Atlixco

Why visit

Atlixco is lower and warmer than Puebla, and locals like to say it has the best climate in the world. That climate makes it a garden: nurseries line the roads into town, and flowers fill its markets, churches and squares. It is an easy half-day trip, and a pleasant place to slow down after the city.

What to see

• The zócalo: a shady square with a bandstand and old arcades, overlooked by the parish church.
• The Cerro de San Miguel: a hill above the town, climbed by a stairway and path, with a small chapel at the top and wide views of the town and Popocatépetl.
• The former convent of San Francisco: a 16th-century Franciscan convent on the slope of the hill.
• The nurseries: the viveros on the edge of town, full of plants and flowers for sale.
• Local food: cecina, a thin salted beef, is the local speciality, best at the market.

Festivals

On the last Sunday of September, the Huey Atlixcáyotl brings dancers and musicians from across Puebla state to the Cerro de San Miguel. Around the Day of the Dead, a carpet of marigolds and other flowers covers the zócalo, and giant catrinas fill the streets. In the Christmas season, the town is covered in lights.

Tips

• Climb the Cerro de San Miguel in the morning, when the volcano is most likely to be clear.
• Buses run often from Puebla, and Uber and taxis take about 45 minutes.
• See our Day of the Dead guide if you are visiting at the end of October.