Ayotzintepec

Ayotzintepec sits in a valley in the lowland Chinantla, around 117 metres above sea level, beside the Mojarras River, a tributary of the Cajonos. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name in the Tuxtepec district; its main locality had 3,883 inhabitants in 2020 (3,609 in 2010). The name is Nahuatl and is usually rendered "on the hill of the little turtles".

The town's past is unusually tangled. The 1910 census lists it as a ranch of 308 people under San Pedro Ozumacín; in 1921 it is recorded as empty, and in 1930 it reappears as Los Llanos de Ayotzintepec. After disputes in Ozumacín, that municipality was abolished in 1941, and on 12 June 1942 the Oaxaca congress restored the municipality with Ayotzintepec as its seat. Nothing reliable is documented about how the settlement began.

The climate is hot and wet, with rain all year: 3,000 to 4,000 mm annually and mean temperatures of 22 to 26 degrees C. The municipality still has rainforest with amate, mahogany, cedar and ceiba trees, and pasture and farmland in the lower parts.

In town, women embroider and some families weave reed baskets; traditional dress is a long red skirt with a white embroidered blouse with kimono-style sleeves. Local food includes mole and white barbacoa, and the town is known for its wind band. The main fiesta is San Isidro Labrador, around 14 May, with a fair, dances and popular games. Pre-Hispanic pieces have turned up in several parts of town.