Town 6 km west of Cuetzalan
A quiet Nahua and Totonac town near Cuetzalan with a pilgrimage shrine built on a rock and river pools below.
Jonotla is a small town in the hills just west of Cuetzalan, between the valleys of the Zempoala and Tozán rivers. Its name refers to the jonote, a tree whose fiber and bark have long been used in the sierra, and both Nahuatl and Totonac are spoken in the area. The town has whitewashed houses, steep streets and the church of San Juan Bautista, whose bell tower stands apart from the nave.
What brings most visitors is the Santuario del Peñón, a church set on a great rock where, according to local tradition, an image of the Virgin was found. It draws pilgrims from across the sierra, especially for its fiesta in late October, when thousands of people, many of them Indigenous families from nearby villages, come to pray and dance.
The country around is warm, wet and green, with coffee, cinnamon and pepper growing among the trees. Below town the Tozán river forms natural pools, and the neighboring municipality of Zoquiapan has several waterfalls. Local workshops make crafts from jonote fiber and carved wooden masks.
What to see and do
Climb to the Santuario del Peñón on its rock.
See the church of San Juan Bautista and its separate bell tower.
Cool off in the river pools of the Tozán below town.
Look for jonote-fiber crafts and carved masks.
Getting there
Jonotla is about 30 minutes from Cuetzalan by car on winding mountain roads; colectivos also run from Cuetzalan. During the October fiesta the roads and the town get very crowded, so go early.
6 km west of Cuetzalan
Directions from Cuetzalan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Places to stay in Jonotla
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Weather mild
Jonotla shares the climate of Cuetzalan, 6 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.
Make Cuetzalan your base
Jonotla is an easy trip from Cuetzalan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Zozocolco · 12 km away
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San Miguel Tzinacapan
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A Nahua village below Cuetzalan and the way into the Atepolihui caves; go with a certified guide and check the caves are open. -
Yohualichan
· Archaeological site · 5 km away
Totonac ruins in the cloud forest with niche-covered pyramids like El Tajín's and one of the longest ball courts in Mesoamerica. -
Xochitlán de Vicente Suárez
· Town · 13 km away
A misty sierra town above the Zempoala river canyon, with dramatic lookouts, caves, a green pool and chaquira beadwork. -
Huehuetla
· Town · 15 km away
One of the oldest Totonac towns of the sierra, where most people still speak Totonac; warm, green coffee country. -
Zacapoaxtla
· Town · 18 km away
The sierra town whose Indigenous soldiers fought at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862; on the road up to Cuetzalan.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.