Town Cuautlancingo, Puebla Municipality of Cuautlancingo Puebla Valley
Town in Cuautlancingo north of Puebla, scene of the Battle of San Lorenzo against the French army on 8 May 1863.
From Puebla: 20 min by car (16 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San Lorenzo Almecatla
Where to stay near San Lorenzo Almecatla
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Lorenzo Almecatla.
Tours to San Lorenzo Almecatla
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in San Lorenzo Almecatla; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Puebla City
Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation
★ 4.8 (87) · From US$35
How to get to San Lorenzo Almecatla
- From Puebla: about 20 min by road (~16 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 16 min by car to Cholula
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Tours from Puebla City, near San Lorenzo Almecatla
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About San Lorenzo Almecatla
San Lorenzo Almecatla is a town in the municipality of Cuautlancingo, in the Puebla metropolitan area, about 12 km north of downtown in a straight line. It stands at about 2,220 m. INEGI counted 669 inhabitants in 2010; by 2020 it recorded 18,303, a sign of how fast the urban sprawl has grown in this part of the valley.
Its name is in the history books for the Battle of San Lorenzo, fought here on 8 May 1863 during the French Intervention, between the French army and Ignacio Comonfort's Army of the Centre. Puebla was under siege, and Comonfort's three divisions were marching from Tlaxcala to strike together with the besieged and bring in supplies; on the night of the 7th the first division camped at San Lorenzo. On the morning of the 8th the French attacked the first and second divisions. The third, under General Plácido Vega, covered the retreat toward Tlaxcala. The first two divisions lost about 1,000 men killed and wounded and another 1,000 taken prisoner, along with flags, mules and seven guns.
The defeat left Puebla without relief; it fell on 17 May, and the army had to fall back to Mexico City; on 31 May Benito Juárez was forced to leave the capital and begin his roving presidency. Today San Lorenzo is part of the urban fabric of northern Puebla, in a municipality where most people work in industry.
How to get to San Lorenzo Almecatla
Drive from Puebla: 20 min, 16 km
San Lorenzo Almecatla lies in the municipality of Cuautlancingo, about 12 km north of central Puebla in a straight line, within the metropolitan area; by car it takes roughly 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. Cholula is about 12 km away.
Directions to San Lorenzo Almecatla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
From the nearest cities to San Lorenzo Almecatla
- Puebla · 16 km by road, 20 min
- Chiautempan · 23 km by road, 25 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 30 km by road, 25 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of San Lorenzo Almecatla
Neighbourhoods and villages of San Lorenzo Almecatla
Part of San Lorenzo Almecatla or just outside it, closest first.
-
Xicohtzinco · Town · 3 km from the centre
Santo Toribio Xicohtzinco, on the Puebla border: a twin-towered parish church built 1801-1803, a 16 April feast and a chivarrudos carnival. -
Papalotla · Town · 4 km from the centre
Valley town between Puebla and Tlaxcala, with a charro carnival, the old Panzacola station and a fair around October. -
San Marcos Contla · Town · 4 km from the centre
Second-largest locality of Papalotla, 3 km from the seat on federal highway 121: San Marcos church and fiesta on 25 April. -
Tenancingo · Town · 4 km from the centre
A town in southern Tlaxcala next to Puebla, with the San Miguel parish and a carnival of toreros and charros.
Day trips and tours from San Lorenzo Almecatla
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San Lorenzo Almecatla and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around San Lorenzo Almecatla
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
- 3 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from San Lorenzo Almecatla.
Visiting San Lorenzo Almecatla: what to see and do
The site of the Battle of San Lorenzo, 8 May 1863.
The town's metal tower.
Pair it with San Juan Cuautlancingo, the municipal seat, and with Cholula.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Lorenzo Almecatla
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Lorenzo Almecatla.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in San Lorenzo Almecatla; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 16 min by road to Cholula, then 12 km more to San Lorenzo Almecatla, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 16 min by road from Cholula, the base for San Lorenzo Almecatla.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Cholula: download a map of the way to San Lorenzo Almecatla before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
When to go to San Lorenzo Almecatla mild
San Lorenzo Almecatla shares the climate of Cholula, 12 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Cholula
Weather in San Lorenzo Almecatla now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Cholula
Cholula is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Lorenzo Almecatla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 18 km away
- Atlixco · Puebla · 33 km away
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 34 km away
- Huamantla · Tlaxcala · 38 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 54 km away
Near San Lorenzo Almecatla
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.