Town 26 km northeast of Candela
A small Nuevo León border-country town with a spring-fed park under giant cypresses and a free history museum in a 1698 mission.
Lampazos de Naranjo sits just across the state line in Nuevo León, north of Candela, in flat ranch country at the foot of the Lampazos range. It began in 1698 as a Franciscan mission founded by Fray Diego de Salazar with Tlaxcalan settlers, under the long name of San Antonio de la Nueva Tlaxcala and Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de la Punta de Lampazos. The "de Naranjo" was added later to honor General Francisco Naranjo, a local hero of the Reform War and the fight against the French.
The old mission building now holds the Museo de Historia de Lampazos y las Armas Nacionales (MUHILAN), with more than 200 pieces on regional history and Mexican arms; entry is free. A few blocks away, the Ojo de Agua San Diego is a natural spring pool shaded by enormous old sabino (bald cypress) trees, run as a family water park with pools, slides, grills and one of the longest ziplines in the northeast.
It is a quiet, unpretentious place, and a pleasant half-day out from Candela: history in the morning, a cold swim in the afternoon.
What to see and do
Visit MUHILAN, the history and arms museum inside the old Franciscan mission (free; closed Mondays).
Swim in the spring-fed pools of the Ojo de Agua San Diego under its old sabino trees.
Ride the long zipline over the Ojo de Agua park.
Walk the main plaza and the Allende tourist corridor, with murals by local artists.
Getting there
From Candela, drive east on the Monclova–Estación Candela highway to the Monterrey–Nuevo Laredo (Colombia) highway, then turn north to Lampazos; it is a short drive of well under an hour on paved roads. The Ojo de Agua charges a small entry fee and its opening days vary by season, so check before you go.
26 km northeast of Candela
Directions from Candela on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
Lampazos de Naranjo shares the climate of Candela, 26 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Candela your base
Lampazos de Naranjo is an easy trip from Candela, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Candela
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Grutas de Bustamante
· Cave · 40 km away
Lit caverns in the Sierra de Gomas above the Pueblo Mágico of Bustamante, discovered in 1906; guided tours most days.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.