Village San Gabriel Chilac, Puebla Tehuacán Valley
Village in the municipality of San Gabriel Chilac, "at the little water", where dancers welcome visitors at the entrance to town.
From Tehuacán: 30 min by car (27 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near San Juan Atzingo
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Tours to San Juan Atzingo
Day trips and guided outings from Huautla often include San Juan Atzingo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
How to get to San Juan Atzingo
- From Tehuacán: about 30 min by road (~27 km)
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 3 h 34 min by car to Huautla
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About San Juan Atzingo
San Juan Atzingo belongs to San Gabriel Chilac, the Nahua municipality of the Tehuacán valley famous for its Day of the Dead. Atzingo means "at the little water" in Nahuatl, from atl, water, tzin, diminutive, and co, place; its patron is Saint John the Baptist. It had 1,923 people in 2020 and lies at about 1,460 m, a little above the valley floor.
The municipality of San Gabriel Chilac covers about 109 km² at an average of 1,220 m. Its seat, founded according to its records in 1539, celebrates the mik-ilhuitl every November, the festival of the dead with reed shelters in the cemetery, a dawn mass lit by candles and offerings of tamales, red atole and turkey mole.
At Atzingo's festivals, dancers go out to the edge of the village to welcome visitors from other communities, as the photo shows. Tehuacán is about 18 km away as the crow flies, and from there you can tour the rest of the valley: Altepexi, Ajalpan and Coxcatlán.
How to get to San Juan Atzingo
Drive from Tehuacán: 30 min, 27 km
San Juan Atzingo lies in the municipality of San Gabriel Chilac, south of Tehuacán, about 18 km from the city in a straight line. From Puebla's CAPU terminal, ADO and Autobuses Unidos reach Tehuacán in about two hours; the last stretch is by car.
Directions to San Juan Atzingo on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to San Juan Atzingo
- Tehuacán · 27 km by road, 30 min
- Orizaba · 94 km by road, 1 h 30 min
- Córdoba · 118 km by road, 1 h 50 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Visiting San Juan Atzingo: what to see and do
The welcome dances at the village entrance during festivals.
The Day of the Dead in San Gabriel Chilac, the municipal seat.
Pair it with Tehuacán, about 18 km away.
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Places to stay in San Juan Atzingo
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Juan Atzingo.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Huautla often include San Juan Atzingo; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 3 h 34 min by road to Huautla, then 59 km more to San Juan Atzingo, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 3 h 34 min by road from Huautla, the base for San Juan Atzingo.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huautla: download a map of the way to San Juan Atzingo before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to San Juan Atzingo mild
San Juan Atzingo shares the climate of Huautla, 59 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.
See the month-by-month climate of Huautla
Weather in San Juan Atzingo now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huautla
Huautla is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Juan Atzingo, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Orizaba · Veracruz · 68 km away
Closest to San Juan Atzingo
-
San Gabriel Chilac · Town · 5 km away
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Reserva de la Biosfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán · Nature reserve · 10 km away
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San José Miahuatlán · Town · 10 km away
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Zapotitlán Salinas · Town · 10 km away
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Altepexi · Town · 12 km away
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San Antonio Texcala · Village · 13 km away
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San Pablo Tepetzingo · Village · 15 km away
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San Sebastián Zinacatepec · Village · 15 km away
Near San Juan Atzingo
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.