Town 11 km east of Tepotzotlán
Mexico's fireworks capital, with a huge pyrotechnics market, a March fireworks fair and a free museum of local mammoth finds.
Tultepec calls itself the national capital of pyrotechnics, and it has earned the title: a large share of its people make a living, directly or indirectly, from fireworks, almost all of them handmade in family workshops. The San Pablito market, a sprawling complex of stalls on the edge of town, sells everything from sparklers to big rockets, especially in the weeks before Christmas, New Year and the Independence holidays.
The big event is the Feria Nacional de la Pirotecnia, held around early March in honor of San Juan de Dios, patron of the fireworks makers. Over several days the town fills with competitions and shows, and the highlight is the burning of toritos, bull-shaped frames covered in fireworks that are carried through the crowd as they explode. It is loud, smoky and thrilling, and the organizers' safety advice is worth following.
Tultepec is also a surprise for anyone into prehistory. Mammoth remains keep turning up in the old lakebed here, and in 2019 archaeologists in San Antonio Xahuento uncovered pits interpreted as the first documented mammoth traps. The free Museo del Mamut, which reopened in early 2026 after an expansion, displays bones from more than a dozen mammoths, including a reconstructed skeleton about seven meters long.
What to see and do
Browse the stalls of the San Pablito fireworks market.
Time a visit for the Feria Nacional de la Pirotecnia and the burning of the toritos in March.
See the reconstructed mammoth skeleton at the free Museo del Mamut.
Learn about the mammoth traps found in San Antonio Xahuento.
Getting there
Tultepec is about 15 km east of Tepotzotlán, roughly 30 minutes by car through the Cuautitlán area. The Museo del Mamut opens Tuesday to Sunday; check the fair's dates each year. Fireworks bought here are for legal use only and should never travel in checked luggage or on public transport.
11 km east of Tepotzotlán
Directions from Tepotzotlán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Tultepec shares the climate of Tepotzotlán, 11 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Tepotzotlán your base
Tultepec is an easy trip from Tepotzotlán, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tepotzotlán
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Xochitla Parque Ecológico
· Nature reserve · 2 km away
A 70-hectare ecological park on Tepotzotlán's edge with a botanical garden, bike rentals, boating and camping. -
Catedral de Cuautitlán
· Landmark · 7 km away
A Baroque Franciscan church, now a cathedral, that keeps rare 16th-century paintings attributed to Flemish master Martín de Vos. -
Arcos del Sitio
· Landmark · 13 km away
A colonial aqueduct about 60 meters tall spanning a wooded ravine, inside an ecotourism park in the Sierra de Tepotzotlán. -
Laguna de Zumpango
· Lake · 13 km away
A remnant of the Valley of Mexico's old lakes, with boat rides and fried fish stands on the shore at San Pedro de la Laguna. -
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan
· Archaeological site · 19 km away
A small Mexica pyramid with its temple rebuilt on top, the best idea of how Aztec shrines looked, plus a little museum. -
Pirámide de Tenayuca
· Archaeological site · 21 km away
A Chichimec and Aztec pyramid rebuilt over itself many times, ringed by a wall of 138 carved stone serpents. -
Museo Paleontológico de Santa Lucía Quinametzin
· Landmark · 25 km away
A free museum at Felipe Ángeles airport showing the mammoths and other Ice Age fossils dug up while the airport was built.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.