San Antonio la Isla

San Antonio la Isla is the seat of the municipality of the same name, at the far southern end of the Toluca valley, 2,590 metres above sea level. The 2020 census counted 17,075 people; in 1900 there were 1,148, and the sharpest jump came between 1970 and 1980, when the population nearly tripled. The name pairs the patron saint, Anthony of Padua, with the island the settlement stood on before the Spanish conquest. The older name, Techialoyan, already appears in the Codex Mendoza and is usually rendered "place of those who watch"; its glyph shows an eye on the tip of a pyramid floating on water.

The first inhabitants were Matlatzinca, followed by Otomí, and the town fell to the Aztecs under Axayácatl. San Antonio Techialoyan was officially recognised as a town in 1603, and in the 17th century it ran as a semi-independent Indian republic, according to the Codex of San Antonio Techialoyan. For most of its history it answered to Calimaya; the municipality was created by decree in 1847. During the War of Independence Miguel Hidalgo came through, recruiting men on his way to Tianguistenco.

Today it calls itself the cradle of traditional toys: families who have carved for generations turn out spinning tops, cup-and-ball toys, yo-yos, pirinolas, little wooden cars and powder boxes, mostly in wood but also bone and horn. The Plaza de las Artesanías and the craft corridor are where to buy them. To eat, try barbacoa with consomé and the usual antojitos: quesadillas, tlacoyos, sopes, gorditas and tamales.