Town Atizapán, Estado de México Toluca Valley
Seat of Atizapán municipality at the source of the Lerma river: the 3 May Santa Cruz feast, a neoclassical church and the Tepozoco archaeological site.
From Toluca: 25 min by car (25 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Santa Cruz Atizapán
Where to stay near Santa Cruz Atizapán
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Santa Cruz Atizapán.
Tours to Santa Cruz Atizapán
Day trips around Metepec sometimes stop in Santa Cruz Atizapán; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Cuernavaca
3hr Cooking Class in Cuernavaca 8 Recipes and Bottomless Drinks
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How to get to Santa Cruz Atizapán
- From Toluca: about 25 min by road (~25 km)
- Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 17 min by car to Metepec
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Tours from Cuernavaca, near Santa Cruz Atizapán
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About Santa Cruz Atizapán
Santa Cruz Atizapán is the seat of the small municipality of Atizapán, at about 2,590 m in the area where the Lerma river is born, near the Chignahuapan lagoon. Its Nahuatl name is rendered as 'in the white water' or 'on the white land', and before the Spaniards arrived the site was called Tepozoco. Matlatzincas settled here around the year 640 and built pyramids; Axayácatl's Aztecs conquered it in 1476 and the Spaniards in 1521. In 1542 it received its present name, with the Holy Cross as patron. The municipality was created on 18 October 1870. Depending on the source it has between 13,000 and almost 17,000 inhabitants (the 2020 figures do not agree), and sewing is one of its main activities.
What you visit is the centre, with its 19th-century neoclassical church with Lorraine crosses, the Pantépetl (1879) and Santo Niño (1863) chapels, busts of Hidalgo, Juárez and Zapata and an arch with an obelisk for Morelos. The archaeological zone Sitio 110, La Campana Tepozoco, is also listed. We found no hours for that site, so ask at the municipality before going.
The big feast is the Santa Cruz on 3 May, which begins eight days earlier with a parade of floats, mojigangas and folk dances.
How to get to Santa Cruz Atizapán
Drive from Toluca: 25 min, 25 km
From Toluca the average trip is about 27 km and 44 minutes by road, according to Uber (historical average; allow more at rush hour); in a straight line it is about 22 km, and Metepec, the nearest pueblo, is about 14 km away (roughly 15 minutes). From Mexico City, reach Toluca on the México-Toluca highway (15D) and continue south through the Metepec area; Tianguistenco is close by. We found no confirmed state-road number and no published schedules for direct buses or minibuses: the practical option is the El Insurgente train to Metepec or Lerma and then a taxi, or asking at Toluca's terminal for minibuses to Atizapán. The municipal hall is at Av. Dr. Gustavo Baz Prada 102, Col. Centro, CP 52500.
Directions to Santa Cruz Atizapán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Santa Cruz Atizapán
- Toluca · 25 km by road, 25 min
- Mexico City · 59 km by road, 1 h 5 min
- Cuernavaca · 61 km by road, 1 h 15 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of Santa Cruz Atizapán
Neighbourhoods and villages of Santa Cruz Atizapán
Part of Santa Cruz Atizapán or just outside it, closest first.
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Almoloya del Río · Town · 2 km from the centre
A clothing-and-mariachi town beside the Lerma marshes, with the Señor de Burgos parish church and a French clock from 1926. -
Santiago Tianguistenco · Town · 2 km from the centre
A market town whose huge Tuesday tianguis dates back to pre-Hispanic times, with some trading still done by barter. -
Capulhuac · Town · 3 km from the centre
The barbacoa capital of central Mexico, with a barbacoa fair at Carnival and a 16th-century Augustinian parish church. -
Guadalupe Yancuictlalpan · Village · 3 km from the centre
Gualupita, the "land of the sarape": wooden looms, wool sweaters and coats, and a textile tianguis near Tianguistenco.
Day trips and tours from Santa Cruz Atizapán
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Santa Cruz Atizapán and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around Santa Cruz Atizapán
- The nearest airport is Toluca (TLC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
- Everything on this page is in or close to the centre: walk, or take a short taxi ride.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Santa Cruz Atizapán.
Before you go to Santa Cruz Atizapán: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Santa Cruz feast on 3 May, starting eight days earlier with a parade of floats, mojigangas and folk dances; also 17 March at the Pantépetl chapel and 18 October, the municipal anniversary. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Santa Cruz Atizapán: what to see and do
Step into the 19th-century neoclassical church of Santa Cruz and look for the Lorraine crosses.
Visit the Pantépetl chapel (1879) and the Santo Niño chapel (1863).
Stroll the centre and its busts of Hidalgo, Juárez and Zapata and the arch with an obelisk for Morelos.
Ask the municipality about the archaeological zone Sitio 110 La Campana Tepozoco.
Come around 3 May for the Santa Cruz feast, with floats and mojigangas.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Santa Cruz Atizapán
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santa Cruz Atizapán.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Metepec sometimes stop in Santa Cruz Atizapán; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at TLC (Toluca): about 17 min by road to Metepec, then 14 km more to Santa Cruz Atizapán, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 17 min by road from Metepec, the base for Santa Cruz Atizapán.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Metepec: download a map of the way to Santa Cruz Atizapán before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Santa Cruz Atizapán cool
Santa Cruz Atizapán 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
Weather in Santa Cruz Atizapán now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Metepec
Metepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santa Cruz Atizapán, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Malinalco · Estado de México · 25 km away
- Ixtapan de la Sal · Estado de México · 42 km away
- Tonatico · Estado de México · 45 km away
- Tepoztlán · Morelos · 46 km away
- Xochitepec · Morelos · 46 km away
Near Santa Cruz Atizapán
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.