Tepeyahualco

Tepeyahualco is the seat of the municipality of the same name in eastern Puebla, about 90 km from the capital and 172 km from Mexico City. The name comes from the Nahuatl tepetl, hill, yahualtec, round, and co, in: "in the ring of hills". The village stands at about 2,330 m and had 1,563 people in 2020; the municipality, about 452 km² with 29 settlements, had 19,200 in 2020, 17% more than in 2010. According to the municipal history, the town was founded in 1556.

The municipality spans two regions: the flat Llanos de San Juan and the foothills of the Sierra Norte, with small hills, so altitude runs from 2,400 to 3,000 m. It borders Chignautla to the north, Libres and Cuyoaco to the west, Guadalupe Victoria, Oriental and San Nicolás Buenos Aires to the south, and Xiutetelco and the state of Veracruz to the east.

For travellers, Tepeyahualco is the gateway to two remarkable places. In its territory lies the Cantona archaeological site, one of the most urbanised cities of Mesoamerica, with over 500 paved streets and at least 24 ballcourts; the road to the site starts right from the village. And beside the Amozoc–Xalapa highway rises Cerro Pizarro, a 3,080 m volcano climbed in half a day. In the village, the hermitage of San Pedro stands out.