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    Satellite view of San Miguel Tenextatiloyan, Puebla

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    Village Zautla, Puebla Sierra Norte de Puebla

    Pottery village in Zautla on highway 129, known as San Miguel de las Ollas, where red-clay pots and cazuelas have been made since pre-Hispanic times.

    From Teziutlán: 30 min by car (40 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    Day trips and guided outings from Tlatlauquitepec often include San Miguel Tenextatiloyan; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Puebla City Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation ★ 4.8 (87) · From US$35
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    How to get to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    • From Teziutlán: about 30 min by road (~40 km)
    • Nearest airport: Poza Rica (PAZ), 2 h 6 min by car to Tlatlauquitepec
    Rent a car at PAZ Flights to PAZ

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Puebla City, near San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation ★ 4.8 (87) 5 h From US$35
    Iztaccihuatl Volcano Hiking Tour from Puebla ★ 5.0 (81) 8–9 h From US$179
    Cholula tour from Puebla ★ 4.9 (81) 3–4 h From US$82
    Town walking tour of the city ★ 4.9 (80) 2–3 h From US$36
    Cholula Magical Town on a Traditional Tram from Puebla in Spanish ★ 4.4 (67) 5 h From US$14

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    About San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    On federal highway 129 between Cuyoaco and Zaragoza lies a village whose life turns on red clay: San Miguel Tenextatiloyan, a junta auxiliar of Zautla municipality at about 2,430 m where the Sierra Norte begins, widely known as San Miguel de las Ollas.

    Its Nahuatl name means roughly "where lime is burned", and San Miguel is its patron, the archangel. The municipal history notes that clay pots have been made here since before the Conquest, and the craft is still passed down within families. Clay is dug from the nearby hills, dried, ground and moistened, then pressed into moulds. The pieces are fired in stone kilns, painted, dipped in glaze and fired again to set it. Potters fuel the kilns with ocote pine and with offcuts sold to them by local sawmills. Some families, such as the Toribios, have won Fonart and national ceramics prizes.

    The village has grown steadily, from 1,836 people in 1900 to 4,597 at the 2020 census, making it one of the largest communities in Zautla even though it is not the seat, which lies about 12 km away by paved road. Besides pottery, people make their living from farming.

    On Saturdays a market is held where the potters themselves sell lead-free cookware and decorative pieces. You will find everything from small cazuelas to big pots for beans or café de olla, plus jugs, plates and braziers. Bring cash, since many workshops take neither cards nor transfers.

    How to get to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

    Drive from Teziutlán: 30 min, 40 km

    The village sits on federal highway 129 between Cuyoaco and Zaragoza. From Puebla's CAPU it is about 113 km and 1 h 30 min: highway 150D towards Amozoc, the Puebla-Xalapa road (140D) towards Oriental, the 129D towards Teziutlán and the last kilometres on highway 129. From Zaragoza it is about 9 km (around 11 minutes) and from Tlatlauquitepec, the nearest pueblo mágico, about 22 km and 22 minutes on the same highway. From Xalapa it is about 108 km and 1 h 30 min via the 140D. Without a car, take a bus from Puebla or from Mexico City's TAPO to the area, then regional transport towards Zautla; ask locally about departures.

    Directions to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

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

    Before you go to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan: hours, prices and tips

    Best time of day
    Saturdays, when the pottery market is held. Feria Maestros del Arte · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Cash: many potters take neither cards nor transfers. Gastrolab · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Miguel Tenextatiloyan: what to see and do

    The red-clay pots, cazuelas, jugs and planters sold by the potters.
    The Saturday pottery market, with lead-free ware.
    The family workshops and their stone kilns.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in San Miguel Tenextatiloyan

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Tlatlauquitepec often include San Miguel Tenextatiloyan; 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 6 min by road to Tlatlauquitepec, then 19 km more to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Poza Rica (PAZ), about 2 h 6 min by road from Tlatlauquitepec, the base for San Miguel Tenextatiloyan.

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    Travel insurance

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

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    Mobile data

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

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    When to go to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan cool

    San Miguel Tenextatiloyan shares the climate of Tlatlauquitepec, 19 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tlatlauquitepec

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tlatlauquitepec

    Zócalo fountain, palms and a yellow church, Tlatlauquitepec, Puebla cool
    Puebla Tlatlauquitepec

    Tlatlauquitepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Miguel Tenextatiloyan, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.