Town Xonacatlán, Estado de México Toluca Valley
Municipal seat in the Toluca Valley, known as the Plush City for its workshops and for Xonita, the Guinness-record giant bear.
From Toluca: 20 min by car (20 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Xonacatlán de Vicencio.
Tours to Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Day trips around Metepec sometimes stop in Xonacatlán de Vicencio; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
How to get to Xonacatlán de Vicencio
- From Toluca: about 20 min by road (~20 km)
- Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 17 min by car to Metepec
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About Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Xonacatlán de Vicencio is the seat of the municipality of Xonacatlán, in the Toluca Valley at roughly 2,600 m. INEGI counted 22,953 people here in 2020. The name is Nahuatl and means 'among the onions' (xonacatl, onion). Wikipedia says Axayácatl conquered these lands in 1476 and the Spanish arrived in 1521; the town became a municipality in 1870 thanks to Celso Vicencio Hernández, and after his death in 1908 his surname was added to its name.
The town is known today for stuffed toys. A 2021 Quadratín report says eight of every ten plush toys sold in Mexico are made here, in around 250 workshops by DENUE's count, with 14 February the best day of the year and bears the top seller. In 2019 a team of 150 people, many of them local plush makers, sewed Xonita, 19.41 m long and 9.5 m tall, which Guinness recognised as the world's largest stuffed toy. The patron-saint feast is San Francisco de Asís on 4 October, and the dish the municipality is proudest of is the torta de helado, an ice-cream sandwich.
It is a working town rather than a postcard: go to see the centre and the town hall (built 1931 to 1945), and to buy plush straight from a workshop, especially around February.
How to get to Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Drive from Toluca: 20 min, 20 km
There is no direct bus from TAPO in Mexico City. The simplest route is Metro to Observatorio, then a Zina bus (Autobuses Zinacantepec; 800 009 4622, autobuseszinacantepec.com.mx) from the Terminal Poniente to Xonacatlán; Rome2Rio lists about 51 minutes with departures every 20 minutes, so check times with the company. Another option is the Tren Interurbano to Lerma and then a Zina bus to Xonacatlán, about 14 minutes. From Toluca it is a short drive, about 18 km as the crow flies (roughly 25 to 30 minutes); there is no published information on the road number, so follow your navigation app. Metepec, the best-known pueblo nearby, is about 19 km away in a straight line.
Directions to Xonacatlán de Vicencio on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Xonacatlán de Vicencio
- Toluca · 20 km by road, 20 min
- Mexico City · 59 km by road, 1 h
- Zitácuaro · 99 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.
Before you go to Xonacatlán de Vicencio: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The patron-saint feast of San Francisco de Asís is 4 October. Plush sales peak around 14 February. Wikipedia; Quadratín · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Xonacatlán de Vicencio: what to see and do
Walk the centre and the town hall, built between 1931 and 1945.
Buy plush straight from the workshops; bears are the top seller.
Look up Xonita, the 19.41 m Guinness-record toy sewn in 2019 by people from the municipality.
Come on 4 October for the feast of San Francisco de Asís, the town's patron saint.
Try the torta de helado, the dish the municipality calls its own.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Xonacatlán de Vicencio.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Metepec sometimes stop in Xonacatlán de Vicencio; 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 19 km more to Xonacatlán de Vicencio, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 17 min by road from Metepec, the base for Xonacatlán de Vicencio.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Metepec: download a map of the way to Xonacatlán de Vicencio before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Xonacatlán de Vicencio cool
Xonacatlán de Vicencio shares the climate of Metepec, 19 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Metepec
Weather in Xonacatlán de Vicencio 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 Xonacatlán de Vicencio, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Villa del Carbón · Estado de México · 37 km away
- Tepotzotlán · Estado de México · 47 km away
- Malinalco · Estado de México · 51 km away
- Jilotepec · Estado de México · 61 km away
- Ixtapan de la Sal · Estado de México · 64 km away
Closest to Xonacatlán de Vicencio
-
San Francisco Xochicuautla · Village · 9 km away
-
Temoaya · Village · 10 km away
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Isidro Fabela · Village · 12 km away
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San Mateo Otzacatipan · Village · 12 km away
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San Miguel Ameyalco · Village · 13 km away
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Amomolulco · Village · 14 km away
-
Centro Ceremonial Otomí · Landmark · 14 km away
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San Mateo Atenco · Town · 15 km away
Near Xonacatlán de Vicencio
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.