Village Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, Tlaxcala Municipality of Contla de Juan Cuamatzi La Malinche
Fifth section of Contla on La Malinche's northeast slope; a Nahuatl-speaking village of weavers and farmers with a feast for San Felipe de Jesús on 5 February.
From Chiautempan: 10 min by car (9 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
See everything nearby ↓
Plan your visit to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Where to stay near San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Felipe Cuauhtenco.
Tours to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Day trips and guided outings from Ixtenco often include San Felipe Cuauhtenco; 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
How to get to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
- From Chiautempan: about 10 min by road (~9 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 16 min by car to Ixtenco
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Tours from Puebla City, near San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About San Felipe Cuauhtenco
San Felipe Cuauhtenco is a village on the northeast slope of La Malinche, at about 2,480 metres, and forms the fifth section of the municipality of Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, whose seat, San Bernardino Contla, is about 9 km from Tlaxcala city. Wikipedia gives about 2,063 inhabitants in the 2010 census. The climate is temperate and humid, with summer rain and colder weather in December and January.
Most people speak Nahuatl, and the village is predominantly indigenous in character. The economy rests on three things: farming (maize, beans, squash and broad beans, with quelites and nopales growing among the fields), textile work, closely tied to Contla and its wool sarapes and saltillos, and jobs outside the community. Chickens, turkeys, ducks and a few geese are kept in the yards.
The patron is San Felipe de Jesús, whose feast is on 5 February. There are two churches in the centre; the chapel of San Felipe dates from the 19th century according to the municipal text. Like the rest of Contla, Cuauhtenco joins in the huehues carnival, danced on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and in the craft fairs the seat holds from 20 to 30 May after the feast of San Bernardino.
How to get to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Drive from Chiautempan: 10 min, 9 km
San Felipe Cuauhtenco lies on the slope of La Malinche, northeast of Contla, roughly 31 km from Puebla (about 35 minutes by car) and roughly 21 km from Huamantla, a Pueblo Mágico of Tlaxcala (about 25 minutes). The seat, Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, is about 9 km from Tlaxcala city, and from there local roads climb to the village. By public transport the easiest way is a colectivo from the Tlaxcala bus terminal to Contla, then ask there for the one that goes up to Cuauhtenco. With your own car you can reach the two churches in the centre more easily.
Directions to San Felipe Cuauhtenco on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
From the nearest cities to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
- Chiautempan · 9 km by road, 10 min
- Huamantla · 31 km by road, 30 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 38 km by road, 35 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to San Felipe Cuauhtenco: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Feast of San Felipe de Jesús on 5 February; huehues carnival on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Contla). Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting San Felipe Cuauhtenco: what to see and do
Chapel of San Felipe, 19th century
The two churches in the centre of the village
Feast of San Felipe de Jesús on 5 February
Wool textiles: Contla, the seat, is home to the sarapes
Maize, bean, squash and broad-bean fields on La Malinche's slope
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Felipe Cuauhtenco.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Ixtenco often include San Felipe Cuauhtenco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 1 h 16 min by road to Ixtenco, then 21 km more to San Felipe Cuauhtenco, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 1 h 16 min by road from Ixtenco, the base for San Felipe Cuauhtenco.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Ixtenco: download a map of the way to San Felipe Cuauhtenco before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
When to go to San Felipe Cuauhtenco cool
San Felipe Cuauhtenco shares the climate of Ixtenco, 21 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Ixtenco
Weather in San Felipe Cuauhtenco now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Ixtenco
Ixtenco is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Felipe Cuauhtenco, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Huamantla · Tlaxcala · 21 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 34 km away
- Cholula · Puebla · 34 km away
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 35 km away
- Atlixco · Puebla · 55 km away
Closest to San Felipe Cuauhtenco
-
San José Aztatla · Town · 1 km away
-
San Pedro Xochiteotla · Town · 2 km away
-
San Rafael Tepatlaxco · Village · 2 km away
-
San Bartolomé Cuahuixmatlac · Town · 4 km away
-
San Lucas Tlacochcalco · Town · 4 km away
-
Contla · Town · 5 km away
-
Cuatlapanga · Mountain · 5 km away
-
Cuaxomulco · Town · 5 km away
Near San Felipe Cuauhtenco
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.