Coatepec

The nearest waterfall to town is in the environs of a well-known Coatepec coffee finca (estate), which also has various trails and a natural swimming pool. To get there follow Calle 5 de Mayo north to a bridge, continue north on Calle Prieto and then turn left into Calle Altamirano. After passing the last shop, hang a right, cross a bridge and turn left onto a path.

Coatepec’s humid cloud forests support numerous species of orchid and an amiable local señora has collected many of them for this museum/garden a few blocks from the main square. Displays highlight both cultivation and conservation techniques. Reserve 30 minutes to see the full gamut.

Coatepec’s main square is green and bereft of the worst of the town’s traffic. In its center stands a glorious glorieta (bandstand kiosk) that doubles up as a cafe. The park is full of statues, fountains, gardens, and paved walkways. Set back from the road on the eastern side is the unashamedly baroque Parroquia de San Jerónimo, named after the city’s patron saint. The square is particularly lively on Sundays when families bring their children to the park and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

Local history and literary arts museum dedicated to Maria Enriqueta, a local poet born in Coatepec in 1872 who lived an interesting life in Mexico City, Cuba, Washington DC and Switzerland. The house is filled with period decorative arts pieces and has galleries devoted to poetry and the history of Coatepec.

Cerro de las Culebras (Snake Hill; Coatepec in the Náhuatl language), is easily accessible from the town center. The walk takes you up cobbled steps to a lookout tower with a white statue of Christ on top. From here there are magnificent city and mountain views. To get there, walk three blocks west from the main plaza on Lerdo, then north all the way up Independencia.