Tlapacoya: Festivals, Churches and River Landscape
Accommodation in Tlapacoya
The town of Tlapacoya and the municipality of the same name offer different ways to plan a stay. The town is home to the Parroquia de Santa Ana, a religious building in the colonial style. The municipality also offers festival traditions, rivers and other tourist destinations. You can tailor your stay to church architecture, the cultural calendar or the landscape.
Festivals and cultural traditions
The Feria in honor of Santa Ana is held annually in the municipality of Tlapacoya from July 22 to 28. The July celebrations include dances by the Negritos, Charros, Españoles and Huehues, basketball championships, fireworks, the crowning of the queen, Jaripeos and folk dances. The specific program may vary from year to year.
The festival of Santo Entierro is considered the municipality’s most important festival. It is celebrated on the second Friday of Lent and includes processions, dances by the Voladores, Negritos and Huehues, marching bands and fireworks. The two festivals follow different calendars: Santa Ana is associated with a fixed week in July, while Santo Entierro is tied to Lent. If you want to plan your trip around a festival, check the program in advance.
Churches and history
The Parroquia de Santa Ana in the town of Tlapacoya is a religious building in the colonial style. This is distinct from a parish church dedicated to Señor Jesús: it dates back to the 17th century and is considered the municipality’s most important architectural building. The two churches thus represent different connections to the town and the municipal area.
The early history also relates to the municipality: it was founded by settlers from the Totonac and OtomĂ peoples. Together with the festival traditions, this historical connection conveys a cultural focus that extends beyond the individual church in the town.
Rivers and landscape
The rivers in the municipality originate in the Sierra Norte and are tributaries of the RĂo Tecolutla, which flows into the Gulf. Within the municipal area, the RĂo Ajajalpan crosses the southern part from west to east; the RĂo Acalá runs through the western part. Seasonal streams flow into these rivers, and springs can be found in several places. Pine forests, by contrast, are scattered and cover only small areas.
Cerro Cuatezon, which offers panoramic views, is near the town of Tlapacoya. Other tourist destinations in the municipality include the Pirámide de Acalá and the Grutas de Iguala. If you plan to visit, check in advance whether these destinations are currently accessible.
Cuisine and getting there
The municipality’s regional cuisine includes bean tamales, mole poblano and pit-roasted barbacoa. These dishes add a culinary dimension to Tlapacoya’s cultural and landscape appeal without presuming a particular restaurant or food business.
An older transportation reference describes a secondary road from Juan Galindo, where it connects to Federal Highway 130, crosses the municipality of Tlapacoya from east to south, and connects it with Tlaola. As this information is older, check the current route and road conditions before traveling.
Discover more destinations: Oriental, Teziutlan, Ciudad De Cuetzalan, Zacapoaxtla, Pahuatlán, San Pedro Cholula, San José Ayotla, Santa Rita Tlahuapan.
For the broader travel overview: Puebla.
