Huautla: Festival Culture and Natural Landscape

Huautla is located in the geographic region of the Huasteca hidalguense. Two themes are central to planning your trip: the town’s religious and cultural traditions, and a landscape of deep ravines, rivers and waterfalls. The Parroquia de San Juan Bautista stands in the main square; festivals and customs offer other specific occasions throughout the year. If you’re looking for a hotel in Huautla, you can first decide whether you’d like to focus your stay more on cultural traditions or on natural attractions.

Culture and Festival Traditions

The Parroquia de San Juan Bautista was built in the 16th century and stands in Huautla’s main square. This brings together two aspects of the town’s cultural heritage in one place: the church’s architectural history and its location in the square. Huautla’s most important traditional festival is celebrated on December 12 in honor of the Virgen Morena de Guadalupe. It features dances and amusement rides; local crafts are also sold, and a variety of foods are served. Music in various forms plays an integral role in the municipality’s traditional festivals.

There are also monuments to Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in central locations around the municipality. They complement the Parroquia with another form of cultural heritage.

Other feast days also give the town’s culture its own annual rhythm. San Juan Bautista is celebrated as the patron saint; on November 1 and 2, Huautla observes All Saints’ Day with colorful altars decorated with food and multicolored flowers. December 12 is dedicated to the festival of the Virgen Morena, while the All Saints’ Day tradition takes center stage in early November. If you’d like to plan your trip around one of these occasions, take the relevant dates into account when planning.

Xantolo is deeply rooted in Huautla. During Xantolo, residents grind cacao to make chocolate; Pan de muerto, also called Pan muñeco, is also prepared and offered. The connection between cacao, chocolate and Pan de muerto gives Xantolo its own culinary character, distinct from the foods served at the December festival. In some communities in Huautla, traditional men’s clothing includes Manta trousers, an embroidered shirt, Huaraches and a palm hat.

Landscape and Nature

Huautla is a semi-flat area between two deep ravines and includes the foothills of the Sierra Oriental. The municipality’s rivers form waterfalls along their courses and over drops; these include the Río Beltrán. The Reserva de la Cascada de Cuatenahuatl is a protected natural area with a waterfall; El Mirador is another protected natural area in Huautla.

Cerro de El Cojolite offers panoramic views over large parts of the municipality of Huautla. Cascada de Matenco is about three kilometers from the municipal seat. Río Cuatzonco is also one of Huautla’s natural attractions. The natural highlights range from views and rivers to waterfalls and protected natural areas.

Discover more destinations: Chicontepec De Tejeda, Tantoyuca, Ixmiquilpan, Acaxochitlán.

Go to the main travel overview: Hidalgo.