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    San Francisco Putla 05, Estado de México

    Photo by Álvaro de la Paz Franco, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Francisco Putla

    Village Tenango del Valle, Estado de México Municipality of Tenango del Valle Toluca Valley

    A flower-growing village in the north of Tenango del Valle near the Nevado de Toluca: marigolds for Day of the Dead and the morning mist that named it.

    From Toluca: 25 min by car (28 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to San Francisco Putla

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include San Francisco Putla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Cuernavaca 3hr Cooking Class in Cuernavaca 8 Recipes and Bottomless Drinks From US$59
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    How to get to San Francisco Putla

    • From Toluca: about 25 min by road (~28 km)
    • Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 17 min by car to Metepec
    Rent a car at TLC Flights to TLC

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Cuernavaca, near San Francisco Putla

    3hr Cooking Class in Cuernavaca 8 Recipes and Bottomless Drinks 4 h From US$59
    3h Cuernavaca Food Tasting with 32 Authentic Mexican Flavors 3 h From US$69
    Xochicalco Archaeological Guided Tour 5 h From US$84

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    About San Francisco Putla

    San Francisco Putla is a locality in the north of Tenango del Valle municipality, in the Toluca Valley. INEGI counted 3,351 people here in 2020. The name comes from Nahuatl poctlan, from poctli (smoke) and lan (place): "place of smoke". It refers to the mist that hangs in the air on mornings, since the village sits in a damp area near the Nevado de Toluca.

    Putla lives from farming: vegetables, maize and above all flowers. The best known is cempasúchil, the orange marigold of Day of the Dead, and sunflowers and other seasonal flowers are grown too; the flor de nube is harvested all year. That is why autumn is the time to come, when the fields turn colour before 1 and 2 November. The source I used cautions that part of the marigold business has moved abroad because of labour costs, which cut national demand; so what you see today is a changing trade, not an organised flower park.

    There is no built tourist site: it is a farming village, and a visit means walking its lanes and fields and, if you get the chance, buying flowers directly from those who grow them. It is about 6 km from Tenango de Arista, the municipal seat, and about 20 km from Toluca. The municipality has been a Pueblo con Encanto since 2015, and the Teotenango archaeological site and the Nevado de Toluca are nearby.

    How to get to San Francisco Putla

    Drive from Toluca: 25 min, 28 km

    San Francisco Putla is about 6 km from Tenango de Arista and about 20 km from Toluca. From Toluca, the Vialidad Toluca-Tenango (federal 55) reaches Tenango de Arista in about 25 minutes (25 km); from there it is a few more kilometres to Putla, in the north of the municipality. Metepec, the nearest pueblo, is about 14 km in a straight line (roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car). Mexico City is about 92 km from Tenango de Arista. There is no published published colectivo timetables; ask about those leaving from Tenango or Toluca.

    Directions to San Francisco Putla on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in San Francisco Putla Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Francisco Putla. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to San Francisco Putla

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

    Before you go to San Francisco Putla: hours, prices and tips

    Best time of day
    October and early November, when the marigold is in bloom. Wikipedia (es) · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Marigold is the Day of the Dead flower (1 and 2 November); flor de nube is harvested year-round. Wikipedia (es) · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Francisco Putla: what to see and do

    Walk the marigold fields in October, before Day of the Dead.
    Look for flor de nube, harvested all year.
    Buy flowers directly from the growers.
    Go out early to see the mist that gave the village its name.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in San Francisco Putla

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Francisco Putla.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include San Francisco Putla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TLC (Toluca): about 17 min by road to Metepec, then 14 km more to San Francisco Putla, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 17 min by road from Metepec, the base for San Francisco Putla.

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    Travel insurance

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

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    Mobile data

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

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    When to go to San Francisco Putla cool

    San Francisco Putla shares the climate of Metepec, 14 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Metepec

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Metepec

    Red Calvario chapel at the top of its long stairway, Metepec, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Metepec

    Metepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Francisco Putla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to San Francisco Putla

    Near San Francisco Putla

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.