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    Around Santa María la Asunción, Estado de México: IGLESIA DE SANTA MARIA

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    Santa María la Asunción

    Village San Mateo Atenco, Estado de México Toluca Valley

    Locality of 7,681 people in San Mateo Atenco, in the Toluca Valley, 8 km from Metepec; its double feast falls on New Year's Day and in August.

    From Toluca: 15 min by car (13 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Santa María la Asunción

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Santa María la Asunción; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

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    How to get to Santa María la Asunción

    • From Toluca: about 15 min by road (~13 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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    About Santa María la Asunción

    Santa María la Asunción is the second most populous locality in San Mateo Atenco, the State of Mexico municipality of just 12.58 sq km wedged against Toluca and Metepec in the Lerma basin. INEGI counted 7,681 residents here in 2020 (97,418 in the whole municipality), at about 2,580 metres. It is the place of that name in this municipality, not one of the other Santa María la Asunciones in Mexico, nor the neighbouring barrios of San Mateo itself.

    The setting is Atenco, a Nahuatl word meaning at the water's edge: one of the lowest parts of the Toluca valley, where the Lerma river marks the eastern boundary and marshland remains. Two little-explored archaeological zones lie in the municipality, San Pedro Cuautenco and Espíritu Santo, and the Museo de las Culturas Lacustres del Valle de Toluca holds mammoth tusks and pieces from the peoples of the lake system.

    According to the municipal monograph as summarised on Wikipedia, Santa María holds its feast twice a year: on 1 January and on 2 August, a date tied to the Assumption of Mary. San Mateo Atenco also stands out for its carnivals with mojigangas, its hand-made footwear industry, and 25 October, the day of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, patrons of shoemakers. The reed (tule) crafts and wooden chairs come from other barrios of the municipality.

    How to get to Santa María la Asunción

    Drive from Toluca: 15 min, 13 km

    From Mexico City you reach Toluca by the México-Toluca road and the Paseo Tollocan, which the municipal monograph names as the main route into the municipality; from there continue on Av. Juárez, which crosses San Mateo Atenco north to south, or on Calle 2 de Abril, a direct road to Metepec. Toluca is about 11 km away in a straight line, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by road depending on traffic, and Metepec, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 8 km (12 minutes by car, per Pueblos América).

    By public transport, the El Insurgente train runs to Zinacantepec, and from Toluca there are local buses and taxis toward San Mateo Atenco; by long-distance bus, the Toluca terminal is the connection point. In Toluca there are taxis to the locality. Ask for the route to Santa María on Av. Juárez, since there is no published published line.

    Directions to Santa María la Asunción on Google Maps

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

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    From the nearest cities to Santa María la Asunción

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

    Before you go to Santa María la Asunción: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    The locality holds its feast on 1 January and 2 August; in San Mateo Atenco, 25 October is the day of San Crispín, patron of shoemakers. Wikipedia: Municipio de San Mateo Atenco · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Santa María la Asunción: what to see and do

    Iglesia de Santa María, the heart of the locality
    Feasts on 1 January and 2 August
    Museo de las Culturas Lacustres del Valle de Toluca, with mammoth tusks
    Hand-made footwear in San Mateo Atenco
    Carnival with mojigangas and the San Crispín feast (25 October)
    Ciénagas del Lerma wetlands, on the municipality's eastern edge

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Santa María la Asunción

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santa María la Asunción.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Metepec often include Santa María la Asunción; 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 5 km more to Santa María la Asunción, 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 Santa María la Asunción.

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    Travel insurance

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Metepec: download a map of the way to Santa María la Asunción before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to Santa María la Asunción cool

    Santa María la Asunción shares the climate of Metepec, 5 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 Santa María la Asunción, 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.