings.
The best time to come is the feast of San Diego on November 12 and 13, when the communities of the municipality gather in Huehuetlán and perform their dances one after another, each with its own music and costumes.
What to see and do
Sit under the ancient tree in the main plaza.
Visit the old parish church of San Diego de Alcalá.
Ask locally for a guide to the Cueva de los Cuatro Vientos.
Come on November 12 for the dances of the municipality's communities.
Getting there
Huehuetlán is about 30 minutes by car from Aquismón: head east to the Tancanhuitz area and take the road south to Huehuetlán. Colectivos connect it with Tancanhuitz and the towns along Highway 85.
10 km southeast of Aquismón
Directions from Aquismón on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
Huehuetlán shares the climate of Aquismón, 10 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Aquismón your base
Huehuetlán is an easy trip from Aquismón, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Xilitla · 18 km away
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.