Landmark 30 km east of Jalpan
The smallest facade of the five missions, packed with mermaids and angel musicians, in a remote green valley.
The mission of San Francisco de Asís del Valle de Tilaco sits in a quiet green valley in Landa de Matamoros municipality, about an hour from Jalpan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage group of five Sierra Gorda missions, and its remote setting makes the visit feel like a small discovery.
The church was built between 1754 and 1762, in the years when Fray Junípero Serra led the Franciscan missions of the Sierra Gorda, and its construction is attributed to him. Its facade is the smallest of the five but one of the most delightful: a dense Baroque composition of twisted columns and plant motifs where four mermaids, a choir of angels playing violins and guitars, and Saint Francis himself all share the stone.
The complex is laid out a little differently from the other missions, with a baptistery tower, a cloister, a pilgrims' portal, an atrium with its cross and posa chapels. Its thick stone walls, barrel vaults and octagonal dome over the crossing are typical of the sturdy way these mission churches were built.
What to see and do
Find the four mermaids and the angels with violins and guitars on the facade.
Walk around the atrium, the cross and the posa chapels.
Look at the cloister and the pilgrims' portal beside the church.
Combine it with the Landa mission on the same trip.
Getting there
From Jalpan, follow Highway 120 east past Landa de Matamoros toward Xilitla and take the signed turnoff to Tilaco; the drive takes about an hour on winding mountain roads.
30 km east of Jalpan
Directions from Jalpan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Misión de Tilaco
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Weather mild
Misión de Tilaco shares the climate of Jalpan, 30 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Jalpan your base
Misión de Tilaco is an easy trip from Jalpan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Jalpan
-
Presa Jalpan
· Lake · 2 km away
The reservoir just south of town, a calm spot for a walk by the water at the start or end of the day. -
Cascada El Chuveje
· Waterfall · 11 km away
A 30-meter waterfall in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, reached by a short river trail off Highway 120. -
Misión de Landa
· Landmark · 16 km away
The last and most ornate of the five UNESCO-listed Sierra Gorda missions, 20 minutes east of Jalpan. -
Misión de Tancoyol
· Landmark · 25 km away
A UNESCO-listed mission with the most complex facade of the five, about an hour from Jalpan on a curvy mountain road. -
Concá
· Town · 30 km away
A riverside village with the first-finished Sierra Gorda mission, a giant ancient cypress and warm-water swimming.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.