Village Ajacuba, Hidalgo
Mezquital Valley village, the most populous in Ajacuba, with an ex-hacienda and a July patron-saint fair for Santiago.
From Pachuca: 50 min by car (45 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Santiago Tezontlale
Where to stay near Santiago Tezontlale
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Tours to Santiago Tezontlale
Day trips and guided outings from Mineral del Chico often include Santiago Tezontlale; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Zacatlan
Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center
★ 5.0 (2) · From US$8
How to get to Santiago Tezontlale
- From Pachuca: about 50 min by road (~45 km)
- Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 1 h 12 min by car to Mineral del Chico
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Tours from Zacatlan, near Santiago Tezontlale
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About Santiago Tezontlale
Santiago Tezontlale is flat country at 2,102 metres, almost 9 km north of Ajacuba, and it holds a quarter of the municipality: 4,558 people in 2020, in 1,205 homes. It belongs to the Tula river sub-basin and has a semi-dry temperate climate, with the agave, prickly pear and thorn scrub typical of the area.
The main monument is its church, one of three that Augustinian friars raised between the 16th and 18th centuries in the municipality (the others are in Ajacuba and Tecomatlán). The local ex-hacienda of El Gavillero also keeps its main buildings, still lived in. There is also a Pentecostal temple and one belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses, which reflects the religious mix of the community.
What brings the whole village together is the fair of Santiago Apóstol. Its big day is 25 July, and in 2026 the programme ran from 24 July to 2 August with about 40 activities: a jaripeo, a children's charreada, danzón for older adults, fairground rides and live music. It is a tradition of more than four decades and draws migrants home on holiday, so the village fills up that day. Outside the fair it is a place of everyday life rather than a destination built for visitors; it works best as a stop on a tour of the Mezquital Valley.
How to get to Santiago Tezontlale
Drive from Pachuca: 50 min, 45 km
Santiago Tezontlale is in the municipality of Ajacuba, in south-western Hidalgo, about 8.8 km north of the municipal seat according to Wikipedia. From Pachuca the distance is about 37 km in a straight line, roughly 45 minutes by road; the starting point is Pachuca's bus station, or the Norte terminal if you are coming from Mexico City, about 90 km from Pachuca (Wikivoyage). The village lies north of the seat, Ajacuba, on level ground at 2,102 m. No local transport timetable is published: the practical move is to ask at Pachuca's terminal about departures toward Ajacuba and finish the last stretch by taxi.
Directions to Santiago Tezontlale on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Santiago Tezontlale
- Pachuca · 45 km by road, 50 min
- Tulancingo · 91 km by road, 1 h 35 min
- Mexico City · 103 km by road, 1 h 50 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Santiago Tezontlale: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Patron-saint fair of Santiago Apóstol, 25 July (in 2026 the programme ran 24 July to 2 August). Criterio Hidalgo, 2026 · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Santiago Tezontlale: what to see and do
Augustinian church of Santiago, from the 16th to 18th centuries
Buildings of the ex-hacienda of El Gavillero
Fair of Santiago Apóstol, 24 July to 2 August in 2026
Maguey and prickly-pear landscape of the Mezquital Valley
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Santiago Tezontlale
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santiago Tezontlale.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Mineral del Chico often include Santiago Tezontlale; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 1 h 12 min by road to Mineral del Chico, then 37 km more to Santiago Tezontlale, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 1 h 12 min by road from Mineral del Chico, the base for Santiago Tezontlale.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Mineral del Chico: download a map of the way to Santiago Tezontlale before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Santiago Tezontlale cool
Santiago Tezontlale shares the climate of Mineral del Chico, 37 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.
See the month-by-month climate of Mineral del Chico
Weather in Santiago Tezontlale now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mineral del Chico
Mineral del Chico is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santiago Tezontlale, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Real del Monte · Hidalgo · 44 km away
- Tepotzotlán · Estado de México · 51 km away
- Jilotepec · Estado de México · 51 km away
- Zempoala · Hidalgo · 52 km away
- Huasca de Ocampo · Hidalgo · 53 km away
Closest to Santiago Tezontlale
-
La Cruz · Village · 7 km away
-
Ajacuba · Town · 8 km away
-
Morelos · Village · 8 km away
-
Tetepango · Town · 9 km away
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Tepatepec · Town · 10 km away
-
Árbol Grande · Village · 10 km away
-
Tothie de Rojo Gómez · Village · 11 km away
-
Puerto México · Village · 12 km away
Near Santiago Tezontlale
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.