Landmark 14 km east of Xilitla
Healer Beto Ramón's rainbow-colored herbal medicine complex in Aguacatitla, near Axtla de Terrazas: a surreal sight of its own.
Xilitla is famous for Edward James's surreal garden, but the Huasteca has another fantastical building complex half an hour away. The Castillo de la Salud, in the community of Aguacatitla just south of Axtla de Terrazas, was created by Beto Ramón (1936–2004), a Nahua healer and herbalist who said he learned the uses of local plants from his grandmother.
What started as a laboratory for herbal remedies grew into a castle-like compound painted in rainbow colors, with towers, a church, a hotel and a restaurant, and it still offers traditional medicine consultations. The state describes it as a botanical center of traditional medicine whose colorful, fantastic architecture blends into the landscape.
Axtla itself is a small riverside town of around 8,000 people where the Huichihuayán and Tancuilín rivers meet; for years it was reached mainly by a ferry that still crosses the river. Its Xantolo (Day of the Dead) celebrations, with the giant patlache tamale, are a highlight of early November.
What to see and do
Walk around Beto Ramón's colorful towers and courtyards.
Ask about the herbal remedies and traditional medicine consultations.
Cross the river on the ferry at Axtla de Terrazas.
Come in early November for Xantolo and the giant patlache tamale.
Getting there
Aguacatitla is about 40 minutes by car from Xilitla: drive down to Highway 85, head north to the Axtla de Terrazas turnoff, and continue just south of Axtla. Taxis from Xilitla can take you there; colectivos run between the towns along the highway.
14 km east of Xilitla
Directions from Xilitla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Castillo de la Salud
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Weather mild
Castillo de la Salud shares the climate of Xilitla, 14 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Aug, Nov.
Make Xilitla your base
Castillo de la Salud is an easy trip from Xilitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Xilitla
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Nacimiento de Huichihuayán
· Nature reserve · 8 km away
The source of the Huichihuayán River, where crystal-clear water flows out of caves into shallow pools in the jungle. -
La Silleta
· Mountain · 10 km away
The saddle-shaped peak above Xilitla, the highest point in the municipality, with coffee farms on its slopes. -
Sótano de las Huahuas
· Cave · 17 km away
A huge pit in the jungle near Tampaxal, run by a Tének community, where swifts and green parakeets fly out each morning. -
Huehuetlán
· Town · 18 km away
A quiet Huasteca town with a 17th-century parish and an ancient tree in its plaza; liveliest at the San Diego feast in November. -
Coxcatlán
· Town · 20 km away
A Huasteca town with a 17th-century church and convent, plus the Pozas de Rosendo for swimming. -
Tamazunchale
· Town · 25 km away
A Nahua river town where the Moctezuma and Amajac meet, with a riverside market and one of the Huasteca's big Xantolo celebrations. -
Sótano de las Golondrinas
· Cave · 27 km away
The Huasteca's most famous pit, about an hour away near Aquismón; go at dawn to see thousands of swifts spiral out.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.