Town Cuaxomulco, Tlaxcala La Malinche
Municipal seat at the foot of Cerro Cuatlapanga, with an 18th-century church of San Antonio Abad and a fireworks and papel picado tradition.
From Chiautempan: 15 min by car (14 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Cuaxomulco
Where to stay near Cuaxomulco
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Cuaxomulco.
Tours to Cuaxomulco
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Cuaxomulco; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Puebla City
Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation
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How to get to Cuaxomulco
- From Chiautempan: about 15 min by road (~14 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 5 min by car to Huamantla
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Tours from Puebla City, near Cuaxomulco
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About Cuaxomulco
Cuaxomulco is the seat of the municipality of the same name, one of the smallest in Tlaxcala (16.58 km²), at about 2,417 metres above sea level. At the 2020 census it had 3,213 residents and the whole municipality 5,928, shared with San Lorenzo Xaltelulco, San Miguel Buenavista and Zacamolpa. It borders Tzompantepec, San José Teacalco, Contla de Juan Cuamatzi and Santa Cruz Tlaxcala, and its highest point is Cerro Cuatlapanga, about 2,899 metres, visible from town.
The main monument is the church of San Antonio Abad, the local patron. It is a stone building of the 18th century: above the entrance to the parish house is an inscription dated 1750. It has a two-tier tower with round arches, an octagonal dome covered in tile, a churchyard cemetery with early-20th-century gravestones and, inside, a Baroque altarpiece with the saint's sculpture, plus organs and easel paintings.
To the east, on the road to Buenavista, stands the Hacienda San Miguel Buenavista, from the 19th century, with chapel, storeroom, portico, patio and workers' quarters; part of it remains in ruins. Cuaxomulco is known for its fireworks (rockets, castillos, toritos, wheels, hot-air balloons) and for tissue-paper papel picado, which turn up at fiestas across Tlaxcala. The local table includes mole de guajolote, mutton barbacoa, tlacoyos, tlatlapas, honey buñuelos and pulque.
How to get to Cuaxomulco
Drive from Chiautempan: 15 min, 14 km
Cuaxomulco is in central Tlaxcala, about 3 km from Cerro Cuatlapanga and under 3 km from Tzompantepec and San Andrés Ahuashuatepec. According to Pueblos de América, Huamantla is about 30 minutes by car, Tlaxco about 42 and San Pedro Cholula (Puebla) about 53; these are approximate. The municipality has two-lane roads and streets, and the Buenavista hacienda lies on the road leading east. There are no published bus or colectivo lines for Cuaxomulco, and no hotels are registered in the town; the closest are about 6 to 7 km to the northwest.
Directions to Cuaxomulco on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cuaxomulco
- Chiautempan · 14 km by road, 15 min
- Huamantla · 26 km by road, 25 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 41 km by road, 35 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in Cuaxomulco 1
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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Cuatlapanga · Mountain · 3 km from the centre
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.
Map of Cuaxomulco
Neighbourhoods and villages of Cuaxomulco
Part of Cuaxomulco or just outside it, closest first.
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San Andrés Ahuashuatepec · Town · 3 km from the centre
Tzompantepec's largest locality, with 12,628 people, an 18th-century church of St Andrew the Apostle and Cerro Chichimecateutli nearby. -
San Miguel Contla · Town · 3 km from the centre
Locality in Santa Cruz Tlaxcala municipality with 9,556 people in 2020, larger than the municipal seat; its church has a bell tower and clock. -
Tzompantepec · Village · 3 km from the centre
Small seat near Apizaco where Tlaxcalans fought Cortés in 1519, with the painted façade of the Divino Salvador church and clay-comal workshops. -
San Juan Quetzalcoapan · Village · 4 km from the centre
Village in Tzompantepec with an 18th-century church of San Juan, Latin-cross plan and stone vaults; fiesta on 24 June.
Day trips and tours from Cuaxomulco
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Cuaxomulco and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around Cuaxomulco
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, November, and December.
- 1 of the places on this page is more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Cuaxomulco.
Visiting Cuaxomulco: what to see and do
Church of San Antonio Abad, 18th century, with a Baroque altarpiece and tiled dome.
The churchyard cemetery, with early-20th-century gravestones.
Hacienda San Miguel Buenavista, 19th century, on the road to the east.
Cerro Cuatlapanga, the municipality's highest point, about 3 km away.
Fireworks and papel picado, the local crafts.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cuaxomulco
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cuaxomulco.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Cuaxomulco; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 1 h 5 min by road to Huamantla, then 20 km more to Cuaxomulco, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 1 h 5 min by road from Huamantla, the base for Cuaxomulco.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huamantla: download a map of the way to Cuaxomulco before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Cuaxomulco cool
Cuaxomulco shares the climate of Huamantla, 20 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Huamantla
Weather in Cuaxomulco now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huamantla
Huamantla is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Cuaxomulco, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 21 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 29 km away
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 39 km away
- Cholula · Puebla · 39 km away
- Chignahuapan · Puebla · 54 km away
Near Cuaxomulco
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.