Town Papalotla de Xicohténcatl, Tlaxcala Puebla Valley La Malinche
Second-largest locality of Papalotla, 3 km from the seat on federal highway 121: San Marcos church and fiesta on 25 April.
From Chiautempan: 20 min by car (18 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San Marcos Contla
Where to stay near San Marcos Contla
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Marcos Contla.
Tours to San Marcos Contla
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in San Marcos Contla; 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 Marcos Contla
- From Chiautempan: about 20 min by road (~18 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 16 min by car to Cholula
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Tours from Puebla City, near San Marcos Contla
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About San Marcos Contla
San Marcos Contla is the second-largest locality in the municipality of Papalotla de Xicohténcatl, with 4,622 inhabitants at the 2020 census (Papalotla, the seat, has 28,657). It lies about 3 km from Papalotla at over 2,200 m, in the Puebla-Tlaxcala metropolitan zone. It should not be confused with Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, the sarape municipality: this Contla is a different village, and its main activity is farming.
Federal highway 121, from Santa Ana Chiautempan to Puebla, runs through it, and beside it stand the Porcel I and II plants of the tile maker Porcelanite, giving the village an industrial profile unusual among its rural neighbours. The climate is subhumid, with an annual mean of about 24 °C according to the municipal profile and minimums down to about 5 °C. Ayometitla and Santa Catarina Ayometla are just over a kilometre away and Mazatecochco about 2.5 km, so the village is one link in a chain of almost continuous communities at the foot of La Malinche.
The main building is the church of San Marcos, whose altar is decorated in gold and pale blue. The patron festival is 25 April, the feast of St Mark the Evangelist, and it appears in Tlaxcala's state calendar of festivities. The carnival that makes the municipality known regionally is Papalotla's, 3 km away, and it pairs well with a visit to San Marcos.
How to get to San Marcos Contla
Drive from Chiautempan: 20 min, 18 km
San Marcos Contla lies on federal highway 121 (Santa Ana Chiautempan–Puebla), about 3 km from Papalotla, the municipal seat; Uber estimates about 4 km and 13 minutes between Papalotla and the village. From Puebla it is about 35 minutes by car according to Uber; Cholula is about 26 km away (approx. 35 to 40 minutes). From Tlaxcala city or Chiautempan take federal 121 south. There is no published colectivo or bus route that reaches the village: ask in Chiautempan, Papalotla or at Tlaxcala's terminal. Huamantla, a Pueblo Mágico, is about 54 km away (approx. 45 minutes) and Huejotzingo about 46 km (approx. 35 minutes).
Directions to San Marcos Contla 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 Marcos Contla
- Puebla · 18 km by road, 20 min
- Chiautempan · 18 km by road, 20 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 34 km by road, 30 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of San Marcos Contla
Neighbourhoods and villages of San Marcos Contla
Part of San Marcos Contla or just outside it, closest first.
-
Papalotla · Town · in the centre
Valley town between Puebla and Tlaxcala, with a charro carnival, the old Panzacola station and a fair around October. -
Mazatecochco · Town · 2 km from the centre
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. -
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. -
Tenancingo · Town · 3 km from the centre
A town in southern Tlaxcala next to Puebla, with the San Miguel parish and a carnival of toreros and charros. -
Xicohtzinco · Town · 3 km from the centre
Santo Toribio Xicohtzinco, on the Puebla border: a twin-towered parish church built 1801-1803, a 16 April feast and a chivarrudos carnival. -
Ayometitla · Village · 4 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. -
San Lorenzo Almecatla · Town · 4 km from the centre
Town in Cuautlancingo north of Puebla, scene of the Battle of San Lorenzo against the French army on 8 May 1863.
Day trips and tours from San Marcos Contla
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San Marcos Contla 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 Marcos Contla
- 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 San Marcos Contla.
Before you go to San Marcos Contla: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Patron festival of San Marcos on 25 April. Tlaxcala Sí Existe (calendario de festividades 2023) · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting San Marcos Contla: what to see and do
The church of San Marcos and its gilded altar.
The patron festival on 25 April.
The neighbouring communities of Ayometitla and Santa Catarina Ayometla, just over a kilometre away.
Papalotla's carnival, 3 km away, with its comparsas.
The farmland at the foot of La Malinche.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Marcos Contla
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Marcos Contla.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Cholula sometimes stop in San Marcos Contla; 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 16 km more to San Marcos Contla, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 16 min by road from Cholula, the base for San Marcos Contla.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Cholula: download a map of the way to San Marcos Contla 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 Marcos Contla mild
San Marcos Contla shares the climate of Cholula, 16 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Cholula
Weather in San Marcos Contla 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 San Marcos Contla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 21 km away
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 30 km away
- Huamantla · Tlaxcala · 34 km away
- Atlixco · Puebla · 37 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 50 km away
Near San Marcos Contla
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.