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    La Malinche y Cuatlapanga al atardecer, Tlaxcala

    Photo by Tyrv, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Cuatlapanga

    Mountain Cuaxomulco, Tlaxcala La Malinche

    A 2,917 m volcanic hill on the flanks of La Malinche, climbed in about an hour from Cuaxomulco on a trail with 14 chapels up to Cristo Rey.

    From Chiautempan: 20 min by car (16 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Cuatlapanga

    Where to stay near Cuatlapanga

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Cuatlapanga.

    Hotels in Cuatlapanga Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Cuatlapanga

    Day trips and guided outings from Huamantla often include Cuatlapanga; 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
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Cuatlapanga

    • From Chiautempan: about 20 min by road (~16 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 5 min by car to Huamantla
    Rent a car at PBC Flights to PBC

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Puebla City, near Cuatlapanga

    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

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Cuatlapanga

    Cuatlapanga is a volcanic hill 2,917 metres high on the northern flanks of La Malinche, between the municipalities of San Antonio Cuaxomulco and San José Teacalco. It is also known as "the hill of the face", because its outline looks like a face shouting. The name is usually translated as "split head".

    It is a popular hiking destination, and some climbers use it as a short acclimatisation hike before La Malinche. The normal route starts on Calle Guadalupe in Cuaxomulco: it begins as an old dirt track, enters the woods and zigzags up the north face, gaining about 350 to 400 metres in roughly an hour. The trail is well marked. The people of Cuaxomulco have built fourteen small chapels along the way, and on the false summit stands an altar with a figure of Christ the King. Every July a procession climbs the hill, stopping to pray at each chapel and ending with a Mass at the top. Beyond the altar, a short scramble leads to the slightly higher true summit, with La Malinche filling the view to the south and the Tlaxcala valley to the north.

    The hill carries a mixed forest of oak, juniper and pine. In 2009 a fire burned much of its pine and oak woodland; reforestation followed and the neighbouring communities banned logging. Dense forest still covers the upper slopes.

    How to get to Cuatlapanga

    Drive from Chiautempan: 20 min, 16 km

    The trail starts in San Antonio Cuaxomulco, on Calle Guadalupe. From Apizaco a colectivo leaves the corner of Jesús Carranza and Benito Juárez, runs through San Andrés Ahuahuatepec and continues to Cuaxomulco; get off at the "La Palma" stop, about half an hour's walk from the trailhead, where the street turns into a track. Taxis also make the trip. By car you can drive to a small church where the road deteriorates and park there. The Autobuses Tlaxcala Apizaco Huamantla (ATAH) line leaves Mexico City's TAPO terminal hourly. Huamantla, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 23 km away, roughly half an hour by car; Puebla is about 35 km in a straight line.

    Directions to Cuatlapanga on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to Cuatlapanga

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

    Before you go to Cuatlapanga: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    About an hour up and half an hour down, gaining roughly 350 to 400 m. Steven's Peak-bagging Journey · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    In July the Cuaxomulco procession climbs the hill, praying at each chapel and holding Mass at the top. SummitPost · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Cuatlapanga: what to see and do

    The fourteen chapels lining the trail from Cuaxomulco.
    The Christ the King altar on the false summit.
    The true summit, with La Malinche to the south and the Tlaxcala valley to the north.
    The "hill of the face" profile, the shouting face traced by its outline.
    The oak, juniper and pine forest on the upper slopes.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Cuatlapanga

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cuatlapanga.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Huamantla often include Cuatlapanga; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 1 h 5 min by road to Huamantla, then 18 km more to Cuatlapanga, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 1 h 5 min by road from Huamantla, the base for Cuatlapanga.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at altitude at Cuatlapanga, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

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

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to Cuatlapanga cool

    Cuatlapanga shares the climate of Huamantla, 18 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    For the clearest views from Cuatlapanga, go in the driest months (January, February, November, and December); in the rains, clouds tend to build up by midday.

    See the month-by-month climate of Huamantla

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huamantla

    Castle-like red facade of a hacienda behind a lawn and fountain near Huamantla, Tlaxcala cool
    Tlaxcala Huamantla

    Huamantla is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Cuatlapanga, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Cuatlapanga

    Near Cuatlapanga

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

    Lists with Cuatlapanga

    Mountains in Tlaxcala · 6 Mountains near Chiautempan · 13 Mountains near Huamantla · 11 Mountains near Puebla · 10 Mountains near San Martín Texmelucan · 16 Mountains near Huejotzingo · 12 Mountains near Cholula · 11 Mountains near Chignahuapan · 3

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.