Town Mazatecochco de José María Morelos, Tlaxcala Puebla Valley La Malinche
Municipal seat on La Malinche's southern slope, with an 18th-century parish of Saints Cosmas and Damian and a carnival danced by neighbourhood sections.
From Chiautempan: 15 min by car (16 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Mazatecochco
Where to stay near Mazatecochco
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Mazatecochco.
Tours to Mazatecochco
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in Mazatecochco; 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 Mazatecochco
- From Chiautempan: about 15 min by road (~16 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 16 min by car to Cholula
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Tours from Puebla City, near Mazatecochco
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Mazatecochco
Mazatecochco is the seat of the municipality of Mazatecochco de José María Morelos, on the southern slope of the La Malinche volcano at about 2,300 metres. It had 11,580 inhabitants in the 2020 census, well up from the 1,220 recorded in 1900. The Nahuatl name is translated as "in the hiding place or watering hole of deer"; the municipality was set up as a free municipality on 20 January 1943.
The earliest accounts speak of Teochichimeca groups settling around the 15th century. In 1578-1579 Antonio de Guevara transferred land here to Diego Muñoz Camargo, the chronicler of Tlaxcala. Around 1862 Antonio Carvajal fought the French in the town, and during the Revolution the region sided with the Arenista current and land redistribution.
The main building is the parish of San Cosme y San Damián, from the 18th century, with a white neoclassical facade, stone walls about 90 cm thick, a tower with a tiled dome and a Churrigueresque altarpiece inside. The festival most often described is the carnival: the town is divided into four sections and each has its own dance group. They wear an embroidered multicoloured cape, a mask and a feathered hat called a plumero, and on Carnival Sunday they dance from 11 a.m. in front of the municipal presidency and at the houses of their section officials. Local food includes turkey mole, barbacoa, squash-blossom quesadillas with huitlacoche and pulque, plus preserves of tejocote and capulín. Crafts listed include embroidery, metalwork and dance costumes.
How to get to Mazatecochco
Drive from Chiautempan: 15 min, 16 km
Mazatecochco is about 22 km from Tlaxcala city on highway 119 (Tlaxcala–Mazatecochco–Puebla), and about 10 km from San Pablo del Monte on federal highway 121. From Puebla it is roughly 15 km and about 15 minutes by car to the north; from Cholula, the nearest pueblo on our list, roughly 18 km and 20 minutes. By public transport the easiest way is to reach San Pablo del Monte or Tlaxcala city (bus terminal) and ask for the colectivo to Mazatecochco. The centre is flat and easy to walk.
Directions to Mazatecochco on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Mazatecochco
- Chiautempan · 16 km by road, 15 min
- Puebla · 18 km by road, 20 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 36 km by road, 35 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of Mazatecochco
Neighbourhoods and villages of Mazatecochco
Part of Mazatecochco or just outside it, closest first.
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Papalotla · Town · 2 km from the centre
Valley town between Puebla and Tlaxcala, with a charro carnival, the old Panzacola station and a fair around October. -
San Marcos Contla · Town · 2 km from the centre
Second-largest locality of Papalotla, 3 km from the seat on federal highway 121: San Marcos church and fiesta on 25 April. -
Ayometitla · Village · 3 km from the centre
Second-largest locality in the municipality of Santa Cruz Quilehtla, with a chapel of Santiago and 2,158 people in 2020. -
Santa Catarina Ayometla · Town · 3 km from the centre
Municipal seat in southern Tlaxcala: 18th-century parish of Santa Catarina, tinsmithing and a patron-saint fiesta on 25 November. -
Concepción Chimalpa · Village · 4 km from the centre
Village in Acuamanala on the slopes of La Malinche, with a plain Immaculate Conception chapel on the Camino Real . -
Tenancingo · Town · 4 km from the centre
A town in southern Tlaxcala next to Puebla, with the San Miguel parish and a carnival of toreros and charros.
Day trips and tours from Mazatecochco
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Mazatecochco 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 Mazatecochco
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
- 2 of the places on this page are 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 Mazatecochco.
Before you go to Mazatecochco: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Carnival: Carnival Sunday from 11 a.m., with four section dance groups. Paseo por México · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Mazatecochco: what to see and do
Parish of San Cosme y San Damián, 18th century, with a white neoclassical facade and Churrigueresque altarpiece
The atrium and the square in front of the municipal presidency, where the carnival groups dance
Carnival Sunday: four section dance groups in embroidered capes, masks and feathered hats
Embroidery, dance costumes and metalwork from local workshops
Turkey mole, barbacoa and pulque in the local cooking
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Mazatecochco
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Mazatecochco.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in Mazatecochco; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 16 min by road to Cholula, then 18 km more to Mazatecochco, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 16 min by road from Cholula, the base for Mazatecochco.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Cholula: download a map of the way to Mazatecochco before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Mazatecochco mild
Mazatecochco shares the climate of Cholula, 18 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Cholula
Weather in Mazatecochco now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Cholula
Cholula is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Mazatecochco, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 23 km away
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 28 km away
- Huamantla · Tlaxcala · 32 km away
- Atlixco · Puebla · 39 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 49 km away
Near Mazatecochco
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.