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    Mazatepec, Puebla

    Photo by Saúl Muñoz Viveros, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Mazatepec

    Village Tlatlauquitepec, Puebla Municipality of Tlatlauquitepec Sierra Norte de Puebla

    Coffee village at 625 m in Tlatlauquitepec municipality, with the Cueva del Tigre cave, smoked chicken and the Apulco river hydro plant.

    From Teziutlán: 1 h by car (55 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Plan your visit to Mazatepec

    Where to stay near Mazatepec

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Mazatepec.

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    Tours to Mazatepec

    Day trips and guided outings from Cuetzalan often include Mazatepec; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Mazatepec

    • From Teziutlán: about 1 h by road (~55 km)
    • Nearest airport: Poza Rica (PAZ), 2 h 46 min by car to Cuetzalan
    Rent a car at PAZ Flights to PAZ

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    About Mazatepec

    Mazatepec lies in the lower Sierra Norte de Puebla, at 625 metres, where the hills of Tlatlauquitepec municipality slope down toward the Apulco river basin. The 2020 census counted 1,617 residents. The name is Nahuatl: mazatl, deer; tepetl, hill; and the locative -co, "at the hill of the deer". Brocket deer no longer survive in the municipality, wiped out by hunting and clearing, but the name stayed.

    Three things carry Mazatepec's reputation. One is coffee, grown around the village. Another is smoke cooking: smoked chicken originated around Mazatepec, and it is the dish travel writers tell you to eat on arrival. The third is the Cueva del Tigre, on the road that runs from Tlatlauquitepec toward the village: a cavern with stalactites and stalagmites, a vaulted entrance, water that can reach above the knee and a chamber 18 metres high. Pre-Hispanic remains of a Totonac settlement have turned up there, and it is thought to have been a ceremonial site: around the spring equinox sunlight enters the cave for about three days.

    The Apulco river, which runs through the north of the municipality and marks the boundary with Ayotoxco, feeds the Adolfo Ruiz Cortines hydroelectric complex, made up of the La Soledad dam and the Mazatepec power station. The village has its own post-office agency, and a herbal liqueur called Yolixpa is sold in the area.

    How to get to Mazatepec

    Drive from Teziutlán: 1 h, 55 km

    Mazatepec is reached from the town of Tlatlauquitepec by the Tlatlauquitepec-Mazatepec state road, about 20 km, approx. half an hour or more depending on the stretch; the cave is on that same road and travel guides speak of around an hour from the centre. Tlatlauquitepec is reached from Puebla by federal highway 129 and the 129D toll road, which crosses the south of the municipality and links Puebla with Teziutlán; the turn for Mazatepec starts at the municipal seat. A road from Cuetzalan also arrives from the north, about 16 km by road (approx. 22 minutes; 11 km as the crow flies). The municipality has a bus line called Vía, taxis and suburban routes, but there is no fixed timetable published to Mazatepec: ask at the Tlatlauquitepec terminal, which gets buses from CAPU in Puebla or from TAPO in Mexico City.

    Directions to Mazatepec on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Mazatepec on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Mazatepec

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Mazatepec: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    The basic Cueva del Tigre tour is 1 km and takes about 1 h 30; the long circuit covers some 3 km between caverns. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    A guide is required for cave diving; tours are organised by La Cueva del Tigre Tours. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    A change of clothes and shoes; waterproof footwear, since the water can rise above the knee. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Cave diving requires a guide and experience for safety; visits are run by La Cueva del Tigre Tours, which is worth contacting beforehand. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Mazatepec: what to see and do

    The Cueva del Tigre: a basic 1 km tour (about 1 h 30) or a longer circuit of some 3 km to the 18 m vaulted chamber.
    Cave diving in the cave, only with a guide and experience.
    Smoked chicken, a specialty of the Mazatepec area.
    The coffee plantations of the area and the Yolixpa herbal liqueur.
    The La Soledad dam and the hydroelectric plant on the Apulco river.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Mazatepec

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Mazatepec.

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    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Cuetzalan often include Mazatepec; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PAZ (Poza Rica): about 2 h 46 min by road to Cuetzalan, then 11 km more to Mazatepec, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Poza Rica (PAZ), about 2 h 46 min by road from Cuetzalan, the base for Mazatepec.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Cuetzalan: download a map of the way to Mazatepec before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Mazatepec mild

    Mazatepec shares the climate of Cuetzalan, 11 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Cuetzalan

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Cuetzalan

    Tiled rooftops of Cuetzalan below the spire of San Francisco church and the green sierra, Puebla mild
    Puebla Cuetzalan

    Cuetzalan is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Mazatepec, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Near Mazatepec

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.