Town Tocatlán, Tlaxcala La Malinche
A seat at 2,559 m with the church of Santa María (Asunción, fiesta 13 August), fibre basketry and pollo a la Tocatlán.
From Huamantla: 20 min by car (17 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Tocatlán
Where to stay near Tocatlán
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Tocatlán.
Tours to Tocatlán
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Tocatlán; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
How to get to Tocatlán
- From Huamantla: about 20 min by road (~17 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 5 min by car to Huamantla
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About Tocatlán
Tocatlán, also called Santa María Tocatlán, is the seat of a municipality in eastern Tlaxcala at about 2,559 metres above sea level. At the 2020 census it had 6,230 inhabitants. The name is Nahuatl and means place of spiders. For centuries it was a dependent village: in 1623 it belonged to the Franciscan doctrine of Texcalac, later to the municipality of Tzompantepec, and from 25 November 1873 to Xaloztoc, until a 1952 decree made it a municipality in its own right.
The 18th-century church of Santa María has a Latin-cross plan and keeps an atrium-cemetery with gravestones and a ciprés holding the image of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; the ciprés was begun on 7 May 1884 and finished on 6 August that year. The fiesta is on 13 August and opens on the 12th with the traditional carrera de la rosa. At carnival the camadas dance house to house from noon to 7 p.m. to tropical music, and the closing is on Tuesday at the basketball court.
Local craftwork uses natural fibres: basketry in huejote, willow, sotol, romerillo and reed, including chiquihuites and sotol-palm petacas. On the table, pollo a la Tocatlán, pipián rojo and maguey worms stand out. On the outskirts stand the walls of the ex-hacienda Acocotla.
How to get to Tocatlán
Drive from Huamantla: 20 min, 17 km
Tocatlán is in eastern Tlaxcala; it borders Xaloztoc to the north and west, Huamantla to the south and east, and Tzompantepec to the southwest. The practical reference point is Huamantla, about 14 km and 15 minutes away, and from Puebla it is about 42 km and 50 minutes. By public transport, reach Huamantla or Apizaco first, both of which have bus terminals, and continue on the local road; there are no published lines or schedules for the last stretch.
Directions to Tocatlán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Tocatlán
- Huamantla · 17 km by road, 20 min
- Chiautempan · 28 km by road, 30 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 54 km by road, 45 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of Tocatlán
Neighbourhoods and villages of Tocatlán
Part of Tocatlán or just outside it, closest first.
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Zacazontetla · Village · 1 km from the centre
Community in Xaloztoc, 1.5 km from the municipal seat; its fair falls on 3 May, Holy Cross day. Neighbours San Pedro Tlacotepec and Tocatlán. -
San Pedro Tlacotepec · Town · 2 km from the centre
Xaloztoc locality with an old church of San Pedro, a 16th-century coat of arms and a fair running from late June to early August. -
Xaloztoc · Town · 3 km from the centre
San Cosme Xaloztoc, municipal seat: 18th-century church, a mariachi fair on 26 September and fireworks-making.
Day trips and tours from Tocatlán
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Tocatlán 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 Tocatlán
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, November, and December.
- Everything on this page is in or close to the centre: walk, or take a short taxi ride.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Tocatlán.
Before you go to Tocatlán: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Fiesta of the Virgen de la Asunción on 13 August (opening on the 12th with the carrera de la rosa); carnival from Sunday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. INAFED, Enciclopedia de los Municipios: Tocatlán · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Tocatlán: what to see and do
The 18th-century church of Santa María, with its atrium-cemetery and 1884 ciprés.
The Asunción fiesta on 13 August, with the carrera de la rosa on the 12th.
The camada carnival, ending on Tuesday at the basketball court.
The walls of the ex-hacienda Acocotla, from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Huejote, willow and sotol basketry, and pollo a la Tocatlán.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Tocatlán
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Tocatlán.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Tocatlán; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PBC (Puebla): about 1 h 5 min by road to Huamantla, then 14 km more to Tocatlán, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puebla (PBC), about 1 h 5 min by road from Huamantla, the base for Tocatlán.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huamantla: download a map of the way to Tocatlán before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Tocatlán cool
Tocatlán shares the climate of Huamantla, 14 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Huamantla
Weather in Tocatlán now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Huamantla
Huamantla is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Tocatlán, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 18 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 27 km away
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 47 km away
- Cholula · Puebla · 47 km away
- Chignahuapan · Puebla · 49 km away
Near Tocatlán
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.