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City in Puebla, Mexico
Photo: Estudio Fotografico Morales, Zacatlán, Pue, Copyrighted free use via Wikimedia Commons
Zacatlán is an historic small town in the northern reaches of Puebla, Mexico. The area around town is hilly as the town lies in an area of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range that's locally known as the Sierra Norte. It's an area surrounded in apple orchards, eventually giving way to mountain forests, streams and even a few waterfalls. The town displays a lot of colonial charm, with a beautiful town square, a 16th-century church, cobblestone streets, and a propensity for red tile roofs. Clocks are a big thing here, owing to the presence of a company making "monumental" clocks (think big clocks!)
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Clock Museum
Clock company established in 1921 by Alberto Olvera Hernandez. The company makes only "monumental" clocks, such as those on government buildings, railway stations and church clock towers. The company built the large flower clock in the town square and thousands of highly visible big clocks throughout Mexico and the world. They also repair historic clocks, including those built in Germany and France. The factory is open for public tours and the upper level of the factory includes a clock museum, open to the public free of charge.
Main square
The town's plaza principal is a great place for hanging out, relaxing on a park bench, and doing some serious people watching. It's also the place you'll find some of the town's most iconic sights for your Instagram photos, like the huge clock of flowers (made by the town's famous clock company). There's also a tourist information booth if you want some local tips or more ideas for things to do.
The cemetery is somber and filled with dozens of impressive monuments and mausoleums, it's especially spooky early in the morning when fog makes it look like the setting of a horror movie. The star of the Panteon is the wide variety of amazing murals that fill all of its walls for blocks. It's bright, colorful and very inviting, making it a place that locals are just dying to get into.
St Peters Church
Clean, austere looking church with interesting side chapels, including one devoted to the Virgen of Guadalupe. A place for peaceful contemplation. Located next to the Ex-convento (monastery) from the 17th century.
Callejon de los Huesos
There is a series of mosaic murals downtown created by contemporary artists using colored glass inlays. These are like the murals around the Panteon, but different in that they're newer, they reflect contemporary themes (not religious scenes), a few may still be works in progress, and they aren't just on walls: some cover benches, or integrate with the architecture of a building. You walk down an alley to see most of them, and sometimes have to jog over a block or so to pick up the trail, but locals will help point you in the right direction... just ask, "Murales?" and they'll point.
Goldfinch Canyon
Wide canyon with a deep, forested valley. Very scenic and an enormously popular place for sightseers and nature lovers. There are some good viewpoints if you walk along Paseo de la Barranca, but most tourists flock to the glass overlook (Puente Cristal Mirador) near the Panteon, though the glass floor of the observation deck gives some people vertigo. You can hike into the canyon, there are some areas for rapelling and camping. A zip-line route over the canyon provides the biggest thrills in town, and you can even do it at night.
Outstanding tacos in a wide variety of flavors, from standard standbys like tacos al pastor to mixiote and even some things gringos are afraid to try (like tacos al cabeza de vaca). Large selection of homemade salsas: green, red, black, chipotle, charred. Cheap eats and open late...total winner!
Cozy rustic restaurant with outstanding regional cuisine. Be bold and try the tacos de chapulines (yes, they are made of grasshoppers). If you're less bold, try one of the several kinds of mole, like the mole de 400 chiles (it's not as hot as you might think). Great bar with a nice selection of pulques, craft beers, and small-batch mezcal. Live music Friday and Saturday.
Family-friendly traditional Mexican restaurant serving a variety of regional dishes. Mole poblano is the house specialty, rabbit is on the menu. Kids will probably prefer the pizzas, they have a few unusual local flavors, even an apple pizza.
Buffet restaurant (includes drinks) with reasonable prices and generally edible food. There's an option for a seafood buffet at somewhat higher cost. It's an affordable place to eat, but the reason to come here is for the VIEW. The restaurant sits right next to the canyon with huge windows providing great views of the Goldfinch Canyon. There's an outdoor deck where you can snap a few good photos before or after dinner.
Artesanal bakery preparing the town's famous cheese breads in a wood-fired oven. Get there at 14:00 when the day's oven-fresh breads are still warm.
Traditional small bakery producing the local specialty: cheese bread.
Traditional cider making facility where you can learn how cider is pressed and prepared. Free tastings of the products, which are also offered for sale. Both natural and hard ciders are produced as well as citrus liquers and flavored coffee creamers.
Traditional hotel with spacious updated rooms, clean and quiet. Basic amenities but no frills. Off-street parking available. No restaurant on site.
Good choice for the budget traveler. Convenient central location and on-site parking, but rooms could use an update.
Moderate hotel with updated rooms, clean and spacious. Excellent views of the canyon from rooms on one side of the building. Be aware that discounted online rates get you a room without a view and the price difference is fairly small to book directly and request the better rooms.
Upscale boutique hotel, built in a former mansion, but renovated with contemporary decor. Rooms have both air conditioning and heating (few in Zacatlan do). 1 block to Zocalo.
From Mexico City, ATAH has 2 direct buses daily to Zacatlan and several more that connect in Apizaco. It's a 3-hour ride and will cost from M$100 to M$400 depending on bus class and demand.
Read in the guideZacatlan is a compact, easily walkable city, but you'll want to use a taxi for some of the outlying attractions, such as waterfalls. A taxi sitio in el Centro on Av. Luis Cabrera Lobato near the zocalo.
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Puebla · International · PBC
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