Town Tlaxcala Municipality of Tlaxcala
Town in Tlaxcala municipality, 'hill of the maguey', with a red-and-white church tower and the La Ocotera ecological park.
From Chiautempan: 10 min by car (10 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San Diego Metepec
Where to stay near San Diego Metepec
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Diego Metepec.
Tours to San Diego Metepec
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in San Diego Metepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Puebla City
Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation
★ 4.8 (87) · From US$35
How to get to San Diego Metepec
- From Chiautempan: about 10 min by road (~10 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 7 min by car to Huejotzingo
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Tours from Puebla City, near San Diego Metepec
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About San Diego Metepec
San Diego Metepec lies southwest of Tlaxcala city at about 2,290 metres above sea level and belongs to the municipality of Tlaxcala. The 2020 census counted 3,593 residents, making it the ninth-largest of the municipality's 18 localities. Its name pairs the patron saint, Diego de Alcalá, with Nahuatl metl (maguey), tepetl (hill) and the place ending -co: 'at the hill of the maguey'.
The town sits about 4.6 km southwest of Ocotlán, the municipality's biggest locality, and almost touches San Lucas Cuauhtelulpan (1.8 km west) and Santa María Acuitlapilco (2.2 km south). Low hills rise around it, among them Cerro Tepepan, La Pedrera and Cerro Santa Bárbara. One administrative quirk: along with one other community, its community president is chosen by usos y costumbres rather than by universal vote, as in the municipality's other juntas.
The church of San Diego has a bell tower trimmed in red mouldings on white, with a tiled dome on its upper level, and an atrium of orange trees behind a white wrought-iron gate. Inside the town is also La Ocotera park, an ecological park with a walking and jogging circuit and restrooms on Avenida Universidad; residents have reported a bark-beetle plague among the trees and thin upkeep. The patron's fiesta is for San Diego de Alcalá.
How to get to San Diego Metepec
Drive from Chiautempan: 10 min, 10 km
San Diego Metepec lies in the south of Tlaxcala city along the Avenida Politécnico corridor, which links the town with San Lucas Cuauhtelulpan and the Tlaxcala central bus station (Tepehitec boulevard). From the station a taxi or local combi covers the short hop; no bus route with published schedules serves it. Suprabus and ATAH reach the Tlaxcala station from Mexico City's TAPO (about 1 h 50 min, hourly) and Verdes from Puebla's CAPU (about 50 min). By car, Huejotzingo, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 28 km away (about 30 min) and Puebla about 27 km (about 30 min).
Directions to San Diego Metepec on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to San Diego Metepec
- Chiautempan · 10 km by road, 10 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 28 km by road, 25 min
- Puebla · 32 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 San Diego Metepec 4
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
Landmarks and museums
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Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción · Landmark · 4 km from the centre
The 16th-century Franciscan church of the Asunción, with a Mudéjar cedar ceiling; Tlaxcala's cathedral and a World Heritage Site since 2021. -
Museo Regional de Tlaxcala · Landmark · 4 km from the centre
INAH museum in the cloister of Tlaxcala's Franciscan convent of the Assumption: 13 rooms running from the Paleolithic to the 20th century.
Nature reserves
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Parque nacional Xicoténcatl · Nature reserve · 4 km from the centre
A 1937 national park covering Tlaxcala's historic centre, the Zahuapan River and the hills of three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.
Viewpoints
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Escalinatas de los Héroes · Viewpoint · 4 km from the centre
A 1960s flight of 250 steps with a central fountain and statues of national heroes, climbing to a lookout over Tlaxcala city.
Map of San Diego Metepec
Neighbourhoods and villages of San Diego Metepec
Part of San Diego Metepec or just outside it, closest first.
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San Lucas Cuauhtelulpan · Town · 2 km from the centre
Locality in Tlaxcala municipality with 5,185 people in 2020, patron Saint Luke the Evangelist and a Nahuatl name meaning "on the wooded mound". -
Santa María Acuitlapilco · Town · 2 km from the centre
Large locality south of the state capital, beside the lagoon that bears its name and known for its huehues and the dance of El Palomo. -
La Trinidad Tepehitec · Town · 3 km from the centre
Tlaxcala's "Heroic Town" by the city bus terminal: a hub of the 1910 anti-reelection movement, with one of the state's liveliest Day of the Dead nights. -
San Andrés Cuamilpa · Village · 3 km from the centre
Tetlatlahuca village whose Nahuatl name means "in the wooded milpa"; church of Saint Andrew the Apostle. -
San Damián Texóloc · Town · 3 km from the centre
Municipal seat of just over 10 km², of pre-Hispanic origin and a milk-and-farming economy; parish of San Damián. -
Panotla · Town · 4 km from the centre
Municipal seat 4 km west of Tlaxcala, with the Baroque church of San Nicolás de Bari and a name in carnival and clarinet music. -
San Gabriel Cuauhtla · Town · 4 km from the centre
Locality south of Tlaxcala city next to Ocotlán: once brick and tile makers, now housing estates, with a chapel of San Gabriel. -
San Jerónimo Zacualpan · Town · 4 km from the centre
Southern Tlaxcala town with a clock-tower church, tule weaving, carnival charros and a San Jerónimo fiesta on 30 September. -
San Sebastián Atlahapa · Town · 4 km from the centre
Locality of 6,503 people in Tlaxcala municipality beside the bypass, with a church with a painted dome dedicated to Saint Sebastian. -
Santiago Tlacochcalco · Village · 4 km from the centre
Village in Tepeyanco on the Acuitlapilco lagoon, with a church of Santiago Apóstol and a patron-saint fiesta on 25 July.
Day trips and tours from San Diego Metepec
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San Diego Metepec 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 San Diego Metepec
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and November.
- 9 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 San Diego Metepec.
Visiting San Diego Metepec: what to see and do
The church of San Diego, with its red-and-white bell tower and orange-tree atrium
La Ocotera ecological park and its walking circuit
The nearby hills: Cerro Tepepan, La Pedrera and Cerro Santa Bárbara
Avenida Politécnico, linking the town with San Lucas Cuauhtelulpan
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Diego Metepec
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Diego Metepec.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in San Diego Metepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 7 min by road to Huejotzingo, then 21 km more to San Diego Metepec, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 7 min by road from Huejotzingo, the base for San Diego Metepec.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huejotzingo: download a map of the way to San Diego Metepec before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to San Diego Metepec mild
San Diego Metepec shares the climate of Huejotzingo, 21 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Huejotzingo
Weather in San Diego Metepec now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huejotzingo
Huejotzingo is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Diego Metepec, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
Near San Diego Metepec
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.