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    Parish of San Lucas Evangelista, the main church of Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac, Ciudad de México

    Photo by Ismaep, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Village Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México Municipality of Iztapalapa Valley of Mexico Volcano Route

    Eight-barrio original village north of Cerro de la Estrella; the San Lucas church and the Holy Week Passion play are what visitors come for.

    From Mexico City: 20 min by car (14 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Where to stay near Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

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    Tours to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Mexico City Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,269) · From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    • From Mexico City: about 20 min by road (~14 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
    Rent a car at MEX Flights to MEX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Mexico City, near Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps ★ 4.9 (10,269) 5 h 30 min From US$59
    Balloon flight + Breakfast in cave + Pyramids + Pick up CDMX. ★ 4.9 (8,170) 2–8 h From US$149
    Xochimilco, Coyoacan and Frida Kahlo with Optional Lunch ★ 4.5 (8,395) 9 h From US$40
    Balloon flight + pick up in CDMX + Breakfast in Cave + Pyramids ★ 4.9 (7,685) 4–7 h From US$157
    Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight from Mexico City / Volare ★ 4.8 (4,447) 3–9 h From US$144

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac is the old core of what is now the Iztapalapa borough in eastern Mexico City. It lies north of the Cerro de la Estrella along Calzada Ermita Iztapalapa, once the road linking the capital with Puebla. Before the conquest Iztapallapan was an altepetl on the shore of Lake Texcoco, ruled by Cuitláhuac, brother of Moctezuma, who held power in Tenochtitlan for about eighty days in 1520 before smallpox killed him.

    The village is organised into eight barrios (San Lucas, San Pablo, San Pedro, San José, La Asunción, Santa Bárbara, San Ignacio and San Miguel), each with its own saint and chapel or parish, grouped into two halves, Atlalilco and Axomulco. The centre is the San Lucas barrio, where the Cuitláhuac garden and Macroplaza, the monument to Cuitláhuac and the Baroque church of San Lucas Evangelista come together; the church has carved indigenous stonework around its doorway and baptism records from 1664. Beside it stands the small chapel of San Luquitas, from the 1940s, the focus of the saint's feast.

    What made the village famous is its Passion play, staged since 1843, ten years after residents vowed an annual procession to the Señor de la Cuevita if cholera ended. At Holy Week nearly the whole village takes part and organisers count about two million spectators. On Good Friday the action moves through the eight barrios, with the trial at the Macroplaza and the crucifixion on the Cerro de la Estrella. The Señor de la Cuevita sanctuary at the foot of the hill is another stop.

    How to get to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Drive from Mexico City: 20 min, 14 km

    The simplest way is Metro Line 8 (Garibaldi–Constitución de 1917): get off at Iztapalapa station, the closest to the San Lucas barrio and the start of the Passion route, or at Cerro de la Estrella to climb the hill. Trolebús Line 10 runs along Avenida Javier Rojo Gómez, then it is a short walk. By car the approach is Calzada Ermita Iztapalapa, but not at Holy Week: road cuts begin on Thursday and on Good Friday from 6 am Ermita Iztapalapa, Rojo Gómez and the streets of the central barrios are closed. Once in the village the main sights are close together (the Macroplaza is about 60 metres from the church); by taxi, ask to be dropped as near as possible.

    Directions to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac: hours, prices and tips

    Best time of day
    Good Friday is the big day: around 8 am a tour of the barrios, 10 am the trial of Jesus, around 2 pm the Way of the Cross and around 3 pm the crucifixion on Cerro de la Estrella (approximate times that change each year). Milenio · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    The play runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with further scenes on Holy Tuesday and Holy Thursday. Secretaría de Cultura · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Water, sunscreen and a hat; watch your belongings in the crowds. Récord · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    From 6 am on Good Friday Calzada Ermita Iztapalapa, Avenida Rojo Gómez and streets in the central barrios are closed to traffic. Milenio · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac: what to see and do

    Parish of San Lucas Evangelista (Aztecas 8, San Lucas barrio), with its carved indigenous doorway.
    Cuitláhuac garden and Macroplaza, a few steps from the church, and the monument to Cuitláhuac.
    Chapel of San Luquitas, on Calle Ignacio Comonfort.
    Santuario del Señor de la Cuevita, a grotto at the foot of Cerro de la Estrella.
    Cerro de la Estrella, where the crucifixion is staged on Good Friday.
    The Holy Week Passion play, with its Way of the Cross through the eight barrios.

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    Places to stay in Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 42 km more to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Tepoztlán: download a map of the way to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac mild

    Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 42 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán's cliffs rising behind a white colonial church, Morelos mild
    Morelos Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Iztapalapa de Cuitláhuac, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.