Town 6 km southwest of Zozocolco
A Totonac coffee-growing town across the Puebla line, where traditional dress is still part of daily life.
Huehuetla sits just across the state line in Puebla, in the hills where the Sierra Norte de Puebla meets the Sierra de Papantla. Its name is Nahuatl, usually translated as "old place", but it is a Totonac town: in the municipality nearly everyone identifies as Indigenous, and Totonac is spoken by most people more than Spanish. Spanish records list it as San Salvador Huehuetla from the 16th century.
Huehuetla is also known for its Totonac community organizing. The Organización Independiente Totonaca, founded in 1989, has worked for decades on land, schooling and the revival of Totonac language and culture, and traditional dress is still common in the streets, along with the woven belts the area is known for.
Coffee is the main crop, grown with corn on steep slopes around town, and the municipality holds a coffee fair in December. For visitors it is a place to see everyday Totonac life, buy local coffee and enjoy the green hills, birds and walks of the sierra, rather than a sightseeing stop with monuments.
What to see and do
Walk the center and the church, and see traditional Totonac dress in everyday use.
Buy locally grown coffee, or come for the coffee fair in December.
Look for the woven belts made in the area.
Take a walk in the hills around town for views of the sierra and good birdwatching.
Getting there
Huehuetla is about 20 to 30 minutes west of Zozocolco by car on the mountain road into Puebla. The road is narrow and winding, so drive carefully, especially in the rain. Ask in Zozocolco about colectivos.
6 km southwest of Zozocolco
Directions from Zozocolco on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Huehuetla
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Weather warm
Huehuetla shares the climate of Zozocolco, 6 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.
Make Zozocolco your base
Huehuetla is an easy trip from Zozocolco, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Zozocolco
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Coxquihui
· Town · 5 km away
A Totonac town just north of Zozocolco, known for crafts like carved dance masks, wax candles and embroidered clothing. -
Jonotla
· Town · 12 km away
A Sierra Norte village with the El Peñón shrine and viewpoint, river pools and waterfalls, about 30–40 minutes south. -
Yohualichan
· Archaeological site · 12 km away
Ruins near Cuetzalan with buildings decorated with niches like those of El Tajín, in a quiet setting among coffee hills. -
Coyutla
· Town · 14 km away
A Totonac town in the Sierra de Papantla known for embroidered quechquémitls, carved masks and voladores at its fiestas.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.