Town Tlaxcala Municipality of Tlaxcala
Locality south of Tlaxcala city next to Ocotlán: once brick and tile makers, now housing estates, with a chapel of San Gabriel.
From Chiautempan: 10 min by car (5 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Where to stay near San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Gabriel Cuauhtla.
Tours to San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in San Gabriel Cuauhtla; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
How to get to San Gabriel Cuauhtla
- From Chiautempan: about 10 min by road (~5 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 7 min by car to Huejotzingo
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About San Gabriel Cuauhtla
San Gabriel Cuauhtla is a locality in Tlaxcala municipality, south of the state capital at about 2,295 metres above sea level. To the north it borders Ocotlán, the neighbourhood of the baroque basilica. The 2020 census counted 8,177 residents, up from 7,912 in 2010. Its patron is the Archangel Gabriel.
According to the Wikipedia entry and its Librepedia copy, former residents made bricks, tiles and other clay goods by hand, and much of the territory is now housing estates and neighbourhoods. The community has its own church, including a chapel of San Gabriel whose main altar shows the archangel under a blue and gold canopy. Within the municipality it is one of the communities with its own presidencia, and its community president is elected by constitutional vote, according to the state encyclopedia.
Cultural life centres on the community auditorium. On 6 September 2026, for example, the Ayuntamiento de Tlaxcala and the community presidency held a danzón afternoon there with the Camada Renacimiento Juvenil SGC, free entry with voluntary support for the group..
How to get to San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Drive from Chiautempan: 10 min, 5 km
San Gabriel Cuauhtla is south of Tlaxcala city, next to Ocotlán, which lies to the north; Uber puts the two about 3 km and 9 minutes apart by car. From the Tlaxcala bus terminal the easiest way is a taxi or a colectivo toward Ocotlán and then on south. From Puebla it is approx. 30 km and 35 minutes by car on the Tlaxcala side, and to Huejotzingo, the nearest pueblo, approx. 25 km and 30 minutes.
Directions to San Gabriel Cuauhtla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to San Gabriel Cuauhtla
- Chiautempan · 5 km by road, 10 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 25 km by road, 25 min
- Puebla · 35 km by road, 40 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla 10
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
Landmarks and museums
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Basílica de Ocotlán · Landmark · 1 km from the centre
Tlaxcala's hilltop pilgrimage church: a churrigueresque façade between 33 m towers and an octagonal camarín carved by an indigenous artist. -
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción · Landmark · 1 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 · 1 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. -
Palacio de Gobierno de Tlaxcala · Landmark · 1 km from the centre
Seat of Tlaxcala's government since colonial times, on the Plaza de la Constitución; its arcades hold Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin's history murals. -
iglesia de San José · Landmark · 1 km from the centre
17th-century baroque church in central Tlaxcala, twice a cathedral and restored after the 2017 quake; home of the Niño Milagroso image.
Archaeological sites
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Ocotelulco · Archaeological site · 2 km from the centre
Temple and painted altar of Maxixcatzin's lordship, with a site museum, in San Francisco Ocotelulco, 3 km from Tlaxcala city. Free entry. -
Zona Arqueológica de Tizatlán · Archaeological site · 3 km from the centre
Seat of a Tlaxcalan lordship where the alliance with Cortés was sealed, with painted altars beside a 16th-century open chapel. -
Tepeticpac · Archaeological site · 4 km from the centre
Pre-Hispanic hilltop fortress above Santiago Tepeticpac, 5 km north of Tlaxcala city: walls, terraces, watchtowers and views over the valley.
Nature reserves
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Parque nacional Xicoténcatl · Nature reserve · 1 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 · 1 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla
Neighbourhoods and villages of San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Part of San Gabriel Cuauhtla or just outside it, closest first.
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Acxotla del Río · Town · 1 km from the centre
Totolac community beside the Zahuapan river, with an 1876 Nativity church and a Virgin procession eight days before 8 September. -
Ocotlán · Town · 1 km from the centre
The hill town above central Tlaxcala, the municipality's most populous locality, with the Pocito holy-water chapel and the basilica on top. -
La Trinidad Chimalpa · Village · 2 km from the centre
Old community in Totolac right beside Tlaxcala city, with a church to the Holy Trinity and a patron-saint fiesta in June. -
La Trinidad Tepehitec · Town · 2 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 Buenaventura Atempan · Village · 2 km from the centre
Village in Tlaxcala municipality tied to Cortés's brigantines; it has an old aqueduct and a fiesta of St Bonaventure on 15 July. -
San Francisco Ocotelulco · Village · 2 km from the centre
Totolac village next to Tlaxcala, heir to the lordship of Ocotelulco, with the church of San Francisco de Asís and the ruins close by. -
San Hipólito Chimalpa · Town · 2 km from the centre
Village in Tlaxcala municipality about 2 km from the capital's centre, with a yellow-domed church to Saint Hippolytus and views of La Malinche. -
San Miguel Tlamahuco · Village · 2 km from the centre
Village of 1,108 people next to Tlaxcala city, with a red-domed church on a small hill and La Malinche behind it. -
Los Reyes Quiahuixtlán · Town · 3 km from the centre
Totolac hill town just north of Tlaxcala city, heir to the Quiahuixtlán lordship, with cave paintings at Los Molinos and a Three Kings fiesta. -
San Esteban Tizatlán · Town · 3 km from the centre
Old seat of Xicohténcatl's lordship, northeast of Tlaxcala city: pre-Hispanic painted altars, a 16th-century open chapel and carved walking sticks. -
San Juan Totolac · Town · 3 km from the centre
Seat of Totolac, 3 km from Tlaxcala city: an 1714 parish church and the festival bread baked every week. -
San Lucas Cuauhtelulpan · Town · 3 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". -
San Sebastián Atlahapa · Town · 3 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. -
Santa Cruz Tetela · Village · 3 km from the centre
A Chiautempan village at 2,295 m, with prickly-pear groves and farm plots; its Nahuatl name means stony place. -
Santa María Ixtulco · Town · 3 km from the centre
Birthplace of governor Próspero Cahuantzi, with a Candelaria festival on 2 February, a tamal and mole prieto fair and five carnival camadas. -
Santiago Tepeticpac · Village · 3 km from the centre
A Totolac village at 2,244 m below Tepeticpac hill; every 3 May it climbs in procession to the old church on the summit. -
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 Diego Metepec · Town · 4 km from the centre
Town in Tlaxcala municipality, 'hill of the maguey', with a red-and-white church tower and the La Ocotera ecological park. -
Santa María Acuitlapilco · Town · 4 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. -
Tlatempan · Town · 4 km from the centre
Apetatitlán locality with the Padre Jesús church and workshops making wooden masks for dancers.
Day trips and tours from San Gabriel Cuauhtla
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San Gabriel Cuauhtla 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and November.
- 5 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla.
Visiting San Gabriel Cuauhtla: what to see and do
Chapel of San Gabriel, with the archangel's main altar.
Community auditorium, venue for events and the camada's shows.
Basilica of Ocotlán, about 3 km to the north.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Gabriel Cuauhtla.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huejotzingo sometimes stop in San Gabriel Cuauhtla; 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 25 km more to San Gabriel Cuauhtla, 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huejotzingo: download a map of the way to San Gabriel Cuauhtla before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to San Gabriel Cuauhtla mild
San Gabriel Cuauhtla shares the climate of Huejotzingo, 25 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Huejotzingo
Weather in San Gabriel Cuauhtla 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 Gabriel Cuauhtla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
Near San Gabriel Cuauhtla
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.