Town 3 km north of Otumba
Otumba's next-door Pueblo con Encanto, with a gilded 16th-century Franciscan church and old pulque haciendas around it.
Axapusco lies just north of Otumba, so close that the two almost touch, but it is a separate town with its own character. The State of Mexico named it a Pueblo con Encanto in 2013, and its main sight is the Franciscan church of San Esteban Protomártir, built in the 16th century and known locally as one of the most beautiful in the region for its gilded main altarpiece.
The municipality is pulque country. In the 18th and 19th centuries the plains around Axapusco were covered with maguey and dotted with haciendas that sent pulque by rail to Mexico City. Some of them survive: Ometusco, a former pulque estate now used as a hotel and event venue, and Soapayuca, which was remodeled in neo-Gothic style in the 19th century by the architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, the man behind the Angel of Independence. The old railway stations of Ometusco and Xala are reminders of that boom.
The village of Santo Domingo Aztacameca has its own colonial church and former convent, and the local kitchen leans on barbacoa, mixiotes, tlacoyos and, in season, escamoles. The patron saint's feast of San Esteban falls on December 26.
What to see and do
Visit the 16th-century church of San Esteban Protomártir and its gilded altarpiece.
Drive past the old pulque haciendas and railway stations of the plains.
See the colonial church of Santo Domingo Aztacameca.
Try barbacoa, mixiotes and, in spring, escamoles.
Getting there
Axapusco is about 3 km north of Otumba, five minutes by car or taxi on Avenida Hidalgo; colectivos run between the two towns. The haciendas are private, so visits depend on events or arrangements; ask before you go.
3 km north of Otumba
Directions from Otumba on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Axapusco shares the climate of Otumba, 3 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec.
Make Otumba your base
Axapusco is an easy trip from Otumba, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.