Around Town

If you ask, a community museum [1] volunteer may be available to lead you on a walking tour of the town and environs. They especially recommend English-speaking Zeferino Mendoza. Highlights often include visits to weavers’ homes, the church, a traditional temazcal, the recently reconstructed foundation stones of the ancient town, the dam and lake, and the hike to Picacho, the peak above the town’s west side.

Lacking a guide, simply stroll out on your own self-guided tour. After seeing the museum [1], head east on Hidalgo. If you haven’t already, take a look around the plaza-front textile stalls [2], then continue to the Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo [3] (Church of the Precious Blood of Christ).

Here, community adoration focuses during both the July 1–15 patronal festival and the September 7–9 Fiesta del Señor de La Natividad (Festival of the Lord of the Nativity), which include processions, fireworks, and the spectacular Danza de las Plumas (Dance of the Feathers).

Explore Further

If you have time, you can venture even farther afield. One option is to walk or drive along the bumpy but passable uphill gravel continuation of main street Calle Juárez about a mile (1.6 km) to the town dam. After the summer rains, the reservoir fills and forms a scenic lake, good for swimming, picnicking, and even possibly camping, along its pastoral mountain-view shoreline. If you plan to camp at the Teotitlán [4] reservoir, first ask for permission at the museum or the presidencia municipal.

Travelers can extend their Teotitlán adventure all the way into the neighboring mountains. From the Teotitlán reservoir, hike (be prepared with water, good shoes, and a hat), hitchhike, taxi, or drive about 12 more miles (19 km) uphill (with an elevation gain of 5,000 feet/1,500 meters) along the good gravel road to pine-shadowed Benito Juárez and Cuajimoloyas mountain hamlets.

Back at the Teotitlán [4] reservoir, you can also venture up the slope of Picacho, the steep, peaked hill a mile (1.6 km) west of town. The usual route from town is along Calle 2 de Abril, which heads west, bridging the west-side arroyo. Continue uphill, bearing right at the fork at the base of the hill.

First you’ll pass some houses, then continue, curving left around the hillside. Eventually, before the summit, you’ll pass some cuevitas (small caves), a holy site where local folks have been gathering for sacred ceremonies each New Year’s Day since before anyone can remember.