↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    The Aljojuca crater lake, about 1.5 km from San Juan Atenco, Puebla

    Photo by Adr14n, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Juan Atenco

    Village San Juan Atenco, Puebla

    Village on the Llanos de San Andrés, "at the water's edge", a short way from the Aljojuca crater lake; a municipality since 1932.

    From Huamantla: 50 min by car (60 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to San Juan Atenco

    Where to stay near San Juan Atenco

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Juan Atenco.

    Hotels in San Juan Atenco Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to San Juan Atenco

    Day trips and guided outings from Ixtenco often include San Juan Atenco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to San Juan Atenco

    • From Huamantla: about 50 min by road (~60 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 16 min by car to Ixtenco
    Rent a car at PBC Flights to PBC

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    About San Juan Atenco

    San Juan Atenco is the seat of the municipality of the same name in east-central Puebla. The name comes from the Nahuatl atl, water, tentli, edge, and co, in: "at the water's edge". The village stands at about 2,440 m and had 2,111 people in 2020.

    Nahua groups founded it before the Conquest, and its land belonged to Chalchicomula until September 1932, when it became a municipality that also took in the haciendas of San Antonio Ares and Ocotepec. The municipality covers about 96 km² and borders Aljojuca and San Nicolás Buenos Aires to the north, General Felipe Ángeles to the west, Quecholac to the south and Chalchicomula de Sesma to the east.

    A kilometre and a half from the village, toward Aljojuca, lies Laguna de Aljojuca, a maar, a water-filled volcanic crater almost 1 km across and about 50 m deep. On its north side a small wood offers year-round camping and a dirt road leads down; on the south side, near-vertical cliffs. In winter comes what locals call the azuframiento: the water turns from deep blue to emerald green and the fish rise to the surface, the best time for fishing.

    How to get to San Juan Atenco

    Drive from Huamantla: 50 min, 60 km

    San Juan Atenco lies in east-central Puebla next to Aljojuca. Laguna de Aljojuca is about an hour and a half from Puebla city, which is about 70 km away in a straight line. Orizaba in Veracruz is about 53 km away, and Ciudad Serdán, the seat of Chalchicomula, lies to the east. You reach the lake on footpaths or a dirt track; walking down takes under an hour.

    Directions to San Juan Atenco on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in San Juan Atenco Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Juan Atenco. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to San Juan Atenco

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

    Before you go to San Juan Atenco: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    In winter Laguna de Aljojuca turns from blue to emerald green (the azuframiento), the best season for fishing. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Juan Atenco: what to see and do

    The Aljojuca crater lake, 1.5 km away.
    Camping in the small wood on the lake's north side.
    The winter colour change of the water, the azuframiento.
    The old haciendas of San Antonio Ares and Ocotepec.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in San Juan Atenco

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Juan Atenco.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Ixtenco often include San Juan Atenco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 1 h 16 min by road to Ixtenco, then 45 km more to San Juan Atenco, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 1 h 16 min by road from Ixtenco, the base for San Juan Atenco.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

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

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to San Juan Atenco cool

    San Juan Atenco shares the climate of Ixtenco, 45 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Ixtenco

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Ixtenco

    Stone bell tower of the San Juan Bautista parish above the plaza trees, Ixtenco, Tlaxcala cool
    Tlaxcala Ixtenco

    Ixtenco is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Juan Atenco, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to San Juan Atenco

    Near San Juan Atenco

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.