Landmark 8 km southwest of Huejotzingo
A 16th-century Franciscan convent on the UNESCO list, famous for four corner chapels covered in carved stone reliefs.
San Andrés Calpan is a farming town about 8 kilometers south of Huejotzingo, on the slopes that rise toward Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl. Before the conquest it was a small lordship closely tied to Huejotzingo, and it sided with Tlaxcala and the Spanish in 1519.
Its Franciscan convent, begun around 1548, is one of the three in Puebla included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the earliest monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, together with Huejotzingo and Tochimilco. The church has a Plateresque facade with Moorish touches and a single wide nave, and the cloister now holds a small site museum. What makes Calpan special are its capillas posas, the four small chapels in the corners of the walled atrium, begun in 1555. Their outer walls are covered in stone reliefs carved by Indigenous artisans, among the finest of their kind in Mexico.
Calpan is also known for its cooking. Chiles en nogada are a point of local pride here, served in season in late summer, along with dishes such as mole and stews made with tejocote.
What to see and do
Walk around the four capillas posas and look closely at the carved reliefs on each one.
Visit the church and the small site museum in the cloister.
Take a weekend guided tour of the chapels if one is running.
Eat chiles en nogada in town if you come in season.
Getting there
Calpan is about 15 minutes south of Huejotzingo by car on the local road toward San Nicolás de los Ranchos. Colectivos link the two towns. It is on the way to Paso de Cortés, so you can stop here on the drive up to the volcanoes.
8 km southwest of Huejotzingo
Directions from Huejotzingo on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Places to stay in San Andrés Calpan
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Weather mild
San Andrés Calpan shares the climate of Huejotzingo, 8 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov.
Make Huejotzingo your base
San Andrés Calpan is an easy trip from Huejotzingo, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Huejotzingo
-
Cacaxtla-Xochitécatl
· Archaeological site · 12 km away
Twin hilltop sites across the Tlaxcala line, famous for vivid Maya-style murals of a battle, preserved under a huge roof. -
San Nicolás de los Ranchos
· Town · 13 km away
A farming town on the slopes of Popocatépetl, the last real stop on the road up to Paso de Cortés. -
Val'Quirico
· Town · 13 km away
A Tuscan-style village built on an old hacienda in Tlaxcala, full of restaurants and shops; popular and busy on weekends. -
Hacienda de Chautla
· Landmark · 19 km away
An old hacienda with an English-style castle on the edge of a lake, now a state-run park for walks, boating and picnics. -
Paso de Cortés
· Mountain · 26 km away
The high pass between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, at about 3,700 m, inside the Izta-Popo national park.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.