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    Templo de San Agustín-Milpa Alta2, San Agustín Ohtenco, Ciudad de México

    Photo by Thania Anahi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Agustín Ohtenco

    Village Milpa Alta, Ciudad de México Municipality of Milpa Alta Valley of Mexico

    A Milpa Alta founding village, the youngest of the twelve, home to the paper balloon and lantern contest every Day of the Dead.

    From Mexico City: 50 min by car (37 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to San Agustín Ohtenco

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include San Agustín Ohtenco; 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 San Agustín Ohtenco

    • From Mexico City: about 50 min by road (~37 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 San Agustín Ohtenco

    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

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    About San Agustín Ohtenco

    San Agustín Ohtenco is one of the twelve original villages of Milpa Alta, in the far south of Mexico City, and one of the smallest. The name comes from Nahuatl and is read as "place at the side of the road". It is listed among the settlements whose people were baptised on 15 August 1532, when the villages of Milpa Alta were established, though it is usually described as the youngest of the twelve and one of the least commercial. Today it sits right next to Villa Milpa Alta and San Francisco Tecoxpa.

    The parish church of San Agustín is recent: built between 1980 and 1986 of steel and concrete, with neoclassical details and a bell tower of semicircular arches. Many residents, like others in Milpa Alta, make the pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Chalma in the State of Mexico.

    Beyond the borough, Ohtenco is known for the International Paper Balloon and Lantern Contest, held since 1996 around 1 and 2 November for Day of the Dead. It takes place at the Globódromo Niños Héroes, at the corner with Pradera: activities start at 4 pm, entry is free, and there is a camping area, food stalls, workshops and live music. A jury scores the gluing of the paper, the design, the colour combinations and the launch, and there are cash prizes; one edition expected more than 1,500 balloons in the sky. The FARO Milpa Alta-Miacatlán arts and crafts centre is about 440 m away.

    How to get to San Agustín Ohtenco

    Drive from Mexico City: 50 min, 37 km

    The Milpa Alta borough has no Metro, Metrobús, trolleybus or Tren Ligero: only RTP buses and concession minibuses. From the south of the city, minibuses marked "Milpa Alta, Xochimilco centro" leave the Metro Tasqueña terminal (Line 2). From the east, the ones marked "Tulyehualco, Milpa Alta" (Route 21) run from the Metro Tláhuac terminal (Line 12) and along Avenida Tláhuac. Both reach the borough centre; the ride takes between an hour and 90 minutes depending on traffic, with fares of 8 to 9 pesos in the reports available. You can also connect from the Xochimilco Tren Ligero station.

    From Villa Milpa Alta it is about 700 m to Ohtenco along Avenida Mariano Matamoros, where the parish church stands (postcode 12080). On the nights of the balloon contest, arrive early and walk in from the centre of Milpa Alta. The Milpa Alta-Tláhuac cable car is planned but not yet running.

    Directions to San Agustín Ohtenco on Google Maps

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

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    From the nearest cities to San Agustín Ohtenco

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

    Before you go to San Agustín Ohtenco: hours, prices and tips

    Entry
    The balloon and lantern contest is free to attend. Time Out México: concurso de globos y faroles · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    The International Paper Balloon and Lantern Contest runs around 1 and 2 November at the Globódromo Niños Héroes, from 4 pm; entry is free. Confirm the 2026 dates. Time Out México: concurso de globos y faroles · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Agustín Ohtenco: what to see and do

    Stop at the parish church of San Agustín, built 1980-1986, with its bell tower of semicircular arches.
    Go to the Globódromo Niños Héroes (corner of Pradera) on 1 and 2 November, from 4 pm, to watch paper balloons and lanterns rise.
    Walk to the FARO Milpa Alta-Miacatlán, about 440 m away, for its workshops and exhibitions.
    Continue to San Jerónimo Miacatlán (about 660 m) and the Immaculate Conception chapel in Villa Milpa Alta (about 740 m).

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    Places to stay in San Agustín Ohtenco

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include San Agustín Ohtenco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 24 km more to San Agustín Ohtenco, 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 San Agustín Ohtenco.

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    Travel insurance

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    Mobile data

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

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    When to go to San Agustín Ohtenco mild

    San Agustín Ohtenco shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 24 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 San Agustín Ohtenco, 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.