Town 21 km east of Jilotepec
A Hidalgo town with a 16th-century Franciscan convent whose atrium wall is crowned with unusual Indigenous-style merlons.
Tepeji del Río, just over the state line in Hidalgo, has grown into a busy industrial town along the Mexico City–Querétaro highway, but its old center still keeps one of the region's finest colonial buildings. The parish and former convent of San Francisco de Asís, finished in 1586, was founded when the Franciscans gathered two pre-Hispanic towns, Tepexic and Otlaxpan, into one settlement.
The church has a sober, elegant façade, and two doorways framed with carved coffering. The most unusual detail is outside: the merlons along the atrium wall are shaped with ear-like projections that recall pre-Hispanic designs, a reminder of the Indigenous hands that built the place. The cloister has low, wide arches, and the church holds a collection of large colonial paintings, among them works attributed to Juan Correa.
Around the town there are other stops if you have time: the Presa Requena reservoir, the old Hacienda de Caltengo and the road up to Santa María Quelites. Tepeji also pairs well with the Tula archaeological site, a short drive north, for a day that covers both Toltec and colonial history.
What to see and do
Visit the 16th-century parish and former convent of San Francisco de Asís.
Look for the Indigenous-style merlons crowning the atrium wall.
See the large colonial paintings inside the church.
Drive out to the Presa Requena or the old Hacienda de Caltengo.
Combine the trip with the Tula archaeological site.
Getting there
Tepeji is about 30 km east of Jilotepec, roughly 35–40 minutes by car, most of it on the Mexico City–Querétaro highway. Many buses on that corridor stop in Tepeji. The convent stands on the main square, Jardín Hidalgo.
21 km east of Jilotepec
Directions from Jilotepec on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Tepeji del Río shares the climate of Jilotepec, 21 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Jilotepec your base
Tepeji del Río is an easy trip from Jilotepec, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Jilotepec
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Peñas de Dexcaní Alto
· Mountain · 6 km away
Rock formations in the Sierra de Jilotepec, a few kilometers from town, with forest trails, climbing routes and summit hikes. -
Santuario de la Virgen de la Piedrita
· Landmark · 8 km away
A small pilgrimage shrine in the forest near Canalejas, an old stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. -
Presa Danxhó
· Lake · 9 km away
A reservoir south of Jilotepec, built to supply the town with water, where locals picnic, paddle kayaks and take boat rides. -
Chapa de Mota
· Town · 15 km away
An Otomí town with a 16th-century Franciscan church and backstrap-loom weaving, next to the red eroded hills of México Chiquito. -
Bioparque Estrella
· Landmark · 16 km away
A drive-through wildlife park in Chapa de Mota with animals from several continents, boat rides and a zip line. -
México Chiquito
· Nature reserve · 16 km away
Red and orange eroded mounds reflected in a pond at the edge of Chapa de Mota, a landscape that looks almost Martian. -
Presa Taxhimay
· Lake · 20 km away
A reservoir where the bell tower of a drowned colonial church rises out of the water, toward Villa del Carbón. -
Zona Arqueológica de Tula
· Archaeological site · 24 km away
The old Toltec capital, famous for the giant stone warriors called the Atlantes standing on top of Pyramid B.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.