Town 11 km northwest of Temacapulín
The "cradle of the paleta": a Los Altos town of ice-cream makers, with a giant tiled Sacred Heart image on a hillside park.
Mexticacán is a small town in the canyons of Los Altos de Jalisco, about 15 minutes north of Temacapulín on the road toward Nochistlán. It calls itself the cradle of the paleta and the helado, and with reason: many of the families who opened ice-cream and popsicle shops across Mexico came from here, and the trade is still a source of local pride.
The story usually told in town is that the business took off in 1940, when a local man, Genaro Jáuregui, bought one of the first paleta-making machines. Today you can try paletas and ice cream in the shops around the plaza, including the local specialties filled with cajeta or dulce de leche.
The town's other landmark is the Parque Ecológico Corazón Monumental, where a huge image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the patron of the paleteros, is made from millions of small hand-painted tiles. Back in the center, the parish of San Nicolás and the town's several sanctuaries are worth a short walk.
What to see and do
Try paletas and ice cream in the shops around the main plaza, especially the cajeta-filled ones.
Visit the Parque Ecológico Corazón Monumental and its giant tiled image of the Sacred Heart.
Walk to the parish of San Nicolás and the sanctuaries in town.
Combine the trip with Temacapulín's hot-spring pools on the same day.
Getting there
Mexticacán is about 15 minutes by car from Temacapulín, heading north on the local road through the canyon. There is no regular public transport between the two, so you will need a car or a ride arranged locally.
11 km northwest of Temacapulín
Directions from Temacapulín on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Mexticacán shares the climate of Temacapulín, 11 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Nov.
Make Temacapulín your base
Mexticacán is an easy trip from Temacapulín, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Temacapulín
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Cañadas de Obregón
· Town · 5 km away
The municipal seat a few kilometers south of Temacapulín, a quiet Los Altos town with a plaza and parish church. -
Presa El Zapotillo
· Landmark · 12 km away
The dam on the Río Verde that once threatened to flood Temacapulín; its level was capped in 2021 after years of protest. -
Yahualica de González Gallo
· Town · 19 km away
Home of the Yahualica chile de árbol, which has had its own denomination of origin since 2018.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.