Town 20 km northwest of Tapalpa
A quiet mountain town in the Sierra de Tapalpa known for otate and ixtle crafts, with hot springs and waterfalls nearby.
Chiquilistlán is a small town in the Sierra de Tapalpa, north-west of Tapalpa, whose name is usually explained as place of the cicadas. It is the kind of old-fashioned mountain village where life moves slowly: a tidy central park, people chatting outside their doors, and few visitors.
Its main landmark is the 19th-century parish of the Asunción, and two old buildings, La Haciendita and the Hacienda de Capula, recall the colonial and hacienda past. The town is known for its crafts: huaraches, baskets and chiquihuites, hats and baskets of otate cane, and sashes and mats woven from ixtle fiber.
The mountains around town offer viewpoints and hikes to peaks such as the Chiquilichi, El Picacho and La Vieja, where hikers have found traces of earlier inhabitants. Close by are two hot-spring balnearios, Paso Real and El Salitre, the latter known for its naturally carbonated mineral water, and about 10 kilometers away are the Cascadas de Comala waterfalls.
What to see and do
Visit the 19th-century parish of the Asunción and the central park.
See La Haciendita and the Hacienda de Capula.
Buy local crafts of otate cane and ixtle fiber.
Soak at the Paso Real or El Salitre hot springs nearby.
Hike to a nearby peak, or visit the Cascadas de Comala about 10 kilometers away.
Getting there
From Tapalpa, leave town heading west and follow the signs for Chiquilistlán, past Las Piedrotas; the drive takes roughly 40 minutes on a mountain road. Some stretches may be unpaved, so ask about road conditions in Tapalpa, especially in the rainy season.
20 km northwest of Tapalpa
Directions from Tapalpa on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Chiquilistlán
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Tours & activities
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Weather mild
Chiquilistlán shares the climate of Tapalpa, 20 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Nov.
Make Tapalpa your base
Chiquilistlán is an easy trip from Tapalpa, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tapalpa
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Atacco
· Town · 2 km away
An old village just outside Tapalpa; in colonial times the Franciscans ran a hospital for indigenous people here. -
Presa del Nogal
· Lake · 4 km away
A reservoir in the pine hills just south-west of Tapalpa that feeds the Salto del Nogal; good for a walk or a picnic. -
Las Piedrotas
· Nature reserve · 5 km away
Giant boulders scattered across open meadows north of town, in the area known as the Valle de los Enigmas. -
Salto del Nogal
· Waterfall · 8 km away
The region's highest waterfall, about 105 meters, reached by a dirt road and a forest hike south of Tapalpa. -
Ferrería de Tula
· Landmark · 14 km away
A hamlet north of Tapalpa with the overgrown ruins of an old iron foundry that worked until the early 20th century. -
Amacueca
· Town · 19 km away
A small town below the sierra on the road up to Tapalpa, with an 18th-century Franciscan church and convent ruins. -
San Gabriel
· Town · 21 km away
The town where Juan Rulfo spent his childhood, with a 19th-century parish of the Señor de la Misericordia and old portales. -
Atemajac de Brizuela
· Town · 23 km away
A pine-forest town north of Tapalpa known for wool sarapes, rustic furniture and its August fiesta of San Bartolomé.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.