Town Xaloztoc, Tlaxcala Municipality of Xaloztoc La Malinche
San Cosme Xaloztoc, municipal seat: 18th-century church, a mariachi fair on 26 September and fireworks-making.
From Huamantla: 20 min by car (20 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to Xaloztoc
Where to stay near Xaloztoc
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Xaloztoc.
Tours to Xaloztoc
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Xaloztoc; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Puebla City
Africam Safari Zoo Admission with Transportation
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How to get to Xaloztoc
- From Huamantla: about 20 min by road (~20 km)
- Nearest airport: Puebla (PBC), 1 h 5 min by car to Huamantla
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Tours from Puebla City, near Xaloztoc
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About Xaloztoc
San Cosme Xaloztoc is the seat of the municipality of Xaloztoc, in central-eastern Tlaxcala, at about 2,500 metres above sea level. At the 2020 census the locality had 11,838 inhabitants and is the largest of the municipality's 21. The name is Nahuatl and is read as in the sand cave. The municipality borders Apizaco, Huamantla, Tetla, Terrenate, Tocatlán and Tzompantepec.
When the Spanish arrived the town belonged to the Tizatlán lordship, and in colonial times San Cosme and San Pedro Tlacotepec were visitas of the Huamantla convent. The municipality was created by decree 65 of 25 November 1873, split off from Tzompantepec, and the San Cosme parish was established in 1930. In the early 20th century villagers led by Romualdo Sánchez recovered land from the Tochac hacienda; in 1919 San Pedro Tlacotepec received 322 hectares. The current spelling with a z was made official in 1998.
The church of San Cosme and San Damián dates from the 18th century, with a Latin-cross plan, stone walls about 90 cm thick and an atrium cemetery with late-19th-century gravestones. The municipality also keeps the Tochac and La Concepción haciendas, the old church of San Pedro Tlacotepec and Cerro Tlacotzinzi, called the hill of the flags after a clash with the French. The main fiesta is on 26 September, with mass and fireworks on the first Sunday after, and it is known as the Feria del Mariachi. February brings a carnival with a parade of feathered costumes. People here make fireworks and dancers' costumes, and local dishes include maguey-worm quesadillas and turkey mole.
How to get to Xaloztoc
Drive from Huamantla: 20 min, 20 km
San Cosme Xaloztoc is in central-eastern Tlaxcala, between Apizaco and Huamantla, both of which border its municipality. From Mexico City take the Mexico–Puebla highway and the 150D to Apizaco (about 2 hours 15 minutes by car according to Mexico Desconocido); Apizaco is about 20 minutes from Tlaxcala city. From Apizaco continue towards Huamantla, which is about 17 km (roughly 20 minutes) from Xaloztoc, and take the turn-off to the town. From Puebla it is about 43 km and 50 minutes. By bus the usual way is to go to Apizaco or Huamantla and continue by combi or taxi; there are no published schedules for direct transport.
Directions to Xaloztoc on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Xaloztoc
- Huamantla · 20 km by road, 20 min
- Chiautempan · 25 km by road, 25 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 51 km by road, 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of Xaloztoc
Neighbourhoods and villages of Xaloztoc
Part of Xaloztoc or just outside it, closest first.
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San Pedro Tlacotepec · Town · 1 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. -
Zacazontetla · Village · 2 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. -
Tocatlán · Town · 3 km from the centre
A seat at 2,559 m with the church of Santa María (Asunción, fiesta 13 August), fibre basketry and pollo a la Tocatlán. -
San Juan Quetzalcoapan · Village · 4 km from the centre
Village in Tzompantepec with an 18th-century church of San Juan, Latin-cross plan and stone vaults; fiesta on 24 June.
Day trips and tours from Xaloztoc
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Xaloztoc 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 Xaloztoc
- The nearest airport is Puebla (PBC).
- The best months to go are January, February, November, and December.
- 1 of the places on this page is 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 Xaloztoc.
Before you go to Xaloztoc: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- Fiesta of San Cosme and San Damián on 26 September (Feria del Mariachi); carnival in February; San Pedro Tlacotepec on 29 June; municipal anniversary on 25 November. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Xaloztoc: what to see and do
Church of San Cosme and San Damián, 18th century, with its atrium cemetery
Feria del Mariachi, starting 26 September
Tochac and La Concepción haciendas, 18th and 19th centuries
Old church of San Pedro Tlacotepec
Cerro Tlacotzinzi, the hill of the flags
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Xaloztoc
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Xaloztoc.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Huamantla sometimes stop in Xaloztoc; 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 17 km more to Xaloztoc, 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 Xaloztoc.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Huamantla: download a map of the way to Xaloztoc before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Xaloztoc cool
Xaloztoc shares the climate of Huamantla, 17 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Huamantla
Weather in Xaloztoc 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 Xaloztoc, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Ixtenco · Tlaxcala · 21 km away
- Tlaxco · Tlaxcala · 25 km away
- Huejotzingo · Puebla · 46 km away
- Cholula · Puebla · 47 km away
- Chignahuapan · Puebla · 48 km away
Near Xaloztoc
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.