Town 11 km east of Chignahuapan
Quiet sierra town on the road to Tetela, with two turquoise waterfalls, Tepexcanal and Popocaya, in its hills.
Aquixtla is a small municipal seat in the hills southeast of Chignahuapan, on the road that links it with Tetela de Ocampo. The municipality has only around 9,000 people, and for years many of them worked as an extension of Chignahuapan's Christmas ornament trade, blowing and painting glass spheres. Today greenhouses full of tomatoes are the main business, and you will see their white roofs on the slopes as you drive in.
What brings visitors is water. The name is usually translated from Nahuatl as "where the water comes out," and the ravines around town hide two waterfalls with strikingly blue-green pools. The Salto de Tepexcanal drops roughly 70 meters and is used for rappelling, with pools at the bottom for swimming. The Popocaya fall is much smaller, around 10 meters, and is reached on a walk through woods and farmland. The paths are steep and slippery, so going with a local guide is the sensible choice.
The town itself is simple and very much a working place. Its parish is dedicated to San Juan, but the big celebration is for Nuestro Padre Jesús: the fair and processions start on December 27 and peak on January 2, when the image returns from touring the villages of the municipality and the night ends with a fireworks castillo and dances.
What to see and do
Hike with a local guide to the Salto de Tepexcanal and swim in its turquoise pools.
Rappel down the face of the fall if you go with an outfitter.
Walk to the smaller Popocaya waterfall through woods and fields.
Come between December 27 and January 2 for the fair of Nuestro Padre Jesús, with processions and fireworks.
Getting there
Aquixtla is about 30 minutes by car from Chignahuapan, heading southeast on the road toward Tetela de Ocampo. The waterfalls are outside town on rough paths, so ask in Aquixtla for a guide rather than looking for them on your own, and avoid the trails right after heavy rain. Check locally about any access fee.
11 km east of Chignahuapan
Directions from Chignahuapan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Aquixtla shares the climate of Chignahuapan, 11 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, May.
Make Chignahuapan your base
Aquixtla is an easy trip from Chignahuapan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Chignahuapan
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Aguas Termales de Chignahuapan
· Hot springs · 4 km away
Long-running hot-spring resort in a ravine east of town, with warm thermal pools, a spa and rooms for an overnight soak. -
Cascadas de Tulimán
· Waterfall · 7 km away
Ejido-run park on the same river as Quetzalapan: a roughly 300-meter fall in three drops, a warm mineral pool and hanging bridges. -
Salto de Quetzalapan
· Waterfall · 7 km away
Chignahuapan's big waterfall, a drop of around 200 meters reached by a long stone staircase, with zip lines and rappelling. -
Valle de Piedras Encimadas
· Nature reserve · 23 km away
A pine-forest valley of huge stacked volcanic rocks shaped like towers and faces; cabins, horses and camping on site.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.