Archaeological site 17 km southeast of Papantla
A small Totonac city founded as El Tajín declined, with a pyramid at the edge of a cliff and a large ball court.
Cuyuxquihui is a small archaeological site in the Tecolutla River valley, southeast of Papantla and about 22 kilometers from El Tajín. It was founded around 1250 AD, when El Tajín had already lost its power, and it became one of the Totonac centers of the centuries before the Spanish conquest. The name is usually explained as Totonac for "armadillo wood".
The city was built with defense in mind. Retaining walls run along the hill and a cliff protects its eastern side, which is why it is often described as a fortress. Around 1465 it was conquered by the Mexica under Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, and the buildings show a mix of Totonac, Mexica and Huastec styles from that later period.
The site covers about 30 hectares. Its main pyramid rises in four tiers and still has traces of its original stucco, another building keeps a stone monolith about two meters tall, and a long, narrow I-shaped ball court lies a little apart from the rest. It sees only a handful of visitors, so it makes a quiet contrast to the crowds at El Tajín.
What to see and do
Walk around the four-tiered main pyramid and look for the remains of its original stucco.
Find the stone monolith of about two meters in one of the smaller buildings.
Visit the long, narrow ball court, set a little apart from the main group.
Look out from the edge of the site over the cliff and the Tecolutla River valley.
Getting there
Cuyuxquihui is about 40 minutes to an hour by car from Papantla, heading southeast toward Paso del Correo; the site lies about 5 kilometers beyond that village on a local road. There is no regular public transport to the site, so go by car or taxi. Published opening days and hours differ between sources and the site has kept shorter hours than El Tajín, so check with INAH before you go and bring water.
17 km southeast of Papantla
Directions from Papantla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cuyuxquihui
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cuyuxquihui.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Cuyuxquihui.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Weather warm
Cuyuxquihui shares the climate of Papantla, 17 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec.
Make Papantla your base
Cuyuxquihui is an easy trip from Papantla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Papantla
-
El Tajín
· Archaeological site · 5 km away
The great ancient city of the Gulf coast, with the Pyramid of the Niches, many ball courts and voladores at the gate. -
Gutiérrez Zamora
· Town · 25 km away
A riverside town on the way to Tecolutla, home to some of the oldest vanilla-curing businesses in the region. -
Tecolutla
· Town · 33 km away
Papantla's nearest beach town, at a river mouth on the Gulf, with a sea turtle camp and boat trips into the mangroves.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.